I have an idea

Every year, we have a Halloween barn party with a costume contest.

2020

It's a low key barn so most of the entries are pretty low key.

Guaranteed, 2023

Still, there are always a few people who go all out.

Mikey, 2020

I have participated in three barn Halloween costume parties as an owner.

Olive was very much not into costumes, so her outfits tended to be minimalistic.

This looks over-the-top, but really, it's just a regular tack set with a little extra flair.

A lot of extra flair.

Unlike Olive, Sage is the Queen of Costumes.

She doesn't care what you put on her. 

As long as there's food - or just the hope of food - she's all in.

Heh.

Despite that, I went easy on her for last year's Halloween party.

She wore a 3D printed unicorn horn and a flower wreath made by my friend, Corina.

I thought she looked really beautiful, but at the same time this is a boring costume.

"That was fun," I told Seth after the party was over, "but next year I want to do spend more time on the costume. I want to do something memorable."

In June, I helped our son, James, pack up his apartment and move to Wisconsin.

The driving part of the trip was fun. 

The packing, not so much.

There was far more things in the apartment than there was room in the truck. 

Sacrifices had to be made.

Mattie's horse head mask-turned-into-Blucifer cap landed on the trash pile.

not the actual trash pile

"Oh, don't throw that away," I said, as I picked it off the pile and handed to Seth. "I have an idea."