After visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand along with several sites where “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” trilogies were filmed…
Sir Ronald chose an obvious theme for this year’s Halloween costumes.
He proved to be a worthy wizard, including Gandalf’s magical staff.
I portrayed the elf Queen Arwen… obviously aging fast as I approached 2900 years old.
Great fun with friends, handing out treats to little goblins and princesses at the annual Tryon Walk.
A boooootiful time was enjoyed by all.
So, what is your best costume ever? Sir Ronald and I have certainly worn a few dillies over the years… from Minnie & Mickey Mouse…
to the Scarecrow & Wicked Witch of the West.
From a lion & lion tamer…
to Frankenstein’s monster & bride.
And even Davy Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow.
Sooooo…. What will it be this year? We already attended one party last week as goofy Hawaiian tourists. But for tonight’s attire, you’ll have to stay tuned.
Love it or hate it, this is National Candy Corn Day. George Renninger is credited with inventing candy corn while employed at the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia in the 1880s. The iconic yellow, orange,
and white treats were popularized and mass-produced starting in 1898 by the Goelitz Confectionery Company, which later became known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company, which still uses the same original recipe and proudly claims the longest history of continuously producing candy corn. (My teeth hurt.)
Photo by Jill Wellington
“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.”
— Moshe Dayan (1915 – 1981)
Commander & former Minister of Defense of Israel
“Man is what he eats.”
— Ludwig Feuerbach (1804 – 1872)
German philosopher & anthropologist
This means that I am a wild collage of lobster, pizza, fresh berries, and salty potato chips, washed down with icy cold pinot grigio and finished with lemon sorbet and dark chocolate for dessert.
Image by Lothar Dieterich
“One man with courage makes a majority.”
— Andrew Jackson (1767 – 1845)
US Army General &
7th President of the United States
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.”
— Norman Vincent Peal (1898-1993)
American pastor, author of “The Power of Positive Thinking” in 1952
Photo by Zyanya Citlalli
“From listening comes wisdom and from speaking, repentance.”
— Proverb
“May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.”
— Unknown
Photo by Alex Shuper
“Every exit is an entry somewhere.”
Sir Tom Stoppard (1937 – )
Czechoslovakian British playwright
Photo by Andre Hunter
“A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is.”
— Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)
(circa 4 BC – 65 AD)
Roman Stoic philosopher
from Letters from a Stoic
Enjoy this Super Simple twist for National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day.
Super Simple No Bake Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie
Here’s a great way to keep holiday cooking scrumptious and Super Simple!
1 prepared graham cracker crust, chilled
Filling: 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 c sugar (or half coconut brown sugar and half white sugar)
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c canned pumpkin puree
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop plain (or vanilla) protein powder
½ c whipped cream (canned is fine)
Topping: Whipped cream
Make the filling with a hand or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, extract, puree, spice, and protein powder till smooth. Then fold in the whipped cream and pour into cooled pie crust. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. To serve, top with whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.
KISS Notes: You can decorate the top of the pie with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs, ginger snap cookie crumbs, candied pecans, toffee bits, mini chocolate chips, salted caramel bits, a drizzle of butterscotch sauce, or a combination! (My fave is crumbled hermit cookies.) You can also make your own Graham Cracker Crust: combine 1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs, 3 T brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and 6 T melted butter. Press into 9” pie pan and bake 8-10 min at 325°F. To make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice, combine 3 T cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp nutmeg, 1 ½ tsp ground allspice, and 1 ½ tsp ground cloves.
Photo by Manfred Richter
“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”
— Scott Hamilton (1958 – )
American figure skater (retired) & Olympic gold medalist
“Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.”
— Richard Bach (1936 – )
American author
Photo by Faris Mohammed
“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.”
— Anne Frank (1929 – 1945)
German Jewish girl & diarist who perished in the Nazi Holocaust
Photo by Camille Brodard
“Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.”
— George Gordon Byron (1788 – 1824)
English poet & member of the House of Lords
What do you get when you top a perfectly cooked 8-oz beef burger patty with cheddar cheese, lusciously smoked brisket, tangy barbecue sauce, and crispy onion strings? Ahhhhh! ‘Tis the Sully’s Place October Burger of the Month… BBQ Brisket Beef Burger. Beyond AMAZING! Don’t worry if you miss this spooktacular October special, because Sully’s Place in Columbus, North Carolina, will bring out another smashing gem in November!
For National Grouch Day, we celebrate Oscar the Grouch. So, go ahead. Be grouchy. Try to keep it fun, but go ahead and vent your miserable frustrations if need be.
Photo by Vicky Sim
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947 – )
Austrian American actor, businessman,
& former multi-title-winning bodybuilder;
38th Governor of California (2003 – 2011)
On what would have been his 32nd birthday, I salute Charlie Kirk. His patience, persistence, faith, love, and strength. He openly encouraged dissenters to express opinions against him. As a result, Charlie Kirk opened hundreds of thousands of young minds to think critically and challenge popular rhetoric. His assassination on September 10, 2025, ended his life, but breathed life and awareness into millions of other hearts, minds, and souls. God bless. Remember that people scream and react angrily only when they lack the knowledge, awareness, or words to inspire other people to listen.
“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”
— Hal Borland (1900 – 1978)
American writer & journalist
“It is as impossible to translate poetry as it is to translate music.”
— Voltaire (1694 – 1778) Francois-Marie Arouet (M. de Voltaire was his nom de plume)
French Enlightenment writer and satirist,
Noted for criticism of slavery and advocacy of freedom of speech and religion
Photo by Tom Barrett
“You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you.”
— Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917 – 2008)
American businessman & religious leader in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Photo by Saira Ahmed
“In the mountains of truth you never climb in vain.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900)
German philosopher & cultural critic
Ice cold beer and a slice of pizza… If you love it, this day’s for you.
October 9 is International Beer & Pizza Day. Enjoy your favorite combination or try some new flavors. You can’t go wrong.
“Intellectuals solve problems;
geniuses prevent them.”
— Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)
German-born theoretical physicist & Nobel laureate
October 7th is National Forgiveness and Happiness Day. We are all encouraged to practice forgiveness to let go of anger, grudges, and resentment, as we promote peace, healing in relationships, and overall well-being for individuals and communities. I found this especially timely, considering my new “Life Seasonings” book series titles of both “Forgiveness” and “Happiness.”
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
— Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965)
German French polymath, philosopher, physician & Nobel laureate
My deepest thanks to everyone who has kept the torch glowing or been there to brighten my world when I needed it most, especially when you didn’t even know my flame had been doused or my spirits dampened.
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”
— Margaret Fuller (1810 – 1850)
American journalist, critic, & women’s rights advocate
“If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.”
— Catherine Aird (pen name of Kinn Hamilton McIntosh) (1930 – 2024)
English novelist
Photo by Roberta Sant’Anna
“I don’t need a hair stylist; my pillow gives me a new hairstyle every morning.”
— Anonymous
Photo by Saimy Patel
“If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed, and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon.”
George D. Aiken (1892 – 1984)
US Senator 1941 – 1975
64th Governor of Vermont 1937 – 1941
“Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it.”
— Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)
American naturalist, philosopher, and writer
As written in his Journal on January 21, 1838
Tomorrow is National Homemade Cookie Day. A friend recently asked for my Mom’s Whoopie Pie recipe, as she had misplaced Volume 1 of my “Fifty Years of Fabulous Family Favorites: Starters, Sippers & Sweets.” I understand; these are the very best Whoopie Pies ever! So, instead of just sending the requested recipe to her, I thought this would be a great day to share it with you. Enjoy!
Mom Burnham’s Whoopie Pies
A family summer outing was not complete without these! Many wonderful memories include Mom’s wonderful Whoopie Pies.
½ c Crisco shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
5 heaping T cocoa
Filling:
1 c Crisco shortening
2 c sifted Confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 T hot water
½ jar marshmallow fluff
Make cookies by creaming sugar into Crisco shortening. Stir in eggs, milk & vanilla; beat until smooth. Sift dry ingredients together & mix into shortening mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets; bake 7 min at 400°F. Cool. Meanwhile, make the filling. Cream sugar into shortening. Stir in vanilla & water. Beating on med-high, add marshmallow a little at a time until light & creamy. Spread onto cooled cookie halves; top with another cookie to make mini sandwiches.
KISS Note: Mom always doubled this recipe because there never seemed to be enough! If she could hide any in the freezer, she always tried, because they do freeze beautifully. I also make mini versions of these for any reception where you are serving finger foods and want to include some sweet bite-sized treats. (Bake them 1-2 minutes less.)
Find all three volumes of “Fifty Years of Fabulous Family Favorites” wherever books and digital books are sold.
“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties, there isn’t any privacy.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940)
American novelist & essayist
From his 1925 “The Great Gatsby”
Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, RI
How delicious to be a guest this weekend at a true Gatsby-style, black-tie celebration…
… the wedding of a dear friend.
We have now attended a truly royal wedding!
The entire Gatsby-inspired event was held at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, the site of the lavish parties in the 1974 film “The Great Gatsby.”
Over-the-top barely begins to describe the festivities.
Congratulations, Wendy & James!
Today’s the Day. This is “Ask a Stupid Question Day.” So, go ahead and ask a stupid question. No worries, because there is no such thing.
(The answers, however, may be downright ridiculous!)
Photo by Mads Severinsen
“If the camel once gets his nose in a tent, his body will soon follow.”
— Arabian proverb
Who needs a little humor? “Humor: and Other Life Seasonings” launches today in paperback and digital book formats. The 5th book in my Life Seasonings series follows “Perspectives,” “Hope,” “Happiness,” and “Forgiveness.”
“Humor” is a fun little guide to living a better, fuller life. It’s full of comic information, quips, quotations, jokes, and words of wisdom, plus full-color photographs. Enjoy this Super Simple tool to add smiles, insight, and support whenever a little levity or perspective is needed… not that any of us need a bit of humor just now.
“Earth laughs in flowers.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)
American writer & philosopher
Photo by Aaron Burden
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
-Greek proverb
“A good heart is better than all the heads in the world.”
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)
English statesman, poet