As the 'Roids Wore Off . . .

Here are the pumpkins Wynne and I carved last evening.  Wynne got the idea about the teeth from someone she found on tumbler. This is the first year I allowed Wynne to handle a knife and actually carve by herself. She's 14. I know, she's probably been capable for quite some time, but she is my very last baby. Anyway, it seemed right, and it was -- she was very careful and did a good job, uninjured.

Wynne was prescribed a short course of prednisone so she can breathe and eat past her gargantuan tonsils as the mono runs its course. I tried to give her the first dose of two pills two days ago, but after swallowing the first one she kicked up such a fuss about the flavor of the pill that I couldn't persuade her to take the other one. Since these "symptom" drugs are not mandatory, I didn't push the issue. Luckily, Wynne's half-dose of steroids afforded her over 24 hours of happy, chatterbox well-being! Some folks get 'roid-rage, Wynne got 'roid-joy.  I was almost able to imagine her healing. Wynne's quarantined birthday, the day after taking the prednisone, was happy thanks to that awful-tasting pill, but towards the end of the day I could see her energy level lagging and her overall joie de vivre sagging as the illness again took center stage. So I brought out the pumpkins, knives, glue gun and plastics from the craft box.

I carved the large pumpkin on the left and the one with the green teeth, and Wynne did the other three. My pumpkins don't represent anyone in real life. Wynne's little on on the left is Harry Potter, and the one with the black teeth is Frank Iero from "My Chemical Romance" I asked her who the large one on the right is and she said it's just some rocker, so I decided it is Peter Criss from "Kiss". I love how Wynne didn't even remove the pumpkin seeds from his mouth, or even open the pumpkin up for a candle. she just pushed the cut pieces she couldn't pry loose back inside the pumpkin. Wynne doesn't mess around. This is art. She gets it done, she moves on. Here are my pumpkin seeds:

I stirred some olive oil and dried thyme into them, and then sprinkled them with Chipotle Chili powder (smoky! yum!). Into a 300 degree oven they went for 30 minutes. They get soggy in the fridge, so keep 'em out on the counter. They will only be there a day or so. They are addictive.

While I was photographing the pumpkins, I got this one -- bad for the pumpkins, but pretty good of my favorite tree. I think it's a sugar maple. Every autumn I am happy seeing the tree's glow, seemingly from within. As pretty as it looks in the photo, I wish you could see it in person -- It would knock your socks off!