Living Grateful

Welcome to November: the month of gratitude. I love this time of year when we pause to reflect on all the things in our lives for which we are grateful. It's like getting a little pre-load of oxygen before the December shortness of breath.

Two years ago, every day in November, I blogged about something I was especially grateful for. It was great fun. This year, I'm in the middle of my dissertation, so I don't have time for anything that time consuming. But I still like to reflect, so I compiled all those earlier gratitude posts and put them into one handy location under the tab Living Grateful.

What are YOU grateful for?

Keep swimming,

Ms. Fish

In Honor of Elections

In honor of the mid-term elections this week, I am reminded of this.

Please God.... Bless our Nation.

Murder Mystery Dinner Party + Halloween Ideas

It was a night of bribery, stealing, murder and lying....pretty much everything we've taught our kids not to do. 

That's what happened at the Immortals Annual Costume Ball. My son was murdered...by his very own brother. But just like in the movies, my son came back to life, and the two brothers kissed and made up. Well, they made up anyway.

Now, let's take a tour....

This is the outside of the house by day

and by night....

welcome into the entryway....

take a peek into the living room...

enter the living room...

 where the fireplace is alight...

and a black cat waits to pounce

Look over to the kitchen....

and see the Table of Evidence

the food is ready

spiderweb eggs

brains with a lethal tumor

who doesn't love cookies and worms?

 fingers

deadly morsels

bubbling brew

now the guests arrive

and the mayhem began.


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Party details

DECORATIONS
Window posters: here and here
Goblets: Spirit Halloween store
Leather bound classic books: Wal-Mart
Chalkboard with Edgar Allen Poe Poem: black foam core / white chalk
Mice and Black ravens: Martha Stewart 
Bats: hand-drawn and hand-cut
Glass candy jars: Tai Pan Trading
Candy Jar Labels:  Martha Stewart
Brain Jello Mold
Black cat: Tai Pan Trading

MENU
Chili
Breadsticks
Spider web eggs
Bloody fingers
Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
Guacamoldy with Bat Tortilla Chips
Spider cupcakes
Crudites with Buttermilk Herb Dip

MURDER MYSTERY
Dinner and Murder Mystery Party Games


Keep swimming, and if you are going to smoke, do it with candy cigs.
Ms Fish