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In all the years I've been in retail, I can probably count on two fingers how many times I've actually had a weekend off.

And to be honest, I guess because I've been in retail for so long, having weekends off has never been a big deal for me. In fact, I prefer having week days off because I like having off when other people are working. It makes doing things like grocery shopping and banking so much easier because they're less crowded.

Yet, having this new management position at work entitles me to one weekend off a month, which started this month. And not only that, but my boss also gave me today off, so I've had THREE days off in a row. Yahoooooo!

Saturday, I mainly stayed at home except for hanging out in a local park for a couple of hours and enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having. I needed one day to just decompress and be silent after working so many hours.

Yesterday, however, I decided that I wanted to get out of the city and be closer to nature. So I took a train ride out to my favorite little town, Chestnut Hill.

And can I just tell you...I had a faaaaaaabulous day! It was exactly what I needed.

And what blew me away was how colorful the trees were compared to the ones in the city. Which I think is odd, considering that Chestnut Hill is only about 30 minutes from Center City.

I was in awe at their fiery beauty...




And it just so happens that I picked the best day to go to Chestnut Hill because they were having their annual Halloween festivities, which included a Halloween Walk of children in their costumes throughout the streets. The whole town was decked out in Halloween decorations...


Um...I think I'll pass on the fried spiders and spicy bat wings.


Here is a little boy in a shark costume. And I love how his candy container is a sand bucket!


Is this little girl in her Minnie Mouse costume not the CUTEST thing you ever saw?


A banana costume. I kept waiting to see if other kids came dressed as an apple, a cantaloupe and some grapes, so they could form a fruit salad costume.


Here we have a ghoulish zombie. When he walked by me, I SCREAMED!


A little boy dressed as Nemo and his sister as Minnie Mouse. Minnie Mouse must be a very popular costume this year because I saw about FIVE.


Star Wars costumes. How affectionately adorable is this picture?


I even spotted a gentleman sitting outside of Starbucks with his dog dressed as a butterfly. 

Oh, and speaking of dogs. These are by far the most realistic dog costumes I have EVER seen...


I dub these costumes First Prize!

Happy Monday, y'all!
X


48 comments:

  1. What a fun day! I love to see all the little kid costumes on Halloween. Did the businesses hand out treats to the kids? I wonder if there was a dentist office handing out toothbrushes? Haha.......have a scary week, Ronnie!

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  2. Good morning, Ron. How nice to actually get a weekend off. Getting away for the day must have been really enjoyable.


    I can't get over how much you celebrate Halloween in the States. We're very half-hearted about it here. Loved the first autumn picture, the colours are soooo vivid, but all the others gave me a good idea just how much the event is enjoyed.


    I agree that the changing colours do vary from area to area...I never found out why.



    I noticed the sign Snow Emergency Route.... wow, they must have it bad there.


    Hope the working week is good for you x

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  3. Ron, the photograph of the little girl in her Minnie Mouse costume is to precious. And the one of the Star Wars costumes is so sweet. It's so great to see the trees changing colors through your pictures. They're beautiful! I miss that so much here.

    "Oh, and speaking of dogs. These are by far the most realistic dog costumes I have EVER seen..." Lol You are so funny!



    I so glad to hear that you had a weekend off. And it sounds to me like you really enjoyed it. I think it's great that you get one weekend off a month in your your position. I live for my weekends off.


    Have a wonderful week, Ron x

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  4. Wow. Ron, sounds like you had a great weekend. And you have great pictures to prove it!


    I used to work Sundays through Thursdays and I always used that Friday off to do my chores. I beat the crowds every time.


    I love the foliage photos and those kids are adorable. Halloween is such a magical time for kids--and plenty of adults. And those bulldog outfits look so realistic!


    I'm so glad you had a great day, buddy! Thanks for the photos and have a Happy Halloween!

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  5. We usually get about a hundred trick or treaters each year, and the funnest part is seeing what they choose to dress up as. I also enjoy trying to pick out the kids I know behind their makeup and masks! Love your fall photos!

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  6. "I kept waiting to see if other kids came dressed as an apple, a cantaloupe and some grapes, so they could form a fruit salad costume." ROFLMAO!


    Ron, I really like when you share these posts with people in them because there is so much to look at. And your narratives are always the best part!


    Great selection of photographs. And I agree, those dog costumes are so realistic Lol


    Glad you enjoyed your weekend off, dude!

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  7. "I love to see all the little kid costumes on Halloween."

    Me too, Bijoux! I sat down on a bench on the street and had such a great time watching the kiddies walk by in their costumes. I was SMILING the whole time :)

    "Did the businesses hand out treats to the kids? I wonder if there was a dentist office handing out toothbrushes?"

    HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, all the businesses handed out treats to the kids. And there was also a guy playing an accordion, who was guiding some of children through the various side street businesses. He looked like the Pied Piper!



    Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a fantabulous week!
    X

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  8. Good morning Valerie!

    Yes, it was SUCH an enjoyable weekend. I had a great time!

    "I can't get over how much you celebrate Halloween in the States. We're very half-hearted about it here. Loved the first autumn picture, the colours are soooo vivid, but all the others gave me a good idea just how much the event is enjoyed."

    OMG, yes, we get crazy over here about Halloween. And it was such a delight to get out into the suburbs and see families celebrating. It made me feel like a kid again!

    "I agree that the changing colours do vary from area to area...I never found out why."

    Isn't that strange? I even mentioned it to a gentleman who owned a garden shop yesterday and he said something about how the temperatures are different in a city compared to the suburbs, which causes the trees to turn differently.

    "I noticed the sign Snow Emergency Route.... wow, they must have it bad there."


    I think they must have put that sign up after last years' winter because it was really snowy.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, dear lady. Have a lovely week!

    X to you and Joe!

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  9. Hola Denise!

    Aren't the pictures of the little girl and Star Wars costumes so PRECIOUS? I sat on a bench on the street and smiled the whole time, watching all the kids walk by :)

    " It's so great to see the trees changing colors through your pictures. They're beautiful! I miss that so much here."



    It was so delightful to see the trees changing color yesterday because we haven't a lot of that in the city. And I was amazed by how colorful they were. I love this time of the year!


    Yes, it was such a nice change to actually have a whole weekend off because I'm not used to it working in retail.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have a wonderful week too!


    X

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  10. Yes, Rob, I had a GREAT weekend! And it was such a nice change because I'm not used to it working in retail.

    "I used to work Sundays through Thursdays and I always used that Friday off to do my chores. I beat the crowds every time."

    Don't you LOVE that about having a day off during the week? When I was still a hairstylist, it was tradition to have Sunday's and Monday's off, which was great because I had one day off on the weekend and one day off during the week.

    "And those bulldog outfits look so realistic!"



    HA! Aren't they AMAZING costumes? And they even barked like a dog!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a super week!
    X


    Happy Halloween!

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  11. Looks like Autumn colors were in full blaze - After living for 4 years in S. Philly, where there are no trees, then moving back to VA where it is tree heaven I learned how much I NEED trees and sky. I worked in retail for years and never had a weekend off - I once asked for the day after Thanksgiving off and my boss laughed so hard he nearly had a heart attack!

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  12. "We usually get about a hundred trick or treaters each year, and the funnest part is seeing what they choose to dress up as. "


    Suzi, that is SO awesome! Rarely do you see Trick or Treaters in the city, which is why it was enjoyable to be out in suburbs yesterday to enjoy them. I was smiling all day long!


    Have a faaaaaaabulous week, my friend, and thanks so much for stopping by!


    Happy Halloween!
    X

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  13. Hiya Matt!

    " I really like when you share these posts with people in them because there is so much to look at."

    Thank you :) People photographs are so interesting because, as you shared, there is so much to look at. And I love seeing the interaction and expressions on people's faces.

    " And I agree, those dog costumes are so realistic Lol"



    Can you believe how REALISTIC they are? They even barked like a dog - HA!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a most excellent week!


    X

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  14. "Looks like Autumn colors were in full blaze..."

    Grace, they were gorgeous!

    " After living for 4 years in S. Philly, where there are no trees, then moving back to VA where it is tree heaven I learned how much I NEED trees and sky."

    Yes, South Philly is virtually void of any trees. However, Center City has many beautiful parks, which is where I get my 'fix' with nature. Because like you, I NEED trees and sky.

    " I worked in retail for years and never had a weekend off - I once asked for the day after Thanksgiving off and my boss laughed so hard he nearly had a heart attack!"



    HA! OMG...the day after Thanksgiving is complete bedlam and I'm not looking forward to it :(


    Thanks so much for stopping by and have a super week!
    X

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  15. I think my fav costume had to be the dog with the butterfly wings! Way too cute. I have a ladybug costume for my dog but she absolutely hates it! I think the tentacles on the head are just a bit much for her. The most she will wear is her pumpkin shirt. Beyond that she is a halloween downer lol.

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  16. "I think my fav costume had to be the dog with the butterfly wings! Way too cute."

    Isn't that WAY cute, Shae? And it was even more cute because he was massaging the dogs' ears and the dog has his eye closed and looked like he was so enjoying it.

    "The most she will wear is her pumpkin shirt. Beyond that she is a halloween downer lol."

    OMG, how adorable! I think you should post a photo of her on you blog. I would love to see it!

    My mother used to dress her two dogs in costumes during the Easter parade in Florida. They looked so precious!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a fantabulous week!
    X

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  17. I was hoping for a photo-heavy weekend recap of your jaunt away from the city...and you did not disappoint! Looks like the weather was perfect, too. I'm a west coast person through and through but I have to admit, nothing beats the fall foliage on the east coast. Those trees are faaaaabulous!


    As are the costumes. I saw some pretty scary ones in Portland on Saturday, too. Then I realized it was just the locals.


    Have a great week, Ron!

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  18. While all of these photos are lovely, my bestest are of the beautiful leaves!


    It looks like you had a grand weekend off!

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  19. I see you put your time to extremely good use! :-) That first shot is a stunner! I like the lamppost in the shot because it give some perspective on the size of the tree. Weekend off.....what's that? When you're a Nana Nanny with two grandbabykins under your roof there is NO SUCH THING!! Hope you have a relaxing week.

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  20. What a fabulous way to spend the day. That town is so charming. That's so much for sharing the photos, Ron. Happy Halloween!

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  21. Looks like you had a super weekend off, Ron! I could hear it in your words.


    The photographs of the trees are beautiful! Don't you just love this time of year on the east coast? The trees are turning here as well and the weather this weekend suddenly got very fall like. It was sunny, but the air was crisp. I was finally able to pull out one of my jackets and wear it.


    The shot of the little Minnie Mouse girl is so cute. And I love the dog costumes. Man, those are some realistic dogs Lol!


    Chestnut Hill looks like such a charming little town.

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  22. Aren't the leaves beautiful, Babs? I've been waiting to see them since the beginning of October, but the trees in the city have barely turned. Taking this trip outside of the city was such a delight because the trees were on fire with color.


    I love this time of the year!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a lovely week!


    X to you and Mo!

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  23. "Looks like the weather was perfect, too."

    Yes, Mark, the weather couldn't have been better. It was sunny and cool. It was so nice to see everyone wearing their fall attire. I love this time of the year!

    "I'm a west coast person through and through but I have to admit, nothing beats the fall foliage on the east coast. Those trees are faaaaabulous!"

    I agree. That's one of the main things I missed while living in Florida. Nothing beats the fall foliage on the east coast. And as I was walking through Chestnut Hill yesterday I thought to myself, "I am so glad I moved back east."

    " I saw some pretty scary ones in Portland on Saturday, too."



    Portland looks like such a faaaabulous place!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a grrrreat week too!


    X to you and Tara!

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  24. Hey there Lisa!

    Yes, I had a great long weekend. I got to relax and get out of town to enjoy the fall foliage. It was a PERFECT weekend.

    " I like the lamppost in the shot because it give some perspective on the size of the tree."

    You know, that must have been totally unconscious on my part because I didn't even notice that. But you're right!

    "Weekend off.....what's that? When you're a Nana Nanny with two grandbabykins under your roof there is NO SUCH THING!!"



    HA! I know, that's one job that never stops for the weekend. But oh, they are so precious!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a fabulous fall week!


    X

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  25. Hey there Jayne!


    Yup, it was a faaaaaaabuluous day. In fact, the whole weekend was.


    You would LOVE Chestnut Hill, I know you would, because it's very artsy, quaint, and utterly charming. The people who live there take a lot of pride in their town.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a great and Happy Halloween!
    X

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  26. Hey ho Robert!

    Yes, my weekend was super faaaabulous! It was three days that were absolutely perfect.

    "Don't you just love this time of year on the east coast? The trees are turning here as well and the weather this weekend suddenly got very fall like. It was sunny, but the air was crisp. I was finally able to pull out one of my jackets and wear it."



    Yes, I love this time of the year on the east coast. LOVE it! And me too, yesterday I had my fall jacket on because it was cool and a bit windy. But the sun was out, so it felt wonderful!


    Chestnut Hill is probably my favorite town outside of the city. It's so cute and charming and still has a bit of that old-fashioned feel. They even have a family-owned ice cream shop with the most delicious ice cream. And the servers are HUGE!


    Glad you enjoyed the Monster Mash clip. That used to be my favorite song at Halloween when I was a kid. I used to dance to it in my bedroom - HA!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, bud. Have a most excellent week!
    X

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  27. The fall colors always amaze me, they are so beautiful.

    Three days off in a row just may spoil you Ron, you deserve it my friend.

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  28. "They even have a family-owned ice cream shop with the most delicious ice cream. And the servings are HUGE!"


    Ron, Chestnut Hill sounds like the kind of town I would like to live in.

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  29. Robert, you don't know how many times I've thought about moving out there. And being so close to the city, all I would have to do is take a 30 min train ride into work.

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  30. "The fall colors always amaze me, they are so beautiful."

    They amaze me too, Jimmy. This is my favorite time of the year. And I'm savoring ever second of it :)

    "Three days off in a row just may spoil you Ron..."



    You are so right. And I can't believe how fast those three days flew by.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a super-duper week!


    X to you and Cindy!

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  31. Great photos Ron and I'm SO glad you had 3 days off to enjoy and just chill, sounds great. I loved the little shark costume most of all.


    I'm back from my trip, still doing catch up online. Glad I stopped in to see what's new here though. It's always a treat stopping by at Ron's place.


    Have a fab week!!!! Hugs, G

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  32. Ron, how GRAND that you had such a beautiful day -- and such a fun outing! I love the Fall colors and the Halloween costumes. Five Minnie Mice? That kind of amazes me. I'd have thought most of the little girls would prefer dressing up as princesses or something.

    The dog with the butterfly wings gave me a chuckle. I can imagine how much trouble I'd have, attaching wings to Dallas! He'd never sit still for dressing up, I'm afraid. I guess it's a good thing my son was older than elementary age when we got Dallas (and that Domer never was particularly interested in changing the dog's coat, ha!)

    Thanks for taking me along on your nature adventure!

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  33. Hey there Geraldine!

    Welcome back! I hope you had a GREAT time on your trip. I can't wait to hear about it on your blog!

    Me too, I am so glad that I had 3 days off because I needed it. And boy, did those 3 days fly by!

    Isn't the shark costume adorable? And I love the sand bucket. Genius!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a FAB week!
    X

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  34. Hello there Debbie!

    Yes, all 3 days were so beautiful. I even got to spend time outside in the sun, getting a tan. I love this time of the year because you can sit outside and enjoy the sun without it being too hot.

    " Five Minnie Mice? That kind of amazes me. I'd have thought most of the little girls would prefer dressing up as princesses or something."

    Funny you mentioned that because I did see a few princesses as well. I also saw a little girl dressed as a Lady Bug and she was so PRECIOUS. Unfortunately, the photographs I got of her didn't come out - too blurry :(

    "The dog with the butterfly wings gave me a chuckle. I can imagine how much trouble I'd have, attaching wings to Dallas! He'd never sit still for dressing up, I'm afraid."



    It was so funny to see how that dog (a Cocker Spaniel) just sat there and was totally unaffected by wearing that costume. OMG...it was so cute!


    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, my friend. Have a faaaaaabulous week!

    X

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  35. Good for you Ron!!! That is AWESOME that you got a weekend off!! I don't remember ever having a weekend off when I was in retail!! The colors of the trees are amazing and I love all the costume pics you took!! I was going to go through all my old pics of the girls in costumes throughout the years...but I haven't had time to do that yet, so not sure if I will have time before Halloween! I need to get outside tomorrow and take some pics of their costumes!! Glad you enjoyed your weekend off! xo Jeanne and the girls

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  36. Now that's a wonderful way of enjoying a day off, Ron! Restaurant hopping and photo sharing! You must have had a wonderful time, because it shows in the photos! Thank you!
    Happy Halloween, Ron! :))

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  37. Hey there Jean!

    Yes, it's so unusual to have a weekend off in retail, as I'm sure you know. So this was a delight! In fact, very rarely do I even get two days off in a row.

    Aren't the colors of the trees amazing? And I bet where you live they're stunning!

    " I need to get outside tomorrow and take some pics of their costumes!!"

    I would LOVE see them on your blog!!

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a great rest of your week!

    X to you and the girlz!

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  38. Hellooooo Petra!


    I really should take these little days trips outside of the city more because they totally revive and yet relax me. I'm a city boy, but I need my time in nature.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, dear friend! Have a great rest of your week and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


    X

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  39. First of all... a weekend off... WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! That is awesome!!!!!!! And i love ALL of these pictures. The Halloween ones... well, I LOVE Halloween so yup they are AWESOME!!!! My favorite is the sign one. Love the web, greenery and the color. The color on the Nemo one is awesome. I didn't realize Minnie was so popular nowadays. How incredible is it that something from so long ago is still going strong. Something positive and good rather than what you see on TV today!

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  40. http://ladyfi.wordpress.comThursday, October 30, 2014

    How lovely to be able to enjoy those wonderful autumn colours.

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  41. Hello there Fiona!

    Welcome back! Hope you had a super time on your trip to Italy. Can't wait to see and read all about it :)

    Don't you just love autumn?

    Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your week!
    X

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  42. Hey there Katherine!

    Yes, can you believe it...a whole three-day weekend off! Yabba-dabba doo!

    Isn't the sign one fabulous? I love how this little town went way out for their Halloween festivities.

    " I didn't realize Minnie was so popular nowadays. How incredible is it that something from so long ago is still going strong. Something positive and good rather than what you see on TV today!"



    A agree! And it is incredible to see that something from so long ago still going strong. Minnie and Mickey live on!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Hope you're having a fab week and enjoying the fall!
    X

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  43. The leaf color is the best part about fall as far as I'm concerned.

    I like seeing the dressed up kids, too. It was cold and rainy here last night so not many kids came by. :(

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  44. Isn't the leaf color the BEST!!!!

    " It was cold and rainy here last night so not many kids came by. :("

    Yes, we had the same weather here last night....cold and rainy. In fact, I actually had to turn my heat on.

    Have a great rest of your weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!
    X

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  45. Those trees are so gorgeous! I would have loved sitting on a park bench somewhere in the sun, watching all the costumed people passing by!

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  46. Aren't the trees GORGEOUS, Benze?


    I had so much fun watching the costumed kiddies passing by that day.


    It made me feel like a kid myself :)


    X

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  47. Oh, I love to see the kids (and adults if they get into it) dressed in their costumes. So cute! Lovely photos of the beautiful FALL leaves.
    Glad you enjoyed your weekend off, and will have more to come!!

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  48. "Oh, I love to see the kids (and adults if they get into it) dressed in their costumes."


    Meeeeeeeeeee too! And it always makes me feel like a big kid again :)


    I had a GREAT time that day!


    Hope you had a Happy Halloween and got lots of Trick-or-Treaters!


    X

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