October ends...

We finally made it to Stoney Ridge on the last day of their season. Love that place! We enjoyed strolling around and, even more, enjoyed coffee and pumpkin spice donuts over great conversation with our friends, Derek & Debbie Gavette. They own this wonderful farm, and are the creative genius behind its charm. We are also blessed to have had their ambitious kids work for us in our summer harvest season...a great family!

We filled up a couple of bags with squash of various varieties, and a bag of apples at the Pumpkin & Apple Shed.

I had to take some pictures of the animals...Oh! How I would love to have my own menagerie....

Oh! How The Farmer loves it that I don't have my own menagerie...

Petting Gavette's mini-mule will have to suffice...

Just had to note the one and only stage at which pigs are cute...

Robin Hood was there! I wasn't expecting him...Being election season, I thought he would be busy promoting candidates who plan to steal from the rich and give to the poor...

I wish my barn looked like this...

Sunday night, we headed to the Ivan Likkel Pavilion for the Annual Harvest Party...Hot dog & marshmallow roasting in the cool of evening...Dessert consists of candy -- lots of candy -- and some apples with caramel for our health.

Dad & Mom always come up with unique decor...even though this scarecrow looks like he may have been recycled from an earlier election year!

 The evening ended with an uproarious and hilarious Robert's Rules of Order type meeting in which we hashed out the plan for Christmas gifting this year. Motions were made, friendly amendment posed and passed, another posed and defeated, with many "points of order" noted. Whew! The intensity!!!And the lively banter was fueled mostly by the youngest generation present! (Love that! What fun kids we all have!!) After much discussion of the merits of equality of gifting, notes of traditions past which should/should not be continued, the constraints of proposed stipulations, etc...the final motion passed, though not unanimously...Oh! The controversy!!

Final motion: In this year of 2010, names shall be drawn by each individual family member, and each member shall purchase for that one single specific person Stocking Stuffers for the Annual Ivan Likkel Family Christmas Party. It is further stipulated that each person shall purchase 4 gifts for the name drawn, and their total value is not to exceed $10. It is further stipulated that each & every person shall have complete freedom to add to any other person's stocking items of that are of no value free in any number.

I'll let you know how it turns out...As Grandma said, "Hope Christmas is as much fun as this meeting was..."