HFM

Soooo. Pickles has been on mouse hunting duty for the last several days. She found it in the kitchen and stood like this for five whole minutes: and then there was this hot pursuit: But no dice. So Christine went out and got a tippy-toppy trap or something like that (neither of us really wanted to carry a mouse snapped in half to the trash can) and....one hour to victory! Christine headed out to release the mouse to the wilds of Bernal Hill (note awesome trap in her hand). Pickles seriously wanted to help: Hopefully, there was just the one mouse. We can only hope...

There is a mouse hiding under the couch right now. How on earth are we going to get him out of there? And how is it that Pickles -- recently promoted to Sergeant in the Rodent Roundup -- can't smell him? She's risking demotion, this one.

Hi, it's AJ here. SOME people are always telling me that I, too, have access to the House from Mars blog page if I would ever like to post something myself. I'm doing it! No stopping me now! Really I wanted you to see how yummy the chicken soup looks with slices of roast pumpkin in it. An excellent pairing. Also, I wanted to share our Dia de los Muertos/Todos Santos altar with you. We took some time last night here on Mars to sit around the altar and share some nice thoughts about loved ones who have passed. For me, those memories and those touchstones on the altar are a bit like bringing them into the room with us. And I made this beautiful pan de muerto. It was very exciting. And it is delicious.

Halloween is in full swing on Mars. We have the lights off, and are hiding from the tiny ghosts, goblins, superheroes, and princesses plaguing our streets. Adrienne is making a delicious chicken soup from scratch: I cut up my one and only pumpkin from the garden... ...and roasted it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and chile powder: Meanwhile, we have a special protection detail, sent here from Animal Control to make sure that the nasty possums that hang out in the yard don't disrupt the festivities: Officer Pickles, of the Possum Patrol, reporting for duty!

Last month I wrote about the tragedy of hacking up the dying, non-producing pumpkin plant in the front yard, & being shocked to find this hidden under all the giant leaves: Good news! After a whole month sitting on the windowsill, it has finally turned completely orange: Just in time for Halloween!

On Saturday, I turned 36 + 1 (I'm thinking that if I always start by saying "36", it's like I'm actually more or less still 36...I'm pretty sure this will work), and Adrienne threw me the best birthday weekend ever! It started with Saturday morning birthday pastries, coffee, and presents: Wine from Rachel, pickles and Portuguese pepper paste (made & canned by Adrienne!), a poster, and a terrarium in a...um..chemistry thing! Then, later, Amanda, Matt, Susie, & Robin came over for whiskey tasting fun: And pickles: Two types of cantaloupe by Adrienne, okra by Adrienne, eggs by me, and some amazingly fantastic kimchi that Susie brought for the festivities! And delicious cheesy, saucy noodles: A good time was had by all, and I, for one, learned something about the whiskeys we tried. The birthday fun continued on Sunday morning, when Adrienne made me an ultra-special breakfast: Poached eggs on grilled polenta, with parmesan sauce, bacon, & heirloom to...

Took a break from studying to get some small projects done this weekend. Project #1: Add a shelf to the Disaster Cabinet We have one cabinet in the kitchen that has proven just impossible to keep organized: The mess -- and the hassle and racket whenever we try to get anything out -- drives us both crazy. On Saturday, I made a shelf out of a leftover 2x4, along with a pair of stops to keep the baking sheets from sliding away from the wall: Result: Much better! Project #2: Clear out the dying pumpkin vine in the front yard The pumpkin vine in the front yard has grown very large, but the plant is succumbing to the dreaded powdery mildew , and the pumpkins are rotting on the vine. Its days are numbered. We have six or eight different succulent cuttings -- generous donations from Jennifer, Jon, & Susie -- just about ready to be planted in the yard, so I decided today to pull out the vine to make room for the replanting to begin. Much to my surprise, after I had already hacked the vines ...