Halloween Spiders and more...

Yesterday, I decided (upon hearing it may snow tonight!), to get the cushions off my patio furniture and bring them inside.  As I turned a corner cushion over, I saw the trademark white webbing of a wolf spider's home and, indeed, two large brown spiders were not so happy with me.

The webby construction was unbelievably strong. I tried using a sprayer on the hose hoping the force would release its grip on my cushion.  That didn't really work.  Spider webs intended to catch food are constructed differently than than the web that serves as home and shelter for eggs.  The typical webs we think of are constructed carefully.  We weave our lives and our path via our choices. We too construct our lives in that sense.

Am I making wise choices?

Is my web constructed with conscious thought or carelessness?

How do my choices improve my life and the lives of those around me?

"He learned that the world is like an enormous spider web and if you touch it, however lightly, at any point, the vibration ripples to the remotest perimeter and the drowsy spider feels the tingle and is drowsy no more but springs out to fling the gossamer coils about you who have touched the web and then inject the black, numbing poison under your hide." (p.200) all the kings men

Do the ripple's your web creates inspire others, offer them your unique amazing energy or does your web suffocate them and steal their energy like a vampire?

I felt bad removing this webby attachment yesterday. I meant to the spiders no harm and knew they had gone to a lot of work to build their nest in such a protected spot.  But as much as a web symbolizes the passage of time,  it also symbolizes one's fate and one's journey. Does your web reach out in all directions allowing you to travel anywhere or does it hold you back and confine you to one space?

Favorite spider web quote (what? you don't have any spider web quote?!)

"spider web- noun= a thing you walk into which suddenly turns you into a karate master"


After class today, we all had vegan pumpkin bread and pumpkin spice hot chocolate. The recipes are below:

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

(2) 8″ x 4″ loaf pans

Ingredients
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup flaked coconut

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans.
2. Spread walnuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, and coconut milk, and mix until all of the flour is absorbed. Fold in the flaked coconut and toasted walnuts. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cover loaves tightly with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent loosely with the foil, and allow to cool completely.


Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
I simply use 1 packet of hot chocolate mix with hot water and milk and add 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix...and then we added whipped cream!