Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 5, 2019

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 5, 2019 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side by Deanne Davis


“Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-
kicking perfect pause between the opposing 
miseries of summer and winter!” Carol Bishop 
Hipps

“Listen! The wind is rising and the air is wild 
with leaves. We have had our summer evenings, 
now for October eves.” Humbert Wolfe

“Welcome October! New month, new chapter, 
new pages, new wishes. May the month give you 
courage, strength, confidence, patience, self-
love and inner peace. May every day in October 
fill your days with Hope, Love, Sunshine and 
Energy. Let there be Joy, Fun and Laughter!”

www.beautifulquotes.com 

Those quotes pretty much say it all! But I 
thought I’d add an October offering of my own 
to the mix:

O...Oh please, please, let it cool off! Oh please, 
let the temperatures hover around those nice 
high 70’s and low 80’s! Oh please, let the nights 
be cool enough to think of pulling up the covers!

C...Cider! I’d love some hot apple cider. If you 
buy a gallon of apple cider, but it in an old 
percolator type coffee maker, add five or six 
cinnamon sticks broken in half, an orange cut 
in quarters, a bunch of whole cloves and whole 
allspice, then turn it on so the cider perks 
through the spices, you will end up with a big 
pot of happiness. Hot apple cider on a cold day 
is pure joy.

T...Total change of wardrobe! Wouldn’t it be nice to wear jeans, boots, socks and...oh bliss! A sweater! Wouldn’t 
it be nice to put all the shorts you’ve been living in since June into a drawer and forget about them till next June!

O...Outdoors! Wouldn’t it be nice to actually enjoy being outdoors! To sit out on your patio in the morning with 
a cup of coffee and watch the sun come up? To sit outside with dear friends and enjoy a glass of wine or two and 
something simple like Triscuits and Humus or some veggies and ranch dip? And watch the moon appear in the 
sky. Be sure to spray yourself with mosquito spray and light that romantic citronella candle.

B...Blessed! Yes, we are blessed to see another fall season come around. To see the scarecrows all over town, to 
know that kids are going to paint all the downtown windows with wonderfully creepy designs, to know there 
will be a costume parade and that your own personal children are going to have a wonderful time trick or 
treating in a safe environment. 

E...Excitement! The air is filled with excitement. Fall is a new beginning. October is the opal month of the year. 
It is the month of glory, of ripeness. It is the picture-month. It’s the month when we buy pumpkins and put them 
out on our front porch. The month when we decorate inside with fall leaves and yellow chrysanthemums. The 
month when I put out my spider-adorned sign that says, “The Witch Is in!” The month when we start thinking 
of pumpkin goodies, like pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cheesecake. 

R...Rejoice! Your electric bill is going to be less! Rain might be on the way! October is red and golden and 
brown. Carve a pumpkin, donate candy to one of the churches doing Trunk or Treat, and rejoice because you are 
alive! You are loved and this could very well be your best month of the year.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!”

Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

Watch for scarecrows! They’re everywhere and so clever. They are where you least expect them to be! Have a 
great week, dear friends and neighbors and treat yourself to a Pumpkin Spice Latte. And don’t think about the 
calories. They are one more reason to Rejoice!

“Sunrises & Sunflowers Speak Hope” 

is a great gift for yourself or someone you love! 

Look for it on my book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 

Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! Take a look!

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@playwrightdd

 “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter”

is also available on my Amazon book page.

KATIE Tse....This and That


HALLOWEEN --AGAIN

It’s that time of year again. Time 
for me to recycle my Halloween 
article. But I updated it, so I 
don’t feel like a total slacker. Just 
a moderate slacker.

 Halloween, the longest 
holiday of the year, is upon 
us again. Why is Halloween 
the longest holiday, you ask. 
Primarily because of its position 
in the calendar. We haven’t had 
a decent celebration since the 
Fourth of July, and even that might not have been a big 
deal. 

 Before that was Easter. And depending on what your family’s like, that might not have 
been big, either. Going back farther takes us to St. Patrick’s. Again, generally not huge. 

 Which brings us to Valentine’s, a holiday you either love or hate. I’m convinced that more 
people are in the latter category. Even those with a significant other often stress over the 
perfect dinner reservations and making sure they live up to the other’s expectations. (My 
husband and I usually stay home and fix something indulgent like ribs.)

 All this is to say that by the time we come around to Halloween we haven’t had a good 
party since New Year’s. And that was so long ago! We’re starved for festivity. We’ve been 
looking forward to it since the middle of summer when stores packed away their Fourth of 
July decorations. By the time October 1st rolls around we’ve been marinating in Halloween 
decor for a good month. We’re primed.

 Why else is Halloween so big? Namely because it’s not sentimental. People who despise 
the holiday season for their own reasons still love Halloween, or at least tolerate it. Halloween 
doesn’t come with baggage. There are no tender songs like “I’ll be home for Halloween,” or 
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Halloween” to tug at the old heart strings. 

 Yes, Halloween is emotionally safe. Besides that, there’s the whole aspect of dressing up 
that people get jazzed about. Personally, I don’t go in for that, but a lot of people do. I work 
at a school, so arriving in character is kind of expected. But I’m not a classroom teacher, so 
I usually pass on it. 

 The kids always ask what I’ll be. I tell them, “A speech teacher.” 

 “But that’s what you are everyday!”

 Nodding, “Exactly.” 

 Maybe this year I’ll give in and do something. But more likely not. That’s why I have 
my trusty tee-shirt that’s worn but once a year. It says, “This IS my Halloween costume.” I 
know, such a humbug. But if you’re not a humbug, more power to you. I hope you have a 
fun Halloween. Not for a few weeks, but who’s counting?

 *Have you checked out my novel, “A Year at Apex?” It’s got humor, romance, the human 
condition, and public education. Just the thing to get you through the holiday season in one 
piece. Find it in paperback and ebook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 
Walter Cailleteau, DVM Free Exam!
927 N. Michillinda Ave. For New Clients 
Pasadena, CA 91107 Bring this coupon to save! 
(626) 351-8863
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.