Halloween '11

As parents across America know, this year's Halloween got stretched out over a long weekend due to its placement on a Monday. This was fun for us, if not a little tiring. Above you see the family decked out and ready for one last costumed stroll, the real trick-or-treating event.

Below you see Theo in her actual costume. In case you couldn't tell from the photo above, she was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, not a chipmunk as some mistakenly thought.


Elsie proudly points out to all who express interest, that "we make our decorations, not buy them". Those who know Elsie's mother will know where this mantra came from. Below is a ghost, made, not bought.


And speaking of scary, the girls and I spent some time down at "Occupy Portland" a while back. Actually, it wasn't scary, but the girls could not figure out what the heck was going on, and sometimes neither could I. We support the whole anti-corruption power to the people thing, of course, but here in Portland, a true epicenter of modern hippiedom, the "occupy" movement has taken on the distinct hue of a music festival/homeless camp. They have a kitchen and hippie food and a little library from which the girls swiped books. But besides showing solidarity with the larger movement I have to say I'm skeptical as to what is accomplished down there. Let's just say it's no Tahrir Square, where Elsie and Theo's cousins can often be seen supporting the revolution!