Fall 08 is done!

Grades are in, John is happy and Karen is waiting for evidence that next semester will be better. Meanwhile the condo is decorated, some cookies have been made (and eaten), there are signs of hope that the mold will get remediated, the Cottage has been sold, and Christmas is coming.

Bela has a few pics of the decorations - focusing on her room, which has upwards of 7 trees. She did get a pic of Xavi's Star Wars tree with bonus Batmobile. She also has two movies in the works, an improv Rudolf and a scripted Warriors epic for which she wrote the screenplay adaptation. World premiere here on the blog, if space allows. Otherwise might be a straight-to-DVD feature.

Of course, we'd be remiss in this season if we didn't warn you to
WATCH OUT FOR BUMBLE!

December Already?

Ysabela clearly has the spirit. She would like to warn you that the views in the interview do not reflect that of the publishing company and the video extras are unrated (because of a scene of donkey vs. camel.)


Both kids did cool Extra-Extras, and you should feel free to quiz X on Chicago and Y on the Grimms.


Above is the view out on Spring Lake in a rare moment of Novemeber sunshne. At right is our very Thanksgivingy show of Bolt 3D.

More news on the house this week, please pray for good news!

There's mold...

... in the attic. The news wasn't the worst and wasn't the best. If you're the praying type, we'd love the support as we try to discern what's next. The inspector, Jeff Simons from Hearth and Home inspections, 231 798-3398, was the best and amazingly helpful. If you're in Muskegon/Tri-Cities area, consider giving them a call.

Home away from home

We've relocated to the condo while we have the mold situation at the house examined. We have an inspector coming on Wed, 11/19, so more info then. Karen has limited email. The phone is the same area code and first two digits, with 6-7951 for the last five.

Halloween 08

Pumpkins and Skulls

Halloween. Fun isn’t it?
Well I had fun. Halloween at are house is always fun so i'm not surprised at all. I’m sure all are guest’s had fun too.
See most every year we have a Halloween party, miss Natalie comes over and a candy trading.
The trade is so kids who don’t like what they got or are allergic to it they can trade it for something better. Stuff no one wants is given to the parents.
Every year Miss Natalie comes over to show us her costume. This year she had an amazing Frida Kahlo costume and a frame.
The party was cool this year because this year as a bonus was the theme; the Mexican day of the dead.
Having the week before made the famous Mexican sugar skulls (unknowing Martha was doing the same thing molds and all.) everything was a perfect day of the dead celebration.
The kids also played town with my “Figurines” (action figures) so over all as you can see it’s fairly obvious at my house it’s impossible to not have fun.
-Ysabela Golden


Mad-Eye Moody and Lola LaFonda join the fairy, Superman and Hagrid, and closeups of X and Y.

Here's our artsy friends, Frida and Captain Hammer and...

...Who is that with Captain Hammer?


Drain, Baby, Drain!

Halloween Preparations

the week of Halloween it was fun watching Halloween based Martha Stewarts.
we decorated windows and every thing mom was really working hard but I had too take medicine.
we got lots of gifts. finnaly it was the day before halloween. we got too get the house perfect. after that we wached the Addams famaliy, than at night I could barrelly sleep.
when I woke up it was halloween.
-- by xavi.m.golden.



Sugar skull decorating with glitter glue and royal icing.


Toy Graveyard, freshly carved, include Pete the Pirate Pumpkin, and PPP's inspiration.

This years Halloween preparations had the usual stuff - Karen preparing the typically excellent spread, costume readiness, cleaning, etc. But it culminated in the essential decoration for Dia de los Muertos, sugar skulls! The artist family at our residence were the Minnebos: Gregg, Heather, Anna and Lily (from biggest to smallest). They came back for Halloween, with their usual outstanding costumes and pumpkins.


Some finished small and big skulls, and one finished boy.

New Gallery in Town

Goldens by birth and marriage: Oliver (Sr), Carmen, Oliver (Jr.), Karen, Oliver (III)


McNallys: Thomas, Seamus, Patrick, Ann Mary's wedding, Michael, Katie Donnelly, Margaret, Mary Ann and Catherine


Cowies and Meyers: Cowie clan//Elands/H&M/Henry's grandparent Meyers//Meyer family;Henry and Marilynn, Henry's folks; Cowie kids

Don and Betty's wedding, Elands (Betty's family); Meyer kids, young Henry;

As a result mostly of Karen and Terri's reinvasion of the Island, we had many pictures to put up. The most striking is the photo wall in the hallway. Check out all the relatives!

But the other rooms got some updating, too. Xavi's room is not Cottage influenced, unless Aunt Catherine was secretly a comic book fan.

The Island watercolors, a Bielecky, Bela's claim, Xavi's new Sanctum Sanctorum

Beginning of Fall

John's school got rolling with the usual week of meetings. He has a terrible schedule this fall - 3 night classes, and some early morning student observations. The kids, after some deliberation, are going back to Voyagers, with some negotiations having taken place of how X and Y will be accountable for their learning. That's a little video of what they're expecting this year.

Karen took a quick trip up to McNally with Terri for a part salvadge op/part moms escape adventure. Only 2.5 days, but lots of laughing. Karen says the place is looking ransacked, as cousins remove their spoils. Sadly, it looks like the cottage is going to sell soon. I'm sure Katie and Michael (above in wedding photo) are spinning.

Oh - and the costumes arrived, for a quick Halloween preview.

End of Summer

Boy were we wiped after South Dakota and Mackinac. We did get in a couple of day trips, including a nice zoo experience with Brandon and the Mattox clan. The highlight of that was the neat lion exhibit, including one lioness trying to get the other (unsuccessfully) to play, and the female grizzly going berserk.

The turkey herd is our little wildlife experience at home. Up to 10 rapidly growing turkeys appear, meandering across the neighborhood. The first time we spotted them was because Bela was sure she was hearing gobbling.

We finally got in a day trip down to Monroe, where we hung with Carmen for the afternoon, and then came home after dinner.