I-o-wa gurls are unforgettable

 

Katy Perry paid us a visit last night for Beggar's Night. I LOVE Halloween!! The kids are cute, most everyone likes candy, and who can resist dressing up for a few hours. Around Des Moines, the tradition is for the kids to tell a joke to get their treat. This goes WAY back . . . can't tell you when it started, but it's what we did when I went trick or treating many, many years ago. Like 35 years ago. You can always tell who the long-time residents are - we're the ones asking for the jokes. It was so popular back in the day that the Des Moines Register used to print a special joke section the Sunday before Beggar's Night. Somehow that went by the wayside, as did our elementary school Halloween parade and gym fun house. All of which, in my opinion, are signs of societal decline.

But I digress. My favorite joke from last night: What does an eye doctor give out at Halloween? Candy corneas!

My only sadness is that once the kids hit middle school age most people think they're too old to trick or treat. If they put on a costume and tell me a joke, they're always welcome!

Days of our lives

Lest you think we've spent the past month sitting around doing nothing, here's a few pics to prove otherwise.

Our very own Hoop-lah was inducted this weekend into the Geneseo (Ill.) High School Hall of Fame inaugural class - along with his teammates from the 1982 Class 4-A Illinois State Football Champions. Here he is with Carly and Riley and his proud momma.

 

 

 

When you get bored at the Hall of Fame ceremony, you balance a pumpkin on your head. These kids are so talented!

 

 

 

We visited our favorite pumpkin patch, where we rode these bucking broncos.

 

 

We took in a sunset. It's interesting . . . this shot is one block west of our new high school. It looks rural, but it most definitely isn't. Development is just on the other side of this lens.

 

 

 

And "we" ran in a race or two . . . and I don't use the term "we" loosely. It is tough work hauling your middle-aged butt all over the course, trying to get from place to place before those kids. I continue to be amazed by the great pictures other people take! Two meets left . . . districts on Thursday and (hopefully) state the following week.