A Halloween Story

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Twas a dark and stormy night... Really-- it was.  In fact, it was one of the first rainy days we had gotten all fall, and yup, it was Halloween.  A fairy by day, Zoe decided that the inclement weather meant one thing-- she would transform into a Zobot for her first attempt at trick-or-treating with her good buddies--Triceratops and Luke Skywalker.

"Trick-or-Treat!  Be Bop..."

Back at the home front, a man (some call him Papa) wearing a 70's polyester shirt with a pattern that strangely resembles candy corn, orange blinking pumpkin shaped glasses, and green plastic "witches fingers"  handed out candy to the brave souls who traipsed through the puddles to our home.  About 100 of them in total-- 100 shy of what our neighborhood usually gets, but 100 more than our usual number of trick-or-treaters back in the Burgh.

As for our Zobot--- Success!  She weathered the drizzle, and then the rain.  She was not bothered by the hordes of kids in costume running from house to house.  She fearlessly and systematically procured candy from our new neighbors.  She was a pro.  "Trick or Treat!" -- "Thank You!"

"Thank you and have a good day!"

We've fallen out of touch, but not with the Fall...

Yes, it's been a while.  Yes, we've been busy.  Yes, we've fallen out of touch... but don't worry, we're back!

So why, do you say, did we stay silent for so long?  Well, not to make excuses, but we've been a tad busy.  Tommy -- I mean Dr. Costello -- officially earned his PhD this past spring (yay!!) and then he went and got a job (YAY!!).  He is now gainfully employed by SUNY Dutchess in a tenure-track gig: no small task in today's market. And he loves every minute of the job, which is great, because there sure are a lot of those minutes.

We sold the house in Pittsburgh and bought ourselves a cozy little place in Red Hook (a fabulous little town north of Poughkeepsie).  Essentially we traded our 1920s city townhouse for a 1950s ranch with a glorious backyard.

Cara is exploring the new world of being a stay-at-home mom while doing some distance work for Carnegie Mellon to keep her toes in the professional world.  She finished her yoga teaching certificate before leaving Pittsburgh and will be teaching in Red Hook soon (stay tuned).

We are happy as pie.

Speaking of pie, it's that season, and here's a taste of what fall has brought us so far.  After all, it wouldn't be fall without cute pictures of Zoe Mae and...

Wooly Bears!  and...

Lessons from Papa on how to cool off a hot head on an unexpectedly warm fall day, and...

A stunningly beautiful weekend at the River, and...

Apples! and...

Leaves...

 Oh glorious leaves!  

We'll leave you with a quote from our very own Zoe Mae.  As she was helping us move a ginormous pile of leaves (one of many) from our backyard to the curb, she exclaimed-- "This is so much fun, I can hardly believe it!!"  Never a wiser word was spoken. 

So on that note, we'll say goodbye for now, but not for good.  Stay tuned.