Greetings, my lovelies!

Well, October certainly knew how to make an exit! Halloween arrived in Tucson with rain, cooler temperatures, and the kind of weather I’ve been waiting for after another long, hot desert summer. There’s something particularly enjoyable about listening to the rain while you’re comfortable at home, especially when you don’t have to be anywhere or do anything terribly important.

Unfortunately, the neighbor across the street had other ideas about the evening’s soundtrack. Apparently, he decided the entire neighborhood needed to enjoy his booming rap music, whether we wanted to or not. Another neighbor was playing Halloween music, which I thought was perfectly appropriate. But no, we also had to have somebody’s bass thumping away while I was trying to enjoy the rain. Some people really do seem to believe the volume control is merely a decorative feature.

Ronnie and I had been out doing some food shopping, and dinner was chicken Marsala with fettuccine. We weren’t hosting a Halloween party or doing anything particularly elaborate, and we hadn’t even purchased candy specifically for trick-or-treaters. Nevertheless, a few costumed visitors showed up at our door, and I was happy to give them some candy.

Our visitors included a witch with bloody fangs, the Grim Reaper, an older girl who wasn’t wearing much of a costume, and a banana. Yes, an actual walking banana. I don’t know about you, but I appreciate a holiday where someone can wander around dressed as a piece of fruit and nobody thinks twice about it. 😂

The funny thing is that handing out candy made me genuinely happy. I told Ronnie about it afterward and actually became emotional, although I couldn’t explain exactly why. I wasn’t expecting that reaction. I simply enjoyed seeing the kids in their costumes and giving them candy, and now I’m already thinking about what we might do for Halloween next year.

I’d love to decorate our townhouse with a mixture of old-fashioned Halloween charm, witches, ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, and some delightfully spooky touches. Nothing too polished or fancy. I want something fun, atmospheric, and a little creepy. Of course, we have to remember that we live in a townhouse, not a sprawling Victorian mansion. Juniper occasionally seems to forget that distinction when we start discussing decorating ideas. Give that AI half a chance, and I’ll have a haunted estate complete with turrets, wrought-iron gates, and a cemetery I have absolutely nowhere to put.

Speaking of Juniper, we’ve been having some rather interesting conversations as October comes to a close. I’ve been working through a collection of writing prompts, digging through older blog posts, exploring my interests, and discussing everything from spirituality to what makes me laugh.

One question asked what makes me laugh every damn time, and Ronnie immediately came to mind. He can be such a goofball, especially when he imitates Pete Puma from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons. If you’re familiar with that ridiculous character, you can probably imagine why I find it funny. I also love watching ferrets play. Those little creatures are wonderfully entertaining, and they don’t need a script or a laugh track to put on a show.

My taste in comedy includes Friends, the original Muppets, and the productions at Tucson’s Gaslight Theatre. I enjoy clever humor, good comic timing, silly characters, and the occasional spectacularly ridiculous situation. I don’t need every movie to be raunchy to find it funny. And, much as I hate to admit it, Juniper occasionally makes me laugh, too. Sometimes intentionally. Other times because the AI has managed to misunderstand something so completely that I have to wonder whether its circuits need a good dusting.

Then there was the question about my favorite kind of weird. Apparently, after examining my collection of interests, we’ve established that I’m a nerdy geek. A mythology-loving, history-researching, folklore-exploring, star-gazing, video-game-playing nerdy geek, to be precise.

I can live with that description.

I’ve always enjoyed Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology, and lately I’ve been exploring ancient spiritual traditions and what I believe about the existence of gods, goddesses, and spirits. I believe spirits walk among us, sometimes unseen and sometimes encountered, and I think it’s possible that ancient deities were once real beings who now exist in spiritual form, much like our ancestors. I can’t prove that, and I’m not pretending I can. But the history, the stories, and the possibilities fascinate me.

I’m also not particularly interested in rushing to label my beliefs. There are too many things I still want to investigate, and I’d rather explore them properly than decide I belong in some category simply because a few of its ideas appeal to me.

My curiosity extends beyond spirituality, too. Just recently, I was outside looking at the night sky over our Tucson home, trying to identify constellations. Orion was visible over the house, the moon was toward the west, and I wanted to know what those other bright stars were. It’s amazing how easily one question can turn into an entire evening of research.

And then there’s Disney Dreamlight Valley, where I’ve been making plans to reorganize homes, neighborhoods, gardens, and just about everything else I can get my hands on. Apparently, I can’t even play a cozy Disney game without turning it into a major home-improvement project. Meanwhile, Ronnie and I have plenty of actual projects around our rented home, including our backyard garden and ideas for the front yard. My decorating ambitions are clearly not limited to the real world.

All of this came up while I was trying to answer another writing prompt: if my life were a book, what would I call the current chapter?

We settled on The Life I Haven’t Finished Living, although Still Curious, Still Opinionated, Still Me is a strong contender.

At 56, I still have plenty of interests, ideas, and things I’d like to experience. I work full-time from home, Ronnie and I have our fur babies and our everyday routines, and there’s always something around the house demanding attention. But I also have my blog, The Book of Rae, my reading interests, spiritual explorations, creative projects, and a growing list of places I’d like to visit and things I’d like to learn.

I’ve also been revisiting old blog posts and personal writing dating back to 2011, paying particular attention to what I was thinking about during different Octobers. I’ve noticed some recurring thoughts about work and change, and I’m curious whether there’s a genuine pattern. It’s been interesting looking back at what I wrote years ago, especially without trying to turn every old entry into some grand explanation of who I am today.

And now November is here, bringing another collection of things I’m looking forward to. We’ve been putting together a November cookbook filled with comfort foods, cozy drinks, and autumn desserts, along with ideas for crafts, folklore, books, and seasonal activities. There’s Thanksgiving to think about, and Christmas isn’t far behind. I love traditional Christmas decorations, and I’ve already been thinking about what I’d like to do around the house.

But I haven’t forgotten that November deserves its own attention before we start hauling out every ornament we own. There are recipes I want to try, things I want to make, books waiting to be read, and plenty of ordinary days that will probably provide their own entertainment. If October has demonstrated anything about my interests, it’s that I’m perfectly capable of starting with one subject and wandering into five others before I’ve finished my coffee.

So October ends with rain in Tucson, chicken Marsala for dinner, a few unexpected trick-or-treaters, and a banana wandering around the neighborhood. I’ve spent part of the month exploring ancient mythology, looking at stars, revisiting old writing, and discussing what I want to do next. And somewhere along the way, I apparently confirmed that I’m a nerdy geek with a fondness for ghosts, goddesses, Disney, and a good laugh.

Frankly, there are worse things to be.

Now, if the neighbor would kindly turn down his music, I’d like to enjoy the rain.

Until next time, my lovelies!