If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all...

...maybe that's a bit harsh, If you don't have anything interesting to say don't say anything at all might be nearer the mark. I've been quiet for a whole month, did you notice? I didn't even know what I'd been doing for the last month but it turns out I have been quite busy so here goes...

I don't think I put up any photos of the pumpkin carving I did with my housemates so here we go... I decided that when in rome and all that so despite my reservations I would join in with Halloween. It is a curious fact that many Christians in the UK avoid Halloween. The Anglican tradition is that one makes a mockery of the dark forces by imitating them in silly costumes (basically) but lots of Christians I know avoid it all together or have a light celebration instead. In the USA everyone celebrates Halloween it's primarily a kids holiday but you see adults in costume going to work. My joining in with Halloween was possibly a little half-hearted but I just joined in with my house mates. We had a total of about 10 trick-or-treaters who my housemates had brought candy for, I didn't dress up, and I carved autumn leaves on my pumpkin (old habits die hard). In the end I think I'll take the pumpkin carving and leave the rest when I return across the pond. I wonder whether part of the difference between the US and UK is that we celebrate bonfire night and this gives us our pre-Christmas the-nights-are-drawing-in party fix.

These are our freshly carved pumpkins

with proud owners

in situ

As you can see I went for an ever so scary autumn leaf design.

  I celebrated bonfire night with cheesy jacket potatoes and Catherine Wheel biscuits for work. Lots of people are more aware of fireworks night here than they were thanks to the movie "v for vendetta". It did get me thinking, I know full well that I celebrate fireworks night because of I like fireworks (that's about as deep as it goes). Historically we as a country celebrate Guy Fawkes night as the night those 'dastardly Catholics' failed to blow up the king and parliament, and got their just deserts. For many it's a reminder of one of the many unsavoury moments of our nations past, one only has to look at Guy Fawkes' 'before' and 'after' (on his confession) signature  to realise that he was pretty brutally tortured. The Americans believe that we now celebrate Guy Fawkes night as a celebration that someone actually had the guts to have a go. I'm not sure that is true at all, but it is curious that in a Christian culture that is fairly anti-Halloween we don't have more to say about Bonfire night.

This Flute Choir term has come to an end. Below our links to videos of our slightly out of tune end of year concert. I'm hidden behind the bass flute on the right!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmxkTmrzBXk&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHG9R9hrYE4&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsynM5-MoUo&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdStfZAn8Yo&feature=youtu.be

We have one rehearsal of Christmas music then a Christmas concert too.

Of course Thursday was Thanksgiving so I had Thursday and Friday off work. I spent the day with Laurie and John watching the parade, enjoying movies, and having a great meal at Salty's.

Yesterday I helped decorate my church, today my landlady and me have been decorating the house...

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The lights in the city are all up now too...

Oh look I found something to say after all! It's been a long month which has gone past very quickly and I guess I have been busy, roll of Christmas. As well as looking forward to the birth of Christ our Saviour this year I am looking forward to hugging my family, visiting my church in Bristol, spending pound coins, eating fish and chips, drinking pumpkin lattes, and indulging in lots of good old Cadbury's chocolate... roll on the 20th of December, but not too quickly I have lots of work to do and Seattle Christmas traditions to enjoy!