Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Does Halloween scare you? After the storm, surely some trick or treaters are not frightening, right?

What about the upcoming election? I'm not asking your political preference but are you feeling some degree of angst over the anger some are displaying while supporting their candidates and causes? The anger I feel is toward the never-ending phone calls lately. So much for the Do Not Call list. Yesterday I had 5 in a row, all with a different area code. Michigan doesn't have the early voting option. If you live in a state that does, are the frantic campaign and opinion polling calls still reaching you?

So what does scare me? Hmmm, I don't like spiders and snakes (don't worry, I'm not going to segue into that song, but feel free to listen to it here ) but they don't truly scare me. They might startle me and I do prefer someone else remove them. My list of things that scare me include heights, falling from heights (anything over the third rung of a ladder applies), freezing to death (sad, but true) and some drivers who shouldn't be allowed in public on a tricycle, much less behind the wheel of an automobile.

Less frightening but a wee bit scary is how quickly the days zip by lately. How did it get to be Halloween already? Thanksgiving is three weeks from tomorrow! Dinner is here with between 20-25 people. Yikes! That is scary!

Other than grocery stores featuring sales on turkeys and pumpkin pies, Thanksgiving will barely get a nod in the marketplace. Christmas is a much bigger money maker so it needs to be pushed. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but not the marketing of it. That isn't scary though, just annoying.

I'm hoping tonight's weather doesn't prevent the little trick or treaters from enjoying the night. Hubby and I will see Colton before he sets off in his neighborhood.  That, as Martha would say, is a good thing.

To view my greeting to everyone, courtesy of Jaquie Lawson,  Click here!

Good morning/afternoon/evening Blog-land...

A busy week ended with seeds planted for future blog posts, but nothing note-worthy quite yet. That doesn't mean I don't have a lame joke to share though, so here goes...

Halloween is coming! A man is walking home alone late one foggy night... when behind him he hears: Bump...         BUMP...           BUMP...         Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him.     BUMP...         BUMP...           BUMP...                   Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him             FASTER...           FASTER...    BUMP...                    BUMP...             BUMP...            He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in, slams and locks the door behind him. However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping clappity-BUMP...   clappity-BUMP...         clappity-BUMP...     on his heels, the terrified man runs.   Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, the man locks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps.         With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door.     Bumping and clapping toward him. The man screams and reaches for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup!   Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket...    and,                               (hopefully you're ready for this!!!) The coffin stops

 

I like Halloween

I've photographed these items in previous years and posted them here, but I'm doing it again because I like Halloween. I like the cute stuff but appreciate well done scary stuff too, as long as it isn't done to scare small children. When the boys were teenagers, we had plenty of zombies, monsters and gore, but there was always a friendly entrance for the little trick or treaters.

Our outdoor decorations are currently limited to a wreath on the door, a smiling pumpkin yard sign, a funny metal skeleton near the porch and a pumpkin and mum on the porch itself. The inside of the house is in full Halloween mode. Gore is out, cut is in.

 Most of these are from a yearly craft show that no longer features such fun pieces.

 

Bears on the stairs! In Halloween sweaters, of course.

 

 The curio cabinet lit up at night.

Love this little trio. The glitter pumpkins didn't photograph well.

 

These two pieces are Jim Shore resin figures.

 

This witch is suspended from a vent near the ceiling (cold air return). Pull the pumpkin and her wings flap. This was sold by Avon a long time ago, one of my two ventures as an Avon lady.

This trio is made from wood and beautifully painted by a crafter that I've lost track of.

 

Machine appliqued and quilted wall hanging that I made a few years ago. Now that I'm 60, a few probably means ten, but it doesn't seem that long ago.

 

While visiting a friend in Ohio, we went to a wonderful cross stitch store where I bought this design to stitch and the matching frame. Sadly, that store is gone now too. Gosh, am I a jinx???

The five views above are my tall curio cabinet, photos taken at night with the lights on. I don't know how to get away from the reflection and glare, but it is better this way than photographed in daylight.

 

The corner table on the landing by day and by night.

 

Kitchen window test tube rack (made by hubby) with "The Last Person Who Doubted Me", "Dreadful Edibles", "Deathly Morsels", "Unholy Spirits", "Corns from Witches Feet", "Spider Parts". "Cyanide Sprinkles", and "Petrified Skulls".  Hmmm, anyone want to come for dinner after seeing this?

 

Suncatchers in kitchen window.

  

 

White ceramic pumpkins on hutch by night and by day.

 

Cauldron with fabric flames.

 

 

Odd little string of ghost lights that were hard to place but too cute to not use.

 

Also on the hutch, a little weighty humor!

 

A ghost, pumpkins and a skeleton in the family room.

 

The last four photos are also from the family room.

 

Happy Autumn and Halloween everyone!

 

November 1st already...Rabbit, Rabbit!

How the heck did it get to be November 1st already?

Rabbit, Rabbit....for good luck. If you aren't familiar with this superstition, I talk about it here.

How are you spending the first day of the month? I'll be packing away ghosts and pumpkins and bringing out turkeys and pilgrims. A few autumn decorations are holiday neutral and will stay in place until it is time to decorate for the C-word. I can't bring myself to say that holiday out loud yet, you know which one...the one that takes place in December.

Since I'm not ready to talk about future holidays yet, let's review review Halloween. Were there many trick or treaters in your neighborhood?  Were they cute or scary?  Did you have a good time?

I did, mainly because I felt so safe. When your grandson is Superman, how can you not feel safe?

Look at that steely gaze and those abs! 

Do you hear a damsel in distress? 

Oh, it's just silly ole grandma!

Halloween is such an emotional holiday... 

Upper left:    Oh please, let there be some candy left!

Lower left:    All right! 8 PM, done and there is still candy in the bowl!

Right:    Bill saved all the Snickers for himself and gave out what I like!!! 

I guess there is one more turkey around here than I planned to display, and after all those Snickers, he is looking pretty stuffed.

Happy Halloween!

Have a sweet Halloween, all treats and no tricks!