GimletBlog

The November wallpaper is available for download from Solitary Elegance. This month our ladies are taking advantage of a little sunshine to take a walk (albeit very bundled up) before the stormy late autumn weather really sets in.

The two walking dresses (1814 on the left, 1809 on the right) are set against a scenic background from an 1816 issue of Ackermann’s Repository. Enjoy!

Just an ego-boosting note that my Emma stage play review is up on AustenBlog and linked on the Book-It Repertory Theatre web site.  After seeing last season’s outstanding production of Persuasion, expectations were high for Emma.  Check out my main review for all the details, but in short: the characters were spot-on and delightful, the pacing was brisk, with plenty of humor (important points to consider if one of you is less enthusiastic about spending an evening watching a Jane Austen play) and an ending with dancing, streamers, and just enough romance to be sweet without saccharine.

We loved the ardent and slimy Mr. Elton, Frank Churchill’s rock star entrance into Highbury, a delightfully dreadful Mrs. Elton inspecting Emma’s china and silver … and that’s not even mentioning the fabulous Emma and Mr. Knightley.  If you’re in the Seattle area, go and enjoy.  Emma runs through November 22 at the Center House, Seattle Center.

Why do tree leaves turn red or yellow in the fall?
Learn the answer on this stroll through the Arboretum courtesy of the Seattle Times.

• Haunted Hikes, by the Washington Trails Association, showcases spooky rambles around the state.
• How well do you know Gothic fiction? Take the Guardian’s quiz.  What, you’ve never read The Castle of Otranto, with its Monty Pythonesque Giant Helmet O’ Doom?  Tsk.  Well, at any rate, all family members should know the answer to #10.
• If you’re all about the sugar, Zillow’s Trick or Treat Housing Index will direct you to the top five Seattle neighborhoods providing the most candy with the least walking and minimum safety risks.

Trick or Treat:

• Pumpkin Way is an inspiring gallery of cool-and-creepy pumpkins, with tips, wallpapers, a screensaver and more.
• Check out ThinkGeek’s geeky pumpkin template contest.  First place wins a Tauntaun sleeping bag, no joke!

Thing One’s Eagle project has been approved, and we’ve set a date for the work party. In late November, he and his fellow volunteers will spend a Saturday removing invasive white poplar from Terminal 105 of the Duwamish River to help the native plants and salmon habitat.

Yesterday he sent out an email flyer with directions, date/time, and other specifics to Scouts and other friends and family; if you’d like to be included, leave a note in the comments and we’ll send you all the details.   Look for a report next month!

Learn more about Thing One’s Eagle Project:

• Restoration Ecology Network Current Projects at the University of Washington: Terminal 105, Duwamish River
• Port of Seattle Parks (scroll down to Terminal 105 Park)
• Self guided tour of the Duwamish waterway (PDF)
• Trail to Eagle (National Eagle Scout Association)

Autumn sunshine.  A Friday off from school.  We needed no further enticement to spend the afternoon on Whidbey Island.

After a short ferry ride and drive we stopped in Coupeville to explore the waterfront, pay a visit to Rosie, the gray whale skeleton at the wharf, and enjoy an ice cream break.

| …continue reading Island time Friday

Not many words today.  Instead, a story in pictures, sponsored by the color red.

We had an errand to run after school, and on such a sunny, crisp October afternoon, who can blame Team Gimlet for choosing to stay outside and play instead of returning home to do homework?

So we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Ballard Locks.

| …continue reading Wednesday afternoon at the Locks