Sneaky, Illustration Friday

As much as we love our traditional Thanksgiving feast here in the USA, it can't be too much fun for the turkeys. Not exactly keen on taking the "tofurky" route yet, I still look forward to another holiday tradition when the President "pardons" a turkey whose neck might otherwise have met the chopping block.
This year, two turkeys were excused from their "guests of honor" duties at the dinner table, but I'm guessing there are probably other sneaky feathered friends out there, taking a cue from distant relatives migrating south for the winter. For those who are able to fly the coop, I hope they're traveling to the tropics and catching a suntan, rather than surrounded by trimmings on a platter and getting basted to a buttery golden brown!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Burning, Illustration Friday

Trying to be on my best behavior at this time of the year, since Santa is tallying up his gift list for the well behaved. Every year, my mom used to ask him for five good kids. Whether she was rewarded her wish or not was never determined because were usually too busy making tracks, out of a spanking's reach. Speaking of tracks, Hot Wheel tracks were often the weapon of choice, or whatever else we still had scattered across the floor when she asked us to clean up.
"Spare the rod and spoil the child" never crossed many of our parents' minds back in those days. Maybe we exaggerate the severity of the punishment just a little bit, now that "time outs" have become standard. But after we'd all experienced our share of burning bottoms, I'd have to say that my mom finally got her wish.

Afterwards, Illustration Friday

Afterwards, everybody pitched in and helped clean up the dishes.

Don't you just love when that happens?

Just another Thursday night post for Illustration Friday...Afterwards, I'll breathe a sigh of relief, having barely sneaked under the wire, just hours before next week's challenge!

Spent, Illustration Friday

Obviously, I've used up the week seeing to other tasks before submitting my post to Illustration Friday. That's what happens when the week that welcomes the first days of November turn out to be as gorgeous as anybody could've asked for here in southern California. Warm days, cool nights, low tides that invite a mid day stroll along the shore...It's like spring fever all over again. Never mind that the holidays, blogging and other pressing matters are pending.

Looking out the window on one of these crisp mornings just before dawn, I observed the moon hanging low, nestled in the acacias. Still bright, it appeared to be tiptoeing in, having spent a crazy night chasing stars across the autumn sky.

Hope you've all survived the Halloween candy surge and hope to see how you've "spent" the rest of your week!