October is here. Let the celebrations begin!

Happy October, peeps!  I am thrilled that it is, once again, my very favorite month of the year.  Samhain (Hallowe'en to muggles) and pumpkins and scary movies and falling leaves, sunshine-warm days and brisk nights and something wicked this way comes.

I have gotten so far as to create a new header, catch up on a few blogs, MAKE MY FIRST SALE FROM MY STORE (yay!!!!), and pick up my cats an inordinate number of times to snuggle them, trying in vain to make up for the six days of snuggle-dearth.  They are preparing themselves to forgive me.

I have refrained (so far) from watching "Withnail and I", but that will not last long.  I must first obtain some cream sherry to sip during the first post-anniversary-trip viewing.

WITHNAIL WATCH 2012 UPDATE:

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Good news!  The end of this month - the 28th to be exact - is the date of the annual and much-looked-forward-to WILLOW MANOR BALL!

The Willow Manor Ball is sort of hard to describe, but I will try.  Basically, it's a completely virtual ball.  All the guests drop by the Willow Manor blog during the day and make delicious comments about what they're wearing, and who their date is.  Gossipy tidbits (as well as legs) are spread, and virtual cocktails flow.  There are literally hundreds of comments, and if one is lucky enough to be able to "tune in" throughout the day, a hysterical melee of comment threads usually ensues.

The best bits about this ball are that one can wear any designer clothing, no matter the price, and any shoes, no matter how high the heels, and neither wallet nor feet feel any pain at all.  Also, it is perfectly acceptable (nay, some might say preferable) to choose dates for the ball who may not exactly be in the "here and now".

For example, my date is always, always Jimmy Stewart.  I admit to having a few mid-party flirtations with Anthony Hopkins (yes, I know he's still alive - no holds barred, remember?), Glenn Ford, and Marlon Brando, but I always go home with the man that brought me.  I have yet to choose this year's gown (I always find a photo online) but I will post it as soon as I find it.

If you've never attended a Willow Manor Ball, why not make this year the first?  You won't regret it.  If you do, just take and aspirin and drink a Bloody Mary.  Works every time.

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I have not remotely made even one attempt to unpack my suitcase, or any of the boxes I brought home.  I have spent the last day and a half either working on the photos I took while away, or reading emails and blogs, and watching creepy movies with Bear.

My favorite recent find is this:

It's a fantastic scary movie - the kind I like, which is more psychological than "huge man with a chainsaw".  You think you know what's going on, and then the perspective changes and you have to let your mind re-absorb everything in a different way.

As well as being suspenseful and eerie, it's also quite emotional.  Bear and I both had a bit of a sniffle - something you don't really expect in a creep show.  Just an all-around good story, without the gratuitous gore that most modern-day movies seem to depend on for ticket sales.

If you're game, give it a peek!

*****

Dang, I have a bunch more photos from our trip to work on.  Here's one to tide you over: