The one with Fear & Hope

it's a very strange thing to see your life packed into a corner, you think about all the memories and decisions which got you to this particular intersection. you wonder how things may have been different...how things may have changed....and the consequences of the joker we call time. time begins taking pace when you first gain consciousness of yourself as a child and it accelerates at an expotential rate. sometimes we'll be impressed by how well we jump the hurdles of change which time throws at us, but at other times we'll find ourselfs on our knees, weak from trying in earnest to stay within sight of this champion of his game. yet, no matter how witty we train ourselves to be, nor how agile, time will one day stand still in front of each of us and say quite simple "you cannot beat me, you cannot stop me, and you cannot know where i am going". it is my opinion that these times are the hardest, when we feel the most fearful, and when we're in the most need of hope. if there is one word i can hold on to, it is hope.

The one with a Vendetta

1605 Guy Fawkes.... This is a celebrated holiday in England, complete with bonfires; however, it's not a celebration at all, it's a warning to anyone with enough constitution to step aside from the confines of society. It's a nursery rhyme in England for God's sake! Something which they ingrain into the minds of their citizens from day one. These practices blow my mind in the sense of how against all ideologies of democracy this is. Change can only happen when people dare to do what the believe is right -- what if that belief is contrary to the rulers of the time? They say if analysts saw some catastrophic event coming in the future, they wouldn't simply tell us, but rather put it into mass media in order to get us used to the idea; if they were simply to tell us, there would be panic. I wonder now, if the movie "V for Vendetta" is one of those examples? All be it, it's an extreme situation portrayed; yet, I can't help notice the similarities with some current events. Events such as the London riots which ran out of control for some time after a police officer assaulted a peaceful protester, or even the current "Occupy" movement. The movie came out less than 5 years ago....it is possible...

"Remember, remember the 5th of November

The gunpowder, treason and plot

I can think of no reason the gunpowder treason,

should ever be forgot..."

The one with Haunting treats

I find joy in the simplest of things, it's an incurable affliction. So when my office announced that there would be a small Halloween lunch get-together, I naturally started planning out what tricks & treats I would bring to the celebration.

The idea which originally struck me was Disneyworld's Haunted Mansion, & they're quirky-humorous gravestones which line the entryway & leave only traces of a spooky element. Thanks to GoogleChrome, I came up with a slew of ideas within minutes, & happy created the sweets you'll see before you. I find myself often concerned with making consideration for everyone in projects like this, so I made both a vanilla & a devil-food cake. First they got a nice earthen-like frosting of vanilla, next a sprinkle of crumbled oreo cookies (no cream) to continue to communicate the look of earth.

Once I was satisfied with their appearance, I began placing the gravestones (complete with humorous epitaph) into my little cupcake-cemetery. I was wildly excited with how perfectly precious they looked together.

I next did the same with my chocolate frosting..... needless to say they were the talk & enchantment of the office party!

Some of the Epitaphs read as follows:

Barry M. Deep

Real E. Old

I. B. Dead

Yul B. Next

Creek E. Bones

Ted N. Berheed

Hugh Jass

Under A. Rock

Dee Kaying

Justin Peces

M. T. Tomb

Y. Z. Stil-Livin

Les Manly

K.A. Put

Rattle M. Bones

Myra Mains

Bitby A. Snake

Lotta Dust

As for my frosting, which I insist on making from scratch (canned tastes dull & lacking integrity), it is the simplest thing ever! 3 tbsp cold butter, 1 pkg cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, 3c. confectioner sugar. Blend very well together & then you can add whatever flavors you want, almond, lemon, orange, strawberry, chocolate, etc. LOVE!