This is it. The big day has finally arrived and I am as giddy as a kid at Christmas. I have such high hopes for the day, I can't wait to see how it pans out. I have at least 4 costume changes planned. Ok, they aren't all costumes, some are holiday attire, but I'm still counting them as costume changes. Plus, it makes me sound a bit like a rock star.
For this final thought, it is only fitting that I talk about Halloween. It is the perfect way to end such a wonderful month. I think all months should end with a celebration. When I become grand high chancellor of everything I will decree that such a thing happen. That and I will banish November. But for now I am content to celebrate what I have. I know that for some people, Halloween is a horrible holiday. And I respect that. Just like I respect the people that loath Valentines Day. But, I am obviously not one of the Halloween haters. I do hate how the carefree aspect of the holiday has been stripped away year after year, but that is besides the point. I love Halloween for its simplicity and joy. It is a time of family and imagination. A time of wonder and magic. It is the last hurrah before the weather gets cold and the pressures of the season rush in. It is a day where you get to be a kid again or at least let your inner child out to play.
But for all that, I also see Halloween as a day of remembrance. Halloween to me is like a memorial day for family and friends. It is a time when I take stock of those I have loved and lost and those I still have. It is a time to go and pay my respects and remember the dead. Call it macabre if you want to, but that is how I have felt ever since I was a kid. Halloween is a dichotomy. It is a time to morn those lost and to celebrate in the life still to live. It is a time to be somber and a time to be joyous. Maybe that is why I like it so much. It can't be pegged as just one thing. Though the candy part doesn't hurt either.
I am sad that kids today aren't having the same trick or treating experiences that I had as a child. I grew up right on the cusp of taking your candy hauls to the police so they could scan them. There was a fear, but not like there is today. I could run around to neighbors houses with my pillowcase or pumpkin bucket and not be scared. Now more and more people stop decorating and handing out candy and go to school, church or community functions instead. Which don't get me wrong, I am ALL for those events. I love them. I participate in them. But some of the magic is lost. Getting candy out of the back of someone's car is just boring and it borders on being creepy. Maybe I am just getting all curmudgeonly in my old age, but I like things how they used to be. When people really put on a spectacle and liked having kids come over to get candy.
I have never, ever had a trick or treater and if things keep going like they are, I never will. I find this enormously depressing. I hear friends complaining about how they run out of candy and how they get tired of answering the door and I just want to lecture them and tell them to count their blessings. Each year I fill up my candy bowl and wait. I feel a bit like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Each year I just KNOW that a trick or treater will show up and each year nothing. But like Linus I don't give up hope. This year will be different. I can feel it.
So revel in the day. Eat and drink copious amounts of pumpkin flavored something. Dress up with reckless abandon, hug those you love, send trick or treaters my way and above all have fun. This has been another wonderful October ride and I thank you for sharing it with me.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Day 30: Puttin' on the Ritz
I have been procrastinating this October. I haven't read most of my holiday magazines, I haven't carved my main pumpkin. I didn't wear most of my holiday socks and I still have some October movies to watch. I think it is because I want my favorite month to last longer. When you are smack in the middle of January or even November, October seems so far away. But now that it is here and almost done, I just want to stretch the days out. I have already decided to keep my decor up into November. Sorry turkeys and pilgrims, you will just have to deal with a few bats, headless horseman and vampires. You will just have to learn to get along.
Which in a way brings me to my almost final thought, costumes. What other month can you see pilgrims, bats and headless horseman walking down the street and not think it's weird, or that you are having some sort of mental break. And since it is October there isn't just one day that you are allowed to dress up. As I was waiting in a drive thru line last week I saw a family of red devils all gussied up and out for a stroll. It wasn't even Halloween yet, but clearly they had someplace to go. It made me smile. There was a momma devil and a few kid devils and even a baby devil with wings. They had red face paint and sparkly tops. They could have been a singing troupe for all I knew, but it was awesome!
I LOVE dressing up for Halloween. I love picking out my costume. I love the paints and colors, masks and wigs. I love everything about it and the more outrageous and creative the better. I am constantly amazed by peoples creativity. It really gives you insight into a person seeing which costume they choose.
I am particularly jealous of kid costumes. Kids have such an abundance of awesome things to choose from. Not to say that adults don't, but as you get older, at least for ladies, the costumes either border on brothel dweller or unimaginative potato sack. I can't stand it. But it does mean that I get to be more creative.
One of the best things about wearing a costume is traveling in said costume. On numerous occasions I have been driving in costume and had people honk and wave. It is funny to be waiting at a stop light and watch people do a double take. I just smile and wave. I have had people get their pictures taken with me and I have scared small children. A really good costume is a treat, and not just for the wearer.
But around this time of year, one almost always runs into the great costume/weather debate. Especially if you are trick or treating, how do you show off the awesomeness of your costume without either freezing to death or getting soaked? If you are going as Iron Man, you can't wear a coat. It just ruins the effect. When I was little my mother and I went round and round about the great coat debate. We finally reached a compromise. I would wear the coat when I wasn't knocking on a door, but once I was on final approach, I would shed the coat and she would have to hold it. It was quite frustrating but in the end both parties were happy, sort of.
I wish there were more holidays were we were encouraged to dress up. I don't mean in fancy holiday party type clothes either. I think Valentines Day should have some sort of costume component. It might make the day more palatable. And what about Thanksgiving or even President's Day. We totally need to dress up for Presidents day. See, I'm even having fun just thinking about it. I really love this month.
Which in a way brings me to my almost final thought, costumes. What other month can you see pilgrims, bats and headless horseman walking down the street and not think it's weird, or that you are having some sort of mental break. And since it is October there isn't just one day that you are allowed to dress up. As I was waiting in a drive thru line last week I saw a family of red devils all gussied up and out for a stroll. It wasn't even Halloween yet, but clearly they had someplace to go. It made me smile. There was a momma devil and a few kid devils and even a baby devil with wings. They had red face paint and sparkly tops. They could have been a singing troupe for all I knew, but it was awesome!
I LOVE dressing up for Halloween. I love picking out my costume. I love the paints and colors, masks and wigs. I love everything about it and the more outrageous and creative the better. I am constantly amazed by peoples creativity. It really gives you insight into a person seeing which costume they choose.
I am particularly jealous of kid costumes. Kids have such an abundance of awesome things to choose from. Not to say that adults don't, but as you get older, at least for ladies, the costumes either border on brothel dweller or unimaginative potato sack. I can't stand it. But it does mean that I get to be more creative.
One of the best things about wearing a costume is traveling in said costume. On numerous occasions I have been driving in costume and had people honk and wave. It is funny to be waiting at a stop light and watch people do a double take. I just smile and wave. I have had people get their pictures taken with me and I have scared small children. A really good costume is a treat, and not just for the wearer.
But around this time of year, one almost always runs into the great costume/weather debate. Especially if you are trick or treating, how do you show off the awesomeness of your costume without either freezing to death or getting soaked? If you are going as Iron Man, you can't wear a coat. It just ruins the effect. When I was little my mother and I went round and round about the great coat debate. We finally reached a compromise. I would wear the coat when I wasn't knocking on a door, but once I was on final approach, I would shed the coat and she would have to hold it. It was quite frustrating but in the end both parties were happy, sort of.
I wish there were more holidays were we were encouraged to dress up. I don't mean in fancy holiday party type clothes either. I think Valentines Day should have some sort of costume component. It might make the day more palatable. And what about Thanksgiving or even President's Day. We totally need to dress up for Presidents day. See, I'm even having fun just thinking about it. I really love this month.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Day 29: A Fake History Lesson
I can feel the icy grip of November creeping in. Yesterday the weather took a turn for the frigid. There was a howling wind, a driving rain and I had to scrape ice off of my windshield. Someone it seems forgot to give the weather the memo that it is still fall. Sigh. October can't be almost over. I won't stand for it. I may protest and consume pumpkin flavored products all the way through December just to show how serious I am. Already the stores are turning into winter wonderlands. There are an alarming number of Christmas trees set up, Halloween décor has been relegated to the bargain bin and I swear I heard someone whistling Jingle Bells. One holiday at a time people, and the best one first.
While I was watching my October themed shows I happened to glance at the TV guide and saw a gem that would not only make my October complete, but it would serve as a great thought too. Later this evening (October 29th) PBS will be showing a retrospective on the Orson Welles radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. Along with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, that broadcast is one of my favorite stories. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the broadcast and they will be delving into how such a simple reading could produce such mass hysteria.
Ever since I learned about the broadcast in school, I have been hooked. Growing up in the burgeoning media age that we do, I just can't fathom how a reading could lead to such panic. Now a days one could just Google it or call one of the producers and have things sorted out in mere minutes. Or at least I thought so. The "Discovery" channel did a movie during Shark Week this year called Megalodon. It was filmed like a documentary and set out to prove that a giant prehistoric shark was still alive and swimming in the ocean today. It was a fake documentary and there is no current megalodon proof, but people still took the thing at face value. Now there was no widespread panic or mass exodus from beaches around the world, but it just goes to show, the public can still be fooled.
I think that is what I like about that original broadcast so much. It harkens back to when storytelling was really special and something to be savored. When people like Ichabod Crane could sit around a fire and get pulled in by a tall tale. All people had to do was look out their window and see that aliens were not in fact attacking the earth. But they didn't. They were so scared and so sure that what they were hearing was true that they immediately started taking measures to protect themselves. It is the best October prank ever. I wish that I could tell stories half as good.
I have had the opportunity to listen to the real broadcast, and though it is a bit hokey by today's standards of entertainment, it is easy to get sucked in. If you can suspend your disbelief and pretend you don't have internet access, a smart phone or a TV you can really get scared. What if the radio was all you had? What if you came home and heard some man telling you that Martians were attacking? What would you do? It really gets under your skin. Which as you know is one of my October favorites. Something simple, yet plausible. Something that could never really happen, or at least that is what we tell ourselves. But in the back of our mind, that quiet little voice whispers, yeah, but what if it did? Oooh, I just gave myself goosebumps.
The actual anniversary date of the broadcast isn't until tomorrow, the 30th, but I wanted to give you time to set your recorders for the PBS special. Or you can go online and listen to the broadcast yourself. Several enthusiasts will be replaying the recording over the airwaves. Satellite radio is even getting in on the gig. For more information on how you can get in the fun, check out the Welles website link http://www.wellesnet.com/?p=8216 At the very least, poke around the link and read some of the concerned citizen letters that people wrote and sent in after finding out they had been duped. It is some pretty serious (yet still funny) stuff. Ah hindsight.
Yes, October has many hidden gems. Spooks and specters. Jokes and pranks. Tricks and treats. It really is a marvelous month!
While I was watching my October themed shows I happened to glance at the TV guide and saw a gem that would not only make my October complete, but it would serve as a great thought too. Later this evening (October 29th) PBS will be showing a retrospective on the Orson Welles radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. Along with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, that broadcast is one of my favorite stories. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the broadcast and they will be delving into how such a simple reading could produce such mass hysteria.
Ever since I learned about the broadcast in school, I have been hooked. Growing up in the burgeoning media age that we do, I just can't fathom how a reading could lead to such panic. Now a days one could just Google it or call one of the producers and have things sorted out in mere minutes. Or at least I thought so. The "Discovery" channel did a movie during Shark Week this year called Megalodon. It was filmed like a documentary and set out to prove that a giant prehistoric shark was still alive and swimming in the ocean today. It was a fake documentary and there is no current megalodon proof, but people still took the thing at face value. Now there was no widespread panic or mass exodus from beaches around the world, but it just goes to show, the public can still be fooled.
I think that is what I like about that original broadcast so much. It harkens back to when storytelling was really special and something to be savored. When people like Ichabod Crane could sit around a fire and get pulled in by a tall tale. All people had to do was look out their window and see that aliens were not in fact attacking the earth. But they didn't. They were so scared and so sure that what they were hearing was true that they immediately started taking measures to protect themselves. It is the best October prank ever. I wish that I could tell stories half as good.
I have had the opportunity to listen to the real broadcast, and though it is a bit hokey by today's standards of entertainment, it is easy to get sucked in. If you can suspend your disbelief and pretend you don't have internet access, a smart phone or a TV you can really get scared. What if the radio was all you had? What if you came home and heard some man telling you that Martians were attacking? What would you do? It really gets under your skin. Which as you know is one of my October favorites. Something simple, yet plausible. Something that could never really happen, or at least that is what we tell ourselves. But in the back of our mind, that quiet little voice whispers, yeah, but what if it did? Oooh, I just gave myself goosebumps.
The actual anniversary date of the broadcast isn't until tomorrow, the 30th, but I wanted to give you time to set your recorders for the PBS special. Or you can go online and listen to the broadcast yourself. Several enthusiasts will be replaying the recording over the airwaves. Satellite radio is even getting in on the gig. For more information on how you can get in the fun, check out the Welles website link http://www.wellesnet.com/?p=8216 At the very least, poke around the link and read some of the concerned citizen letters that people wrote and sent in after finding out they had been duped. It is some pretty serious (yet still funny) stuff. Ah hindsight.
Yes, October has many hidden gems. Spooks and specters. Jokes and pranks. Tricks and treats. It really is a marvelous month!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Day 28: Going to the Movies
Today is blustery, dark, cold and wet. I love it. It is the perfect weather to light a fire, snuggle up on the couch with some cocoa, and watch scary movies. I love, love, love my October films. I love the classics, cartoons, off kilter and modern. I can appreciate the B movies just as much as the foreign or mainstream. Every year I pull out my October viewing list and see which will make the cut. I have a few that I must watch before the year is out (Beetlejuice, The Addams Family, Hocus Pocus, the Fog, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and the Frighteners) and then I have a much, much longer list of shows that just work well with October. There are the whimsical, the magical, the romantical (but set against an autumn backdrop) and the comical.
For the most part I am not a horror movie fan. I just find them horrible. What I like is something suspenseful. Something that makes me catch my breath. Something that sends my imagination into overdrive and I have to sleep with the lights on for the rest of the night. My best example is Psycho. Mr. Hitchcock knows how to frighten a gal. It is such a simple concept. A girl goes to a motel and never leaves. There are not big special effects. There is no costumed monster lurking. But it scares the pants off of me. I can't go to motels, hotels or any kind of overnight establishment without thinking about that movie.
Because of scary October movies I can no longer be in a darkened stairwell by myself. I can't leave a foot poking out from under the covers. I won't eat apples from strangers, or swim in water that I can't see the bottom of. I'm scared to take baths (though oddly enough not showers) and I will never ever move to the town of Stepford. Yup, my imagination ruins all sorts of mundane things for me. And that is ok, because it is all in the name of October fun.
Though they tend to scare me and bring on ridiculous phobias, October movies also have done some positive things for me. They have introduced me to Frankenstein and the Wolfman. I know many, many ways to dispatch a vampire if it ever comes to that. I also know not to lurk in darkened stairwells and to run out the front door and not the back if someone is trying to pursue me in my home. Ok, so not particularly useful things, but fun nonetheless.
October has a smorgasbord of films and theme TV shows for the savvy viewer to watch. If you are at a loss for a new favorite October film, drop me a line and I will be happy to suggest one. As it stands I am always looking for a new favorite, what's yours?
For the most part I am not a horror movie fan. I just find them horrible. What I like is something suspenseful. Something that makes me catch my breath. Something that sends my imagination into overdrive and I have to sleep with the lights on for the rest of the night. My best example is Psycho. Mr. Hitchcock knows how to frighten a gal. It is such a simple concept. A girl goes to a motel and never leaves. There are not big special effects. There is no costumed monster lurking. But it scares the pants off of me. I can't go to motels, hotels or any kind of overnight establishment without thinking about that movie.
Because of scary October movies I can no longer be in a darkened stairwell by myself. I can't leave a foot poking out from under the covers. I won't eat apples from strangers, or swim in water that I can't see the bottom of. I'm scared to take baths (though oddly enough not showers) and I will never ever move to the town of Stepford. Yup, my imagination ruins all sorts of mundane things for me. And that is ok, because it is all in the name of October fun.
Though they tend to scare me and bring on ridiculous phobias, October movies also have done some positive things for me. They have introduced me to Frankenstein and the Wolfman. I know many, many ways to dispatch a vampire if it ever comes to that. I also know not to lurk in darkened stairwells and to run out the front door and not the back if someone is trying to pursue me in my home. Ok, so not particularly useful things, but fun nonetheless.
October has a smorgasbord of films and theme TV shows for the savvy viewer to watch. If you are at a loss for a new favorite October film, drop me a line and I will be happy to suggest one. As it stands I am always looking for a new favorite, what's yours?
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Day: 27 A Bit Barney
Good gracious, the day quite got away from me. There was morning haze, good fellowship later in the day, a surprise of socks and then I found the rest of my surviving Halloween decorations. I spent the rest of the afternoon reacquainting myself with old friends and sprucing the place up. Since I am so tardy, tonight's thought will be a bit brief, but it is such a good topic that it really doesn't need my embroidery to make it shine.
While I was digging through my decoration boxes I came across my books on covered bridges. I know that I just wrote about barns, and covered bridges really are barns that have a hole in them and sit over water. But ooooh, they are so Octobery. They are spooky and quaint at the same time. They look spectacular with a backdrop of fall leaves and in Sleepy Hollow, my favorite October story, they play quite a prominent role.
If I had my druthers, I would get married inside a covered bridge. I would live in a covered bridge if they would let me. It would be a two story covered bridge and I would be the toll taker and bridge keeper. I would be like one of the ogres in the three billy goats gruff, but without being all slimy and green.
Every year I check the historical bridge database in hopes that suddenly one has popped up near me. I know the likelihood is nonexistent, but a girl can dream. Back home there was a fake covered bridge that was in the bottom of a ravine. It was dark down there and the road was twisty. I very seldom had a reason to go in that direction, but that didn't stop me from many Sunday drives and not accidental excursions. Visiting a bunch of New England covered bridges is also on my October bucket list. Oh to spend a day just driving around looking at bridges. I know, I have weird hobbies but I just can't help myself. One drowsy autumn afternoon
While I was digging through my decoration boxes I came across my books on covered bridges. I know that I just wrote about barns, and covered bridges really are barns that have a hole in them and sit over water. But ooooh, they are so Octobery. They are spooky and quaint at the same time. They look spectacular with a backdrop of fall leaves and in Sleepy Hollow, my favorite October story, they play quite a prominent role.
If I had my druthers, I would get married inside a covered bridge. I would live in a covered bridge if they would let me. It would be a two story covered bridge and I would be the toll taker and bridge keeper. I would be like one of the ogres in the three billy goats gruff, but without being all slimy and green.
Every year I check the historical bridge database in hopes that suddenly one has popped up near me. I know the likelihood is nonexistent, but a girl can dream. Back home there was a fake covered bridge that was in the bottom of a ravine. It was dark down there and the road was twisty. I very seldom had a reason to go in that direction, but that didn't stop me from many Sunday drives and not accidental excursions. Visiting a bunch of New England covered bridges is also on my October bucket list. Oh to spend a day just driving around looking at bridges. I know, I have weird hobbies but I just can't help myself. One drowsy autumn afternoon
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Day 26: Hay Ride Fever
Last evening, as I pondered weak and weary, another wonderful October thought presented itself to me. Hay rides. I simply adore hay rides. How could I have gone this long into the month without even thinking of them? I tell you people, my mojo is off. Someone stick some Halloween socks on me and rub my head with a cool pumpkin smelling cloth post haste.
Hay rides are a must for October. The cool, crisp air. The canopy of stars overhead or the dazzling array of leaves all around. The thought of cocoa or cider waiting at the trails end. Hay rides are the landlocked country equivalent to gondola rides in Venice. One can snuggle up quite close and not run the risk of being dumped off into fetid canal water. Well most of the time anyway. There is the clip clop of the horses hooves or the deep rumble of the tractor to lull you out of yourself and into relaxation. Nothing and I mean nothing beats a good hay ride.
Hay rides can come in many forms. There is the old fashioned carts, the modified trailers, the cobbled together contrivances and the cow trains for the kiddies. You can mix and match a hay ride any way you want. There can actually be a pile of hay to craw into or bales to sit on. Maybe you fix up the back of a truck bed and make things all nice and cozy with blankets and pillows.
Perhaps you are whisked away down dark country lanes or around farm property. Maybe you are at a city function and only travel along the closed down streets. No matter what, hay rides give time for contemplation, relaxation, snuggling, singing, star gazing, leaf peeping, flights of fancy and in some cases shrieks and spooks. There can be romantic hay rides, fun hay rides, haunted hay rides, rides to enjoy the scenery and rides just for fun.
The only bad things about hay rides are that I never think they last long enough, and it is almost next to impossible to drink a beverage while on one. I have tried and most of the time the liquid soaks into the floorboards more than it makes it to my mouth. Potholes and uneven ground are the bane of my hay riding joy, but I can still see the bright side.
Hay rides force one to take a minute and slow down. Unless you had a frightened driver who was speeding because he was being chased by a headless horseman, most hay rides are slow. You have time to just be. You can't be in a hurry. And even if you could get out and walk faster, why would you? A hay ride is like a mini vacation from yourself. You can just get lost in the motion of the wagon and let the Octoberness of it all envelope you. I think the world would be a better place if there were more hayrides.
So that is my challenge to you. With the dwindling time we have left in this most wonderful of months, I implore you to go out, find a local or not so local hay ride and enjoy yourself. Take some time out for you. Let the magic and wonder wash over you and try not to think about how itchy the hay is. I promise you will enjoy yourself.
Hay rides are a must for October. The cool, crisp air. The canopy of stars overhead or the dazzling array of leaves all around. The thought of cocoa or cider waiting at the trails end. Hay rides are the landlocked country equivalent to gondola rides in Venice. One can snuggle up quite close and not run the risk of being dumped off into fetid canal water. Well most of the time anyway. There is the clip clop of the horses hooves or the deep rumble of the tractor to lull you out of yourself and into relaxation. Nothing and I mean nothing beats a good hay ride.
Hay rides can come in many forms. There is the old fashioned carts, the modified trailers, the cobbled together contrivances and the cow trains for the kiddies. You can mix and match a hay ride any way you want. There can actually be a pile of hay to craw into or bales to sit on. Maybe you fix up the back of a truck bed and make things all nice and cozy with blankets and pillows.
Perhaps you are whisked away down dark country lanes or around farm property. Maybe you are at a city function and only travel along the closed down streets. No matter what, hay rides give time for contemplation, relaxation, snuggling, singing, star gazing, leaf peeping, flights of fancy and in some cases shrieks and spooks. There can be romantic hay rides, fun hay rides, haunted hay rides, rides to enjoy the scenery and rides just for fun.
The only bad things about hay rides are that I never think they last long enough, and it is almost next to impossible to drink a beverage while on one. I have tried and most of the time the liquid soaks into the floorboards more than it makes it to my mouth. Potholes and uneven ground are the bane of my hay riding joy, but I can still see the bright side.
Hay rides force one to take a minute and slow down. Unless you had a frightened driver who was speeding because he was being chased by a headless horseman, most hay rides are slow. You have time to just be. You can't be in a hurry. And even if you could get out and walk faster, why would you? A hay ride is like a mini vacation from yourself. You can just get lost in the motion of the wagon and let the Octoberness of it all envelope you. I think the world would be a better place if there were more hayrides.
So that is my challenge to you. With the dwindling time we have left in this most wonderful of months, I implore you to go out, find a local or not so local hay ride and enjoy yourself. Take some time out for you. Let the magic and wonder wash over you and try not to think about how itchy the hay is. I promise you will enjoy yourself.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Day 25: Rambling About Architecture
I think my fog dance is busted. Maybe I added a shimmy when it should have been a shake. Or perhaps my October operating system is on the blink. It seems to be a trade off this year. My monster cereals were easily accessible and they rereleased the old ones. But soy pumpkin nog is nowhere to be found. The corn maze is saved from drought and soldiers on, but there is no fog. I have had many, many pumpkin spice lattes, but not one caramel apple. Yup, it's official, my October mojo is on the fritz. I haven't read hardly any of my October magazines. The October books I have been dying to read were not all that great. I haven't watched most of my October movies and I totally missed the 10 day countdown. Now I have to squeeze a months worth of awesomeness into six days. I've said it before and I'll say it again, October just needs to annex the worthless month of November so the fun can last longer. Whew. Glad I got that out of my system. I think it is the threat of snow and the fact that people have Christmas stuff up already that is making me cranky. But enough about all that, let's get on to the important bits.
One of my favorite October things is old stuff. Of course being a history major and curious in nature that doesn't really surprise anyone, but October old stuff is the coolest. There are old, crumbly houses, ghost towns, dilapidated barns, castles, caves, graveyards and creepy museums. I love the history of October. I love the fact that in small East coast burgs they celebrate that history and it makes me want to move there even more. I love all the old stuff, but in the interest of brevity I will only focus on one today, barns.
There is just something about barns. I love the color. I love the shape. I love it when they are shiny and new. I love them even more when they are only held up by dumb luck and duct tape. Old barns can speak volumes. They are places of work, play, rest, contemplation, imagination, life, death, warmth, shelter and community. Good barns always have a tractor in them, a hay loft, stalls for animals, a tool corner, pitchforks, thick rope, windows, big doors, and enough space to host a dance.
I think the passage of time is etched into the wood that makes up a barn. Barns have seen life go by, and been present for it in all its incarnations. I have a few pieces of art that are made out of barn wood and I can spend hours lost in contemplation about what life they have seen and been a part of. Did this owner have to get up and milk cows? Did a teenager sneak their first kiss in one? Maybe a rather adventurous soul jumped off the loft into a pile of hay. Maybe this barn was a shelter for members of the underground railroad or Jews fleeing from Nazi oppression. Perhaps this barn was part of a barn raising and not some prefab thing. There are all sorts of things to imagine.
My very favorite barns are the ones that defy gravity and logic and simply refuse to go gentle in to that good night. They lean and creak and look like one really good sneeze could send them toppling. But still they stand. They lean a little more, the wood loses more and more of its luster, but it gives me hope. It makes me want to live my life like that. Still standing no matter what life throws at it. Even burned barns leave a silhouette on the landscape. A patch where they once stood.
I know barns might not seem very October, but when you think of harvest and the sight of a barn against a backdrop of fall leaves, you might change your mind. Barns are full of possibilities and that to me is the perfect October qualification.
One of my favorite October things is old stuff. Of course being a history major and curious in nature that doesn't really surprise anyone, but October old stuff is the coolest. There are old, crumbly houses, ghost towns, dilapidated barns, castles, caves, graveyards and creepy museums. I love the history of October. I love the fact that in small East coast burgs they celebrate that history and it makes me want to move there even more. I love all the old stuff, but in the interest of brevity I will only focus on one today, barns.
There is just something about barns. I love the color. I love the shape. I love it when they are shiny and new. I love them even more when they are only held up by dumb luck and duct tape. Old barns can speak volumes. They are places of work, play, rest, contemplation, imagination, life, death, warmth, shelter and community. Good barns always have a tractor in them, a hay loft, stalls for animals, a tool corner, pitchforks, thick rope, windows, big doors, and enough space to host a dance.
I think the passage of time is etched into the wood that makes up a barn. Barns have seen life go by, and been present for it in all its incarnations. I have a few pieces of art that are made out of barn wood and I can spend hours lost in contemplation about what life they have seen and been a part of. Did this owner have to get up and milk cows? Did a teenager sneak their first kiss in one? Maybe a rather adventurous soul jumped off the loft into a pile of hay. Maybe this barn was a shelter for members of the underground railroad or Jews fleeing from Nazi oppression. Perhaps this barn was part of a barn raising and not some prefab thing. There are all sorts of things to imagine.
My very favorite barns are the ones that defy gravity and logic and simply refuse to go gentle in to that good night. They lean and creak and look like one really good sneeze could send them toppling. But still they stand. They lean a little more, the wood loses more and more of its luster, but it gives me hope. It makes me want to live my life like that. Still standing no matter what life throws at it. Even burned barns leave a silhouette on the landscape. A patch where they once stood.
I know barns might not seem very October, but when you think of harvest and the sight of a barn against a backdrop of fall leaves, you might change your mind. Barns are full of possibilities and that to me is the perfect October qualification.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Day 24: Doing the Weather Dance
Ok, that's it. I have been good all month long. I have not asked for a thing. I have sat and patiently waited. I can do it no longer. I am going to roll up my sleeves. Put on my scariest October socks and do my fog dance. You heard me. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna put in my DVD copy of the Fog. I am gonna think foggy thoughts. I am going to brew up some candy corn in a cauldron if I have to, but I will have fog before the month is out.
October without fog is like Christmas without the tree. It is just wrong. Now the weather man is talking about snow. SNOW. We can't have snow until I get my fog. I'm putting my tiny foot down. I will be ok with snow after then, but not before. Mother nature better get on her game face, cuz I'm a commin'.
Fog is marvelous stuff. It is thick, it is creepy, it moves like it has a mind of its own and it is the perfect concoction for the imagination. If it is a really good, thick fog it can totally wreak havoc on ones senses. I have all sorts of marvelous fog stories. My favorite (at least for this month) was when I was driving to school and the fog was so thick on the highway that people simply stopped in the middle of the road. They didn't pull off to the side, they just stopped where they were. Now I realize how dangerous this was. I almost hit a travel trailer. But after the fact, and living to tell about it, it was so cool. It was something like straight out of a post apocalyptic movie. SO. COOL.
I love going walking in fog. I love watching it creep up from the river banks and spread itself out over the countryside. From my high vantage point, sometimes the entire valley floor disappears. It is like there are only the inhabitants of hills left. The fog looks so thick that one could almost get out a boat and row their way through it. How cool would that be to row on fog.
All the best things happen when there is fog in horror films or spooky TV shows. Fog creeps and hides things. Maybe it does it in real life too. All I know is that I have been bereft without my murky companion. Come on October, do me a solid.....or semi solid and send some fog my way. Pretty please with some candy corn on top.
October without fog is like Christmas without the tree. It is just wrong. Now the weather man is talking about snow. SNOW. We can't have snow until I get my fog. I'm putting my tiny foot down. I will be ok with snow after then, but not before. Mother nature better get on her game face, cuz I'm a commin'.
Fog is marvelous stuff. It is thick, it is creepy, it moves like it has a mind of its own and it is the perfect concoction for the imagination. If it is a really good, thick fog it can totally wreak havoc on ones senses. I have all sorts of marvelous fog stories. My favorite (at least for this month) was when I was driving to school and the fog was so thick on the highway that people simply stopped in the middle of the road. They didn't pull off to the side, they just stopped where they were. Now I realize how dangerous this was. I almost hit a travel trailer. But after the fact, and living to tell about it, it was so cool. It was something like straight out of a post apocalyptic movie. SO. COOL.
I love going walking in fog. I love watching it creep up from the river banks and spread itself out over the countryside. From my high vantage point, sometimes the entire valley floor disappears. It is like there are only the inhabitants of hills left. The fog looks so thick that one could almost get out a boat and row their way through it. How cool would that be to row on fog.
All the best things happen when there is fog in horror films or spooky TV shows. Fog creeps and hides things. Maybe it does it in real life too. All I know is that I have been bereft without my murky companion. Come on October, do me a solid.....or semi solid and send some fog my way. Pretty please with some candy corn on top.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Day 23: Sock It To Me
So the thought for today will be rather short. Not because I don't have anything wonderful to say, but because I feel the need to give your eyes a brief rest before the deluge that is the last 8 days. I didn't even realize that I passed the 10 day countdown. I guess time really does fly when one is having so much fun. I am still hoping that October will hear my plea and being the annexation campaign on November, but so far, no plans are forthcoming. A girl can dream.
Anywho, in keeping with my cozy October theme is a product near and dear to my heart.......the holiday sock. As a rule, I love weird socks. It is a covert way to show ones enthusiasm while still keeping it professional up top. One of my favorite things was going to work in my sensible ...clothes and knowing that beneath my shoes lurked socks with dancing candy corns. It gave me a thrill to hike my pant leg up and wow the unsuspecting with my odd sock choices. It still does.
Holiday socks are beyond wonderful and October socks are some of the best. There are bones, bats, skulls, vampires, eyes, wolves, scare crows, pumpkins, cats, spiders, webs, potions, haunted houses, monsters, etc. I have quite the collection. One day I hope to have 31 pair of October socks so I can wear one per wonderful day. Right now as I type, I am wearing Halloween pumpkin slippers. I feel quite festive. I will have to scour the internet to see if they make such a thing as corn maze socks. I'll bet they do. I hope they do.
Last year a dear friend gave me a pair of Halloween socks that had a black pom pom on the heel. My darling puppy was so enamored with them that he followed me all over the house trying to bite the pom poms off. He succeeded with alarming speed and the pom poms are sadly no more. But see, October socks can be fun for everyone. I challenge you to go out and buy a pair ASAP. Wear them under your sensible shoes and see what a delight you will get from being so sneaky. Man I love October.
Anywho, in keeping with my cozy October theme is a product near and dear to my heart.......the holiday sock. As a rule, I love weird socks. It is a covert way to show ones enthusiasm while still keeping it professional up top. One of my favorite things was going to work in my sensible ...clothes and knowing that beneath my shoes lurked socks with dancing candy corns. It gave me a thrill to hike my pant leg up and wow the unsuspecting with my odd sock choices. It still does.
Holiday socks are beyond wonderful and October socks are some of the best. There are bones, bats, skulls, vampires, eyes, wolves, scare crows, pumpkins, cats, spiders, webs, potions, haunted houses, monsters, etc. I have quite the collection. One day I hope to have 31 pair of October socks so I can wear one per wonderful day. Right now as I type, I am wearing Halloween pumpkin slippers. I feel quite festive. I will have to scour the internet to see if they make such a thing as corn maze socks. I'll bet they do. I hope they do.
Last year a dear friend gave me a pair of Halloween socks that had a black pom pom on the heel. My darling puppy was so enamored with them that he followed me all over the house trying to bite the pom poms off. He succeeded with alarming speed and the pom poms are sadly no more. But see, October socks can be fun for everyone. I challenge you to go out and buy a pair ASAP. Wear them under your sensible shoes and see what a delight you will get from being so sneaky. Man I love October.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Day 22: Amazing
Today did not start off like I planned. So far it is not ending like I planned either. Both are good things though. Unplanned surprises seem to be one of my October themes along with the idea of cozy and writing by firelight. Tonight the peanut gallery is not outside to critique my fire making skills, so I have a bonfire going big and bright. Just my sort of October enjoyment. The weather is still warm enough that I can type without my fingers being frozen, but that will change in a matter of hours. When that happens I guess I will just have to throw more logs on the fire.
Today I had determined that I would go to the corn maze. I didn't want to go to early in the month and have all my fun right from the start. But neither did I want to wait until the last moment. I debated, checked my calendar and today was the day I chose. I have dreamed about this special event all month long. I spent way to long deciding what outfit to wear and watching the weather. Finally, it was time to go.
I love our local corn maze. I love everything about it. It is run by a truly wonderful family. It is in a remote location that lends itself well to the spook factor and the maze itself is beautiful.
I took my time and just basked in the maze going experience. I drove 5 miles an hour down the potholed road just so I could soak in the ambience. I don't know which is my favorite part of the drive, the bridge over the creek that I KNOW will fall down one day when I am on it, or the swampy area with the dead and burned trees. If I wasn't so scared of either causing the bridge to crumble, or being eaten by back country swamp monsters, I would stop and take a picture. One of these days I will get up enough courage to do it. Today was not that day. It came close though.
I parked next to a designated hay bale and made my way to the ticket counter. Every year there are new and exciting things added to the site. This time there was a zip line, bouncy castle and a goody truck. The old standbys like the corn cannon, small maze, cow train and goat run were still there and that made me happy. I had been really worried that there might not be a corn maze this year with the drought. I was worried about it all summer long, but it turns out that I needn't have feared.
Before going into the maze I lazily ambled around the different sights. I got to watch the most adorable three year old boy go down the zip line. He was very matter o fact about doing it himself and let out the most delightful WEEEEEEEEE each time he went down. He followed the rules and dutifully brought his rope back every time and since there was no one else around, the attendant let him ride and ride and ride. It was a joy to watch.
The light was perfect for going through a maze. The sun was absolutely golden and beginning to set. It cast perfect shadows across the corn and made patterns on the ground. Plus it was just the right amount of warm.
I love corn mazes. They are so peaceful. I find them quite meditative. Plus, most of the time I have the entire maze to myself. This time there was one family that was just finishing as I entered and it was fun listening to them tromp past as I wandered through on the other side of the corn wall. The little boy in the group was the selected navigator and had just realized that he had found the way out. He let out a triumphant victory yell and went barging through the corn. It made me chuckle.
After that there was nothing but the sounds of me and the maze. I love listening to the corn rustle in the breeze. I love hearing the little scurrying sounds of birds and other things. This year one of the trivia guides through the maze was 80's movie quotes. Score. The maze was not difficult at all and my wanderings ended much to soon. But that didn't stop my fun. They had arranged the pumpkin patch so that it sort of fit inside the maze. The maze wound around the pumpkin patch like a U and from various points inside you could look out and see the pumpkins. I spent half an hour looking for the perfect pumpkin to take home and add to my growing gourd collection. I came home with two.
There is a house that sits on a hill overlooking the farmstead. You can see it from inside the maze and I always wonder about who lives there. If I lived in that house, I would spend inordinately large amounts of time with binoculars on my back porch watching people go through the maze.
All in all, it was wonderful fun and I just may do it one more time before the month is over. Perhaps one day I will grow up and grow my very own corn maze. Who knows. Then I could go out and play in it every day. Oh my, I just got happy chills. Add another thing to my bucket list.
Today I had determined that I would go to the corn maze. I didn't want to go to early in the month and have all my fun right from the start. But neither did I want to wait until the last moment. I debated, checked my calendar and today was the day I chose. I have dreamed about this special event all month long. I spent way to long deciding what outfit to wear and watching the weather. Finally, it was time to go.
I love our local corn maze. I love everything about it. It is run by a truly wonderful family. It is in a remote location that lends itself well to the spook factor and the maze itself is beautiful.
I took my time and just basked in the maze going experience. I drove 5 miles an hour down the potholed road just so I could soak in the ambience. I don't know which is my favorite part of the drive, the bridge over the creek that I KNOW will fall down one day when I am on it, or the swampy area with the dead and burned trees. If I wasn't so scared of either causing the bridge to crumble, or being eaten by back country swamp monsters, I would stop and take a picture. One of these days I will get up enough courage to do it. Today was not that day. It came close though.
I parked next to a designated hay bale and made my way to the ticket counter. Every year there are new and exciting things added to the site. This time there was a zip line, bouncy castle and a goody truck. The old standbys like the corn cannon, small maze, cow train and goat run were still there and that made me happy. I had been really worried that there might not be a corn maze this year with the drought. I was worried about it all summer long, but it turns out that I needn't have feared.
Before going into the maze I lazily ambled around the different sights. I got to watch the most adorable three year old boy go down the zip line. He was very matter o fact about doing it himself and let out the most delightful WEEEEEEEEE each time he went down. He followed the rules and dutifully brought his rope back every time and since there was no one else around, the attendant let him ride and ride and ride. It was a joy to watch.
The light was perfect for going through a maze. The sun was absolutely golden and beginning to set. It cast perfect shadows across the corn and made patterns on the ground. Plus it was just the right amount of warm.
I love corn mazes. They are so peaceful. I find them quite meditative. Plus, most of the time I have the entire maze to myself. This time there was one family that was just finishing as I entered and it was fun listening to them tromp past as I wandered through on the other side of the corn wall. The little boy in the group was the selected navigator and had just realized that he had found the way out. He let out a triumphant victory yell and went barging through the corn. It made me chuckle.
After that there was nothing but the sounds of me and the maze. I love listening to the corn rustle in the breeze. I love hearing the little scurrying sounds of birds and other things. This year one of the trivia guides through the maze was 80's movie quotes. Score. The maze was not difficult at all and my wanderings ended much to soon. But that didn't stop my fun. They had arranged the pumpkin patch so that it sort of fit inside the maze. The maze wound around the pumpkin patch like a U and from various points inside you could look out and see the pumpkins. I spent half an hour looking for the perfect pumpkin to take home and add to my growing gourd collection. I came home with two.
There is a house that sits on a hill overlooking the farmstead. You can see it from inside the maze and I always wonder about who lives there. If I lived in that house, I would spend inordinately large amounts of time with binoculars on my back porch watching people go through the maze.
All in all, it was wonderful fun and I just may do it one more time before the month is over. Perhaps one day I will grow up and grow my very own corn maze. Who knows. Then I could go out and play in it every day. Oh my, I just got happy chills. Add another thing to my bucket list.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Day 21: The Decorations
Have you every wanted to live in your decorations? Or have conversations with them? No I am not crazy, it is just my imagination on overdrive. Before the fire my favorite thing was to imagine living in my Halloween village. There were rustic cobbled streets, apple carts, green grocers, a haunted mansion or two, or three. It was the perfect little setting to wander in. Then the great fire happened and my village now lives on only in memory and the written word. But that is ok. It gives me a chance to build a new village. To walk new streets.
Most of my decor is gone, but I have been unearthing some of the survivors out of the moving boxes and wonderful friends and family have been gifting me with new decor.
Just last week I found my trick or treat girl, dressed as a kitty. This past weekend I found a stuffed zombie kitty. My headless horseman came in the mail last week and he lights up. I had no idea. And a wonderful pair of friends gave me a spooky lantern that is perfect for writing under.
My point is, what if these decorations could talk? Would they object to where I have placed them? Would they have grand stories to tell? I could ask the kitty girl what her name is. I could ask why she chose to go as a black cat and if she has gotten any good treats. I would steer clear of the headless horseman for obvious reasons, but I would love to crawl into my lantern to find out exactly what the witch is brewing in the spooky forest all alone. I would ask my zombie kitty how he got that way and give him sardines.
Maybe my decorations are like the toys in Toy Story. They come alive when I am not looking. That sure would explain a few things. I swear my apple bobbing skeleton has switched places a few times and my brown bat keeps showing up on the floor. Wouldn't that be something to see my spider tea light holders romping after dark. Or to hear the rustling sounds of my scarecrows square dancing. What do they talk about the other eleven months of the year as they lie in wait in their boxes? These are things I want to know. One day, one day I shall find out.
Most of my decor is gone, but I have been unearthing some of the survivors out of the moving boxes and wonderful friends and family have been gifting me with new decor.
Just last week I found my trick or treat girl, dressed as a kitty. This past weekend I found a stuffed zombie kitty. My headless horseman came in the mail last week and he lights up. I had no idea. And a wonderful pair of friends gave me a spooky lantern that is perfect for writing under.
My point is, what if these decorations could talk? Would they object to where I have placed them? Would they have grand stories to tell? I could ask the kitty girl what her name is. I could ask why she chose to go as a black cat and if she has gotten any good treats. I would steer clear of the headless horseman for obvious reasons, but I would love to crawl into my lantern to find out exactly what the witch is brewing in the spooky forest all alone. I would ask my zombie kitty how he got that way and give him sardines.
Maybe my decorations are like the toys in Toy Story. They come alive when I am not looking. That sure would explain a few things. I swear my apple bobbing skeleton has switched places a few times and my brown bat keeps showing up on the floor. Wouldn't that be something to see my spider tea light holders romping after dark. Or to hear the rustling sounds of my scarecrows square dancing. What do they talk about the other eleven months of the year as they lie in wait in their boxes? These are things I want to know. One day, one day I shall find out.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Day 20: Rather Rockwellian or Winsome Wanderlust
I love to daydream. I enjoy indulging in flights of fancy. My capacity for whimsy and merriment knows no bounds. I partake of these pleasures year round, however, October seems to magnify them. I see fairy hollows in each passing shrub or tree. I envision portals to secret worlds in every corn field or grove of trees. The moon seems to sparkle and the clouds are up to mischief. Dusk doesn't mean the end of the day, it means new adventures are awaiting for those brave enough to brave the dark. Perhaps there will be a shadows tea party where they drink mulled cider and eat chocolate cakes. Perhaps the pumpkins in the patch wait until the scarecrows give the clear and then hold waltzes in the garden.
I love October and the creativity it infuses me with. In no other month do I get such a sense of wonder and wanderlust. It isn't that I am unhappy with where I am, it is just that in October I KNOW there is so much beauty to be seen all over the place that I want to drink it all in as much as possible. I want to fill to bursting with the riot of sensory delights that October unleashes.
I want to move to Vermont or Connecticut and run a bed and breakfast. I want to get up early and go kayaking on a misty lake. I want to twirl through falling leaves in a maple grove. I want to skip across a covered bridge in the daylight and peek around its corners in the dead of night looking for headless denizens.
I want to find some sleepy town where time forgot and listen to them spin their stories while sitting on front porches in rocking chairs. I want to get asked to a cider social and have the thrill of picking out a fall colored dress. I want to enter a pie eating contest just so I have the excuse to smush my face deep into a pie without it seeming weird. I want to lay awake at night in a house older than my grandfather listening to the boards creak and settle. I want to wander past a wishing well in the middle of a glen and toss a shiny penny in then listen for the splash. I want to wander the back hills in search of local phantoms.
Sure, some of this, maybe all of this might sound too quaint. It might strike you as something only Norman Rockwell would paint. But I know for a fact that there are still pockets of this autumnal wonder left in the world. I want to strap on a well weathered green rucksack, lace up my sturdy boots and wander until I find it.
Sometimes I envy those pioneers. So much adventure waited around their door. I know their life was not without privation and hardship, but they also knew how to rest, converse, merry make and dream. I think we lose that in our hustle and bustle of life today. We don't value the dreamers and the free spirits. People who are just content to be and to take life as it comes. To imagine and wonder and live. October brings out those feelings in me and I am so grateful for it.
That is your homework as you move through the dwindling days of this month. Dream. Look for the magic giggling behind the corner. Pull it out and take it for a spin. See where the moment leads you. I'll bet it will be somewhere wonderful.
I love October and the creativity it infuses me with. In no other month do I get such a sense of wonder and wanderlust. It isn't that I am unhappy with where I am, it is just that in October I KNOW there is so much beauty to be seen all over the place that I want to drink it all in as much as possible. I want to fill to bursting with the riot of sensory delights that October unleashes.
I want to move to Vermont or Connecticut and run a bed and breakfast. I want to get up early and go kayaking on a misty lake. I want to twirl through falling leaves in a maple grove. I want to skip across a covered bridge in the daylight and peek around its corners in the dead of night looking for headless denizens.
I want to find some sleepy town where time forgot and listen to them spin their stories while sitting on front porches in rocking chairs. I want to get asked to a cider social and have the thrill of picking out a fall colored dress. I want to enter a pie eating contest just so I have the excuse to smush my face deep into a pie without it seeming weird. I want to lay awake at night in a house older than my grandfather listening to the boards creak and settle. I want to wander past a wishing well in the middle of a glen and toss a shiny penny in then listen for the splash. I want to wander the back hills in search of local phantoms.
Sure, some of this, maybe all of this might sound too quaint. It might strike you as something only Norman Rockwell would paint. But I know for a fact that there are still pockets of this autumnal wonder left in the world. I want to strap on a well weathered green rucksack, lace up my sturdy boots and wander until I find it.
Sometimes I envy those pioneers. So much adventure waited around their door. I know their life was not without privation and hardship, but they also knew how to rest, converse, merry make and dream. I think we lose that in our hustle and bustle of life today. We don't value the dreamers and the free spirits. People who are just content to be and to take life as it comes. To imagine and wonder and live. October brings out those feelings in me and I am so grateful for it.
That is your homework as you move through the dwindling days of this month. Dream. Look for the magic giggling behind the corner. Pull it out and take it for a spin. See where the moment leads you. I'll bet it will be somewhere wonderful.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Day 19: My Favorite Monster
I am once again sitting out on the back porch, typing with my feet propped up against the fire grate. The flames are orangey-yellow with purple tinges and the full moon is big and bright over me. A little while ago, the neighbor girls started howling at the moon and I didn't want them to feel left out, so I howled back. It soon turned into a contest to see who could howl the longest and loudest. They did quite a good job. I am rather impressed. Now they have been sent in to bed and I am left with a bunch of howling neighborhood dogs who were very bothered by our yowling chorus. In short, it is another perfect October night.
But it gets me to thinking. Here it is, nineteen days into my favorite month and I have barely written about monsters. What better time than tonight! I love October monsters. I love the classics, I love the weird, I love the things that go bump in the night. My favorite monster of all is Frankenstein. I really couldn't say why. I think because he is the most misunderstood. Dr. Jekyll and the Invisible man did it to themselves. The mummy was cursed. I am scared of werewolves so the Wolfman is out and I have an irrational fear of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I have always loved vampires, but that is a hipster post for another day. But Franky, he is a gentle giant. And if you read the original story, he is quite philosophical. Which is probably why I like him so much. And, to set the record straight, his name is NOT Frankenstein, he is called Frankenstein's Monster. He doesn't even merit a name. But I call him Franky anyway. How sad to not even have a name.
I love that his is pieced together and has big clunky shoes. I love his bolts and his greenish tinge. I love that his bride has gravity defying hair with a white streak and I love that he has partied with Abbott and Costello as well as sung Putting on the Ritz. He is a rather versatile monster.
But Franky isn't the only grisly ghoul that I love come October time. If you get into the natural world of October scaring there are black cats and toads, rats, spiders and snakes. But my favorite of the natural monsters is bats. I love that they use sonar. I love their shill squeaks. I love their leathery wings. Bats are just cool. They are right up there with platypuses. Weird and wonderful. I have a whole decoration box full of bats. (not the real kind that would be too creepy even for me) One of my favorite decorations is a fat stuffed bat with a bow tie that I call Batly. I know, not original, but I got him when I was 4 and it was the best I could come up with. At our old house he graced the front entrance hall doorway. He was a very dapper way to great guests. He was later joined by a rather rotund brown bat who lived in my room and a silk bat (also with a bow tie) who hung from our chandelier.
When I was quite small, a cartoon movie came out called The Great Mouse Detective. In it, there were a pair of rodents who were supposed to mimic Sherlock Holmes and Watson. But it was the gangster bat that I loved. He scared the pants off of me. I had nightmares for weeks. He had a cockney cap and a peg leg and a wicked snarl. I still get goose bumps when I watch it even now. But I love that bat.
After him came Bartok from Anastasia. What better character to have in a Christmas film about lost Russian royalty, than a wise cracking bat. He has some great one liners and I was able to procure a stuffed version of him in a McDonald's happy meal. I love him dearly.
Other than the giant vampire bats in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Batman, there have not been any other bats that I love to date. Today however, I ran into a rather fabulous stuffed black bat at the craft store. I didn't have enough pennies today to purchase him, but before the month is over, he will be mine. He will be right at home with my bat cereal, bat shirt and bat socks. As well as his other stuffed friends.
Yup, October monsters are rather wonderful. What is your favorite?
But it gets me to thinking. Here it is, nineteen days into my favorite month and I have barely written about monsters. What better time than tonight! I love October monsters. I love the classics, I love the weird, I love the things that go bump in the night. My favorite monster of all is Frankenstein. I really couldn't say why. I think because he is the most misunderstood. Dr. Jekyll and the Invisible man did it to themselves. The mummy was cursed. I am scared of werewolves so the Wolfman is out and I have an irrational fear of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I have always loved vampires, but that is a hipster post for another day. But Franky, he is a gentle giant. And if you read the original story, he is quite philosophical. Which is probably why I like him so much. And, to set the record straight, his name is NOT Frankenstein, he is called Frankenstein's Monster. He doesn't even merit a name. But I call him Franky anyway. How sad to not even have a name.
I love that his is pieced together and has big clunky shoes. I love his bolts and his greenish tinge. I love that his bride has gravity defying hair with a white streak and I love that he has partied with Abbott and Costello as well as sung Putting on the Ritz. He is a rather versatile monster.
But Franky isn't the only grisly ghoul that I love come October time. If you get into the natural world of October scaring there are black cats and toads, rats, spiders and snakes. But my favorite of the natural monsters is bats. I love that they use sonar. I love their shill squeaks. I love their leathery wings. Bats are just cool. They are right up there with platypuses. Weird and wonderful. I have a whole decoration box full of bats. (not the real kind that would be too creepy even for me) One of my favorite decorations is a fat stuffed bat with a bow tie that I call Batly. I know, not original, but I got him when I was 4 and it was the best I could come up with. At our old house he graced the front entrance hall doorway. He was a very dapper way to great guests. He was later joined by a rather rotund brown bat who lived in my room and a silk bat (also with a bow tie) who hung from our chandelier.
When I was quite small, a cartoon movie came out called The Great Mouse Detective. In it, there were a pair of rodents who were supposed to mimic Sherlock Holmes and Watson. But it was the gangster bat that I loved. He scared the pants off of me. I had nightmares for weeks. He had a cockney cap and a peg leg and a wicked snarl. I still get goose bumps when I watch it even now. But I love that bat.
After him came Bartok from Anastasia. What better character to have in a Christmas film about lost Russian royalty, than a wise cracking bat. He has some great one liners and I was able to procure a stuffed version of him in a McDonald's happy meal. I love him dearly.
Other than the giant vampire bats in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Batman, there have not been any other bats that I love to date. Today however, I ran into a rather fabulous stuffed black bat at the craft store. I didn't have enough pennies today to purchase him, but before the month is over, he will be mine. He will be right at home with my bat cereal, bat shirt and bat socks. As well as his other stuffed friends.
Yup, October monsters are rather wonderful. What is your favorite?
Friday, October 18, 2013
Day 18: October Days & New Hobbies
Today was a perfect October day. I'm glad that I waited to write about it till now. I had things planned, but they feel through. In a good way though. It was the perfect kind of day where there were no pressures. No demands on my time. Nothing to do but follow where the October winds blew me.
I got to sleep in late. I woke up to golden sunshine poking my eyelids and I had about a 10 minute window in which to laze. Then, my neighbor and his friend showed up and asked if I wanted to come and see them split wood. I said sure, and was off like a shot. I spent a good hour across the street in perfect autumn sunshine watching them split wood with a machine. It was fascinating. Really, it was. The ease of which the machine turned those logs into manageable chunks was nothing short of magical. And then came the best part. I got asked if I wanted to try my hand at chopping wood.
I had been watching as my neighbor swung the axe and used the splitter before loading the machine. The morning air was so still and quiet, and the clang of metal on metal reverberated around the hilltop. It had a clear ring to it that went out and came back like a sound boomerang. And then it was my turn to make that noise. It didn't have the same clear, high note that his had, but it did make a satisfying CLANG.
I was not the best person ever to wield an axe, but I was fairly competent. I hit the wood every time and I still have all 10 fingers and toes. There was something deeply satisfying about the swing and chop. Feeling and seeing the wood give and hearing that woody crunch and split. I can still hear it all these hours later. It was so much fun. I have decided that I might not make the worst pioneer ever. I may have lasted more than a day after all.
Chopping wood in the cool, clear autumn day with the sun at my back was wonderful. But it was not my only high point. I found a Headless Horseman figurine online and it came today. I need two C batteries to make it complete, but it looks spectacular even without the glowing red eyes and sound effects. Later in the day, the FedEx carrier brought me an even better surprise. I finally found the Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy cereals. I had to look online (again) but I found them and claimed them. Today Frute Brute arrived. I hugged the box and did a little dance with it. I showed it to the puppy, but the Brute was sufficiently scary enough that the puppster ran away. Poor guy. That did not deter me from howling though.
But by far the best part of my day was the evening. The weather was perfect. Crisp and cold with no wind. I got to build a fire outside in our fire pit and it was wonderful. I got to roast marshmallows underneath the full moon. I missed the eclipse, but who cares. I got to toast my toes against the metal grate and listen to the sounds of the football games drifting up from the valley. I got to watch a gauzy haze creep out of the riverbeds and up into the fields. I got to watch a vampire show while sitting outside, under a full moon with firelight. Really, does it get any better?
I want to take that moment and put it in a bottle to savor many moons and Octobers from now.
As my day winds to a close, I sit here with the firelight still playing across my screen. My sweatshirt smells like wood smoke and I think I may just fall asleep in it. Not a bad day at all. Have I mentioned that I love October ;)
I got to sleep in late. I woke up to golden sunshine poking my eyelids and I had about a 10 minute window in which to laze. Then, my neighbor and his friend showed up and asked if I wanted to come and see them split wood. I said sure, and was off like a shot. I spent a good hour across the street in perfect autumn sunshine watching them split wood with a machine. It was fascinating. Really, it was. The ease of which the machine turned those logs into manageable chunks was nothing short of magical. And then came the best part. I got asked if I wanted to try my hand at chopping wood.
I had been watching as my neighbor swung the axe and used the splitter before loading the machine. The morning air was so still and quiet, and the clang of metal on metal reverberated around the hilltop. It had a clear ring to it that went out and came back like a sound boomerang. And then it was my turn to make that noise. It didn't have the same clear, high note that his had, but it did make a satisfying CLANG.
I was not the best person ever to wield an axe, but I was fairly competent. I hit the wood every time and I still have all 10 fingers and toes. There was something deeply satisfying about the swing and chop. Feeling and seeing the wood give and hearing that woody crunch and split. I can still hear it all these hours later. It was so much fun. I have decided that I might not make the worst pioneer ever. I may have lasted more than a day after all.
Chopping wood in the cool, clear autumn day with the sun at my back was wonderful. But it was not my only high point. I found a Headless Horseman figurine online and it came today. I need two C batteries to make it complete, but it looks spectacular even without the glowing red eyes and sound effects. Later in the day, the FedEx carrier brought me an even better surprise. I finally found the Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy cereals. I had to look online (again) but I found them and claimed them. Today Frute Brute arrived. I hugged the box and did a little dance with it. I showed it to the puppy, but the Brute was sufficiently scary enough that the puppster ran away. Poor guy. That did not deter me from howling though.
But by far the best part of my day was the evening. The weather was perfect. Crisp and cold with no wind. I got to build a fire outside in our fire pit and it was wonderful. I got to roast marshmallows underneath the full moon. I missed the eclipse, but who cares. I got to toast my toes against the metal grate and listen to the sounds of the football games drifting up from the valley. I got to watch a gauzy haze creep out of the riverbeds and up into the fields. I got to watch a vampire show while sitting outside, under a full moon with firelight. Really, does it get any better?
I want to take that moment and put it in a bottle to savor many moons and Octobers from now.
As my day winds to a close, I sit here with the firelight still playing across my screen. My sweatshirt smells like wood smoke and I think I may just fall asleep in it. Not a bad day at all. Have I mentioned that I love October ;)
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Day 17: Monstrous Melody
Ok, so after acknowledging that we have hit the halfway point I am now starting to panic. There are still so many wonderful October things that I have not done yet. I can feel the icy, turkey laden grip of the eleventh month closing around my windpipe. Not yet November, it isn't your turn.
I still have to go to the corn maze and I need to attend Pumpkin Palooza. I haven't watched all my October movies, not even close. I haven't carved my pumpkin yet and I haven't made my official visit to the pumpkin patch. I still haven't unearthed all the October décor from the labyrinth that is our garage, my specially laid aside October books have not yet been read and my orange lights just burnt out. This is not the October magic that I was promised.
On the plus side, I just bought a bag of candy corn today. I found pumpkin spice Hershey kisses and they are DIVINE. I got to watch Toy Story of Terror on TV and it was wonderful and I at least started to decorate some of my pumpkins. So I guess things aren't as dire as I made out. But I do have a grievance. A big one actually. Where is all the October music? Is it some ploy this year not to play anything pertaining to the season? I heard summery Caribbean music today and some radio personalities were talking about Christmas. To add further insult to injury, WalMart has their Christmas section up. I almost staged a protest. All this moving on to November and December, but NO October music. Sure, my TV show talked about Halloween carols, but that is as far as it has gotten.
There have been no pipe organs playing the Bach Toccata. No Werewolves of London. No Monster Mash. The DJ's haven't even mentioned Rocktober once. It is like October music has ceased to exist. Where is Thriller or Somebody's Watching Me? Ghostbusters or almost any of the Harry Potter theme music. I feel cheated. The closest I have gotten to October music is the cricket choir and some howling neighborhood dogs.
If I don't hear my October music by the end of the week, I am going to start staging a one woman flash mob and do the Thriller dance in the middle of the supermarket. I will karaoke Purple People Eater while in line at the DMV. I may even sing some Sam the Sham in the candy aisle of the drugstore if I have to. Well, maybe not that last one, I might get arrested for being creepy. But you get the point. Where is the musical holiday spirit? I have been playing Peter and the Wolf in my room. But that doesn't count.
This weekend, I use my self bestowed powers as October spokeswoman to proclaim it a two day October musical fest. Dig out those spooky recordings, crank up the volume on the hi-fi and call your local radio station until they block your number. Get those October tunes a playing. Violin, pipe organ, creaking chains, four part harmony, I don't care. I want to hear Monster Mash across the nation! This is October after all, and what better cause for celebration is there!
I still have to go to the corn maze and I need to attend Pumpkin Palooza. I haven't watched all my October movies, not even close. I haven't carved my pumpkin yet and I haven't made my official visit to the pumpkin patch. I still haven't unearthed all the October décor from the labyrinth that is our garage, my specially laid aside October books have not yet been read and my orange lights just burnt out. This is not the October magic that I was promised.
On the plus side, I just bought a bag of candy corn today. I found pumpkin spice Hershey kisses and they are DIVINE. I got to watch Toy Story of Terror on TV and it was wonderful and I at least started to decorate some of my pumpkins. So I guess things aren't as dire as I made out. But I do have a grievance. A big one actually. Where is all the October music? Is it some ploy this year not to play anything pertaining to the season? I heard summery Caribbean music today and some radio personalities were talking about Christmas. To add further insult to injury, WalMart has their Christmas section up. I almost staged a protest. All this moving on to November and December, but NO October music. Sure, my TV show talked about Halloween carols, but that is as far as it has gotten.
There have been no pipe organs playing the Bach Toccata. No Werewolves of London. No Monster Mash. The DJ's haven't even mentioned Rocktober once. It is like October music has ceased to exist. Where is Thriller or Somebody's Watching Me? Ghostbusters or almost any of the Harry Potter theme music. I feel cheated. The closest I have gotten to October music is the cricket choir and some howling neighborhood dogs.
If I don't hear my October music by the end of the week, I am going to start staging a one woman flash mob and do the Thriller dance in the middle of the supermarket. I will karaoke Purple People Eater while in line at the DMV. I may even sing some Sam the Sham in the candy aisle of the drugstore if I have to. Well, maybe not that last one, I might get arrested for being creepy. But you get the point. Where is the musical holiday spirit? I have been playing Peter and the Wolf in my room. But that doesn't count.
This weekend, I use my self bestowed powers as October spokeswoman to proclaim it a two day October musical fest. Dig out those spooky recordings, crank up the volume on the hi-fi and call your local radio station until they block your number. Get those October tunes a playing. Violin, pipe organ, creaking chains, four part harmony, I don't care. I want to hear Monster Mash across the nation! This is October after all, and what better cause for celebration is there!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Day 16: Night
Oh my, this is scary. We are halfway through October already. I know I say it every year, but, how did that happen? It seems like we just started this wonderful month. Sigh. Oh well, that just means that there are half as many days left to enjoy. And enjoy them I shall.
The month of October simply crackles with possibility. There are things to explore, see, taste and touch. It is a symphony of delights. At least to me. But what really rustles my leaves are October nights. They can be spooky, cozy, contemplative, full of fun, magical, mystical and just about everything else in between. Truth be told, I am a night owl anyway, but October nights are really my favorite.
There is a bite to the air. A crispness that is so very welcome after the hot and punishing days of summer. The coolness is perfect for campfires and blankets. And campfires of course lead to smores and ghost stories. Anything could be lurking out there in the dark just past the firelight. October nights are the perfect time to let ones imagine run away with them.
On these chilly nights I like to go a walking. When the world is fast asleep, I find myself roaming the hills with the creatures of the night. I pass corrals where horses nicker in their sleep. I tiptoe past cows who are plotting devious cow revenge while they slumber. I listen for the far off bark of a dog and wonder if I will stumble upon the wolf man.
I like to look at the stars and search for bats and owls. I watch for black cats and see if I can spot candy corn elves at play. October nights are ripe for imagination and flights of fancy. Elie Wiesel says it best though. "Night is purer than day; it is better for thinking and loving and dreaming. At night everything is more intense, more true. The echo of words that have been spoken during the day takes on a new and deeper meaning."
So go out, howl at the moon and let the Octoberness of it all soak in.
The month of October simply crackles with possibility. There are things to explore, see, taste and touch. It is a symphony of delights. At least to me. But what really rustles my leaves are October nights. They can be spooky, cozy, contemplative, full of fun, magical, mystical and just about everything else in between. Truth be told, I am a night owl anyway, but October nights are really my favorite.
There is a bite to the air. A crispness that is so very welcome after the hot and punishing days of summer. The coolness is perfect for campfires and blankets. And campfires of course lead to smores and ghost stories. Anything could be lurking out there in the dark just past the firelight. October nights are the perfect time to let ones imagine run away with them.
On these chilly nights I like to go a walking. When the world is fast asleep, I find myself roaming the hills with the creatures of the night. I pass corrals where horses nicker in their sleep. I tiptoe past cows who are plotting devious cow revenge while they slumber. I listen for the far off bark of a dog and wonder if I will stumble upon the wolf man.
I like to look at the stars and search for bats and owls. I watch for black cats and see if I can spot candy corn elves at play. October nights are ripe for imagination and flights of fancy. Elie Wiesel says it best though. "Night is purer than day; it is better for thinking and loving and dreaming. At night everything is more intense, more true. The echo of words that have been spoken during the day takes on a new and deeper meaning."
So go out, howl at the moon and let the Octoberness of it all soak in.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Day 15: Delight
I know I am more than a bit biased, but I feel that there is an overabundance of beauty and wonder in October that you just don't find in other months. An embarrassment of riches that only the discerning may find. Don't believe me, let me prove my point.
Tuesday mornings I go early to church for a prayer time. It is my favorite day of the week and it energizes me like nothing else. Sunday I had decided that after prayer on Tuesday I was going to take a drive to the not at all local Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte. What better way to celebrate my favorite day. So, prayer finished and at the crack of dawn, literally, I set off on my adventure.
I drove Eastward into the brand new day. Dawn was slowly awakening and trying to peek out from underneath its blankets. It was so enjoyable to drive along the dark highway. The whole way to my destination there was not a single car behind me. Plenty in front and plenty going the opposite direction, but I had the whole rest of the road to myself. I took my time, I was in no hurry and just drank in the sights.
There was a mist lifting off the mountains in the distance. A fine haze that looked like craft store batting. The dawn finally broke in a riot of color. The deep blues and violets gave way to pinks, oranges and yellows. When I finally pulled into the parking lot, everything was suffused with this soft golden glow. That glow found its way into me and I just felt lit from the inside by this warm and wonderful light.
I leisurely ordered my coffee and a treat for mom for later. I got to watch as busy commuters drove past the order window in a hurry on their way to wherever. I had time to watch the early morning patrons as they sat hunched over their laptops or books. I exchanged smiles with a few who weren't too hurried already by the day.
Coffee in hand it was time to meander back home. Heading westward the sun was to my back and the soft golden glow had been turned up quite a few degrees. Now it was brilliant liquid gold that flooded my whole line of sight. The glow shown through the trees and backlit barns and farmsteads. I chose to take the back road home instead of the highway so I could have a more leisurely drive.
By now, stores were opening, busses were passing me on their way to school and farm life was stirring. I drove by fields with farmhands patiently walking the rows. I passed by a lazy train pulling engines home to the rail yard. I glimpsed a farm stand beginning to set up for the new day. I saw the last of the morning mist snaking along roadside creak beds and I passed a lonely cemetery where the morning rays of sunshine shone on individual tombstones like they were in a variety act showcase.
On my lazy ride I found a sign for an upcoming local bazaar along with a new place to purchase pumpkins. I finished my latte just as I was pulling into the driveway. It was a fine way to spend two hours and begin my day. Maybe I see the wonder of it all more in October because I am looking for it. Maybe it is there all along and I am to busy to notice. Whatever it is, I am blessed to live in such beautiful country. I am blessed to have the time to enjoy it. I am privileged to have been allowed to experience such wonder. I hope and pray that you can find some of that same wonder wherever you are. Good morning!
Tuesday mornings I go early to church for a prayer time. It is my favorite day of the week and it energizes me like nothing else. Sunday I had decided that after prayer on Tuesday I was going to take a drive to the not at all local Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte. What better way to celebrate my favorite day. So, prayer finished and at the crack of dawn, literally, I set off on my adventure.
I drove Eastward into the brand new day. Dawn was slowly awakening and trying to peek out from underneath its blankets. It was so enjoyable to drive along the dark highway. The whole way to my destination there was not a single car behind me. Plenty in front and plenty going the opposite direction, but I had the whole rest of the road to myself. I took my time, I was in no hurry and just drank in the sights.
There was a mist lifting off the mountains in the distance. A fine haze that looked like craft store batting. The dawn finally broke in a riot of color. The deep blues and violets gave way to pinks, oranges and yellows. When I finally pulled into the parking lot, everything was suffused with this soft golden glow. That glow found its way into me and I just felt lit from the inside by this warm and wonderful light.
I leisurely ordered my coffee and a treat for mom for later. I got to watch as busy commuters drove past the order window in a hurry on their way to wherever. I had time to watch the early morning patrons as they sat hunched over their laptops or books. I exchanged smiles with a few who weren't too hurried already by the day.
Coffee in hand it was time to meander back home. Heading westward the sun was to my back and the soft golden glow had been turned up quite a few degrees. Now it was brilliant liquid gold that flooded my whole line of sight. The glow shown through the trees and backlit barns and farmsteads. I chose to take the back road home instead of the highway so I could have a more leisurely drive.
By now, stores were opening, busses were passing me on their way to school and farm life was stirring. I drove by fields with farmhands patiently walking the rows. I passed by a lazy train pulling engines home to the rail yard. I glimpsed a farm stand beginning to set up for the new day. I saw the last of the morning mist snaking along roadside creak beds and I passed a lonely cemetery where the morning rays of sunshine shone on individual tombstones like they were in a variety act showcase.
On my lazy ride I found a sign for an upcoming local bazaar along with a new place to purchase pumpkins. I finished my latte just as I was pulling into the driveway. It was a fine way to spend two hours and begin my day. Maybe I see the wonder of it all more in October because I am looking for it. Maybe it is there all along and I am to busy to notice. Whatever it is, I am blessed to live in such beautiful country. I am blessed to have the time to enjoy it. I am privileged to have been allowed to experience such wonder. I hope and pray that you can find some of that same wonder wherever you are. Good morning!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Day 14: Buckets of October Fun
Yesterday was not the best of days, but October did its darndest to perk me up. I had planned to take a nice Sunday, autumnal drive and eventually end up with a pumpkin spice latte in my hand. Instead, I had to settle for the scent of a pumpkin spice latte candle and my nice bed. It was a rather sickly October day, but it still had some magic to it.
Mom wanted fast food so I drug my lethargic carcass up and went to get it for her. Once I got to McDonald's I perked up real fast, for there on the menu board was a childhood delight, Halloween happy meal buckets. Of course, like many other things in my childhood, what they have now can't hold a candle to what they had then, but it still made my heart sing to see the good old buckets. I had been disappointed earlier in the week when I went to Arctic Circle to see what their Halloween toy was this year. Sadly, it was scary mini flashlights again. Don't get me wrong, they were cool, but they have done the flashlights for 2 years, 3 counting this one and I am a bit flashlighted out.
I ordered the happy meal and actually giggled when I got to the window. I giggled all the way home as the Halloween bucket sat on the seat next to me. It even had a picture of my favorite girl monster on the side. When I got home I dumped all the food on mom's lap and then made off with the bucket. She was most upset because she wanted the bucket. Oh well, guess I will have to go back and get another. Shucks. It is so rough being me sometimes.
Getting the holiday toys and seasonal goodies from the various fast food establishments is still a cause for celebration around our house. The minute those commercials aired or we saw ads on the restaurants reader boards, we were off like a shot. The old Happy Meal Buckets used to be made of quite sturdy stuff. Until the fire last year, we still had them. They were thick plastic and came in one of three choices, green witch, white ghost and orange pumpkin. I love, love, loved them. Back in the day, they also came with a toy inside. So not only did you get food, but a snazzy bucket and a toy. SCORE! The best toys were the plastic McNuggets in various costumes. Somewhere, I still have the McNugget dressed up like a ghost. He was my favorite.
The bucket I got today is really good for only one use. The handle is way too big and the plastic is flimsy. They have retail characters on the side, angry birds for boys and monster high for girls. But I don't care, it reminds me of my childhood and that is worth something to me. I love it when October throws a little nostalgia my way unexpectedly. What are some of your favorite memories?
Mom wanted fast food so I drug my lethargic carcass up and went to get it for her. Once I got to McDonald's I perked up real fast, for there on the menu board was a childhood delight, Halloween happy meal buckets. Of course, like many other things in my childhood, what they have now can't hold a candle to what they had then, but it still made my heart sing to see the good old buckets. I had been disappointed earlier in the week when I went to Arctic Circle to see what their Halloween toy was this year. Sadly, it was scary mini flashlights again. Don't get me wrong, they were cool, but they have done the flashlights for 2 years, 3 counting this one and I am a bit flashlighted out.
I ordered the happy meal and actually giggled when I got to the window. I giggled all the way home as the Halloween bucket sat on the seat next to me. It even had a picture of my favorite girl monster on the side. When I got home I dumped all the food on mom's lap and then made off with the bucket. She was most upset because she wanted the bucket. Oh well, guess I will have to go back and get another. Shucks. It is so rough being me sometimes.
Getting the holiday toys and seasonal goodies from the various fast food establishments is still a cause for celebration around our house. The minute those commercials aired or we saw ads on the restaurants reader boards, we were off like a shot. The old Happy Meal Buckets used to be made of quite sturdy stuff. Until the fire last year, we still had them. They were thick plastic and came in one of three choices, green witch, white ghost and orange pumpkin. I love, love, loved them. Back in the day, they also came with a toy inside. So not only did you get food, but a snazzy bucket and a toy. SCORE! The best toys were the plastic McNuggets in various costumes. Somewhere, I still have the McNugget dressed up like a ghost. He was my favorite.
The bucket I got today is really good for only one use. The handle is way too big and the plastic is flimsy. They have retail characters on the side, angry birds for boys and monster high for girls. But I don't care, it reminds me of my childhood and that is worth something to me. I love it when October throws a little nostalgia my way unexpectedly. What are some of your favorite memories?
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Day 13: I Eat Monsters for Breakfast
If you haven't figured it out by now, I get a little obsessive when it comes to October. I turn into a raging GIMME monster who wants all the decorations, drinks, pumpkins, periodicals, and October wonderfulness for herself. Well, I am willing to share, but me first, me first! As I was mulling over what to write for day thirteen, the thought literally came to me in my dreams.
I dreamt about breakfast cereal. And not just any breakfast cereal, October breakfast cereal. Since I was a wee thing, I have not really liked sugary cereals. I was an old soul who much preferred the taste of shredded wheat and cereals with fiber. I didn't see the point of sugary breakfast foods. If I wanted sugar, I'd just go eat some. Though I did like the Rice Krispy cereal, mostly because it made noise, but I am getting off topic.
Anyway, it wasn't until I got much older that I discovered the joys of sugary October cereal. I don't know what made me buy my first box, it probably had something to do with the fact that there was an October theme to it and you know how powerless I am to resist those. The cereals didn't taste half bad, they had monsters on the front and they were for a limited time only. Thus was born my October breakfast cereal tradition.
Every October I would watch the TV for commercials and the aisles for a glimpse of my holiday cereal boxes. I am not ashamed to say that I often enlist the help of others in my search. I just can't properly celebrate the season if I don't have my Franken Berry. The mania has become such a thing that last year I was going to dress up as Franken Berry and had cajoled mom into being Boo Berry. But sadly, the house fire had other plans and the costumes were lost. But no big deal, I still have my Franken Berry doll and my October breakfast cereal pins.
This year I didn't even have to go in search of the sugary treats. My wonderful uncle found them first and sent them to me in a giant package well before October. I have been happily munching ever since. This year, I was tipped off that the General Mills company was going to rerelease all of the monster cereals, even the discontinued ones. My heart did a little flip of joy when I heard that. But alas, I have not seen the proof of that press release yet. I have found Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry. But no Yummy Mummy or Frute Brute. They are supposed to have been released at Target in September, but when I ask about them, I get funny looks from the employees like I am speaking Farsi. Ah such is my hard life during October.
But what does this all have to do with my dreams? Well, last night I had a doozy. It involved Oprah (why I'll never know, I don't watch her show, I don't read her magazine), Costco, a minivan and a bunch of people I had never met. For some reason we were going to Costco and it seemed like it was an emergency. Once we got there we all split up to find whatever it was that we were searching for. I was hot on the trail of whatever it was until suddenly I turned a corner and there were the October monster cereals. The mission suddenly went out of my mind. I then became SUPER focused on how to smuggle several boxes of Halloween cereal out of the store. Yes, it seems I had turned into a cereal shoplifter.
So as I was trying to smuggle my ill gotten gains out of a huge side door, Oprah showed up and gave me a talking to. She called security on me (which didn't endear her to me very much) and then i had to run around Costco dropping cereal boxes as I ran trying to evade an irate Oprah and security. From there it was a frantic chase and I woke up to the sound of my alarm going off. I never did get my holiday cereal. So the day has been going downhill ever since I woke up this morning. That said, I did have a nice heaping bowl of Franken Berry just to show my dream and Oprah who was boss. Clearly me. Clearly
So, with 18 days left in my favorite month, I will not give up the monster cereal hunt. I will also call on all of you to keep your eyes peeled. If you happen to be around Target or some other store that has monster cereal, be sure to look for Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy. They will be hanging out next to Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry. I will pay you in pumpkin cookies or cash money, whichever you prefer. But like my crazy dream illustrates, I've got to get me some October monster cereal. mmmmmm
I dreamt about breakfast cereal. And not just any breakfast cereal, October breakfast cereal. Since I was a wee thing, I have not really liked sugary cereals. I was an old soul who much preferred the taste of shredded wheat and cereals with fiber. I didn't see the point of sugary breakfast foods. If I wanted sugar, I'd just go eat some. Though I did like the Rice Krispy cereal, mostly because it made noise, but I am getting off topic.
Anyway, it wasn't until I got much older that I discovered the joys of sugary October cereal. I don't know what made me buy my first box, it probably had something to do with the fact that there was an October theme to it and you know how powerless I am to resist those. The cereals didn't taste half bad, they had monsters on the front and they were for a limited time only. Thus was born my October breakfast cereal tradition.
Every October I would watch the TV for commercials and the aisles for a glimpse of my holiday cereal boxes. I am not ashamed to say that I often enlist the help of others in my search. I just can't properly celebrate the season if I don't have my Franken Berry. The mania has become such a thing that last year I was going to dress up as Franken Berry and had cajoled mom into being Boo Berry. But sadly, the house fire had other plans and the costumes were lost. But no big deal, I still have my Franken Berry doll and my October breakfast cereal pins.
This year I didn't even have to go in search of the sugary treats. My wonderful uncle found them first and sent them to me in a giant package well before October. I have been happily munching ever since. This year, I was tipped off that the General Mills company was going to rerelease all of the monster cereals, even the discontinued ones. My heart did a little flip of joy when I heard that. But alas, I have not seen the proof of that press release yet. I have found Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry. But no Yummy Mummy or Frute Brute. They are supposed to have been released at Target in September, but when I ask about them, I get funny looks from the employees like I am speaking Farsi. Ah such is my hard life during October.
But what does this all have to do with my dreams? Well, last night I had a doozy. It involved Oprah (why I'll never know, I don't watch her show, I don't read her magazine), Costco, a minivan and a bunch of people I had never met. For some reason we were going to Costco and it seemed like it was an emergency. Once we got there we all split up to find whatever it was that we were searching for. I was hot on the trail of whatever it was until suddenly I turned a corner and there were the October monster cereals. The mission suddenly went out of my mind. I then became SUPER focused on how to smuggle several boxes of Halloween cereal out of the store. Yes, it seems I had turned into a cereal shoplifter.
So as I was trying to smuggle my ill gotten gains out of a huge side door, Oprah showed up and gave me a talking to. She called security on me (which didn't endear her to me very much) and then i had to run around Costco dropping cereal boxes as I ran trying to evade an irate Oprah and security. From there it was a frantic chase and I woke up to the sound of my alarm going off. I never did get my holiday cereal. So the day has been going downhill ever since I woke up this morning. That said, I did have a nice heaping bowl of Franken Berry just to show my dream and Oprah who was boss. Clearly me. Clearly
So, with 18 days left in my favorite month, I will not give up the monster cereal hunt. I will also call on all of you to keep your eyes peeled. If you happen to be around Target or some other store that has monster cereal, be sure to look for Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy. They will be hanging out next to Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry. I will pay you in pumpkin cookies or cash money, whichever you prefer. But like my crazy dream illustrates, I've got to get me some October monster cereal. mmmmmm
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Day 12: Pumpkin Palooza
I have a confession to make. Yes another one, pipe down. I, am crazy about pumpkins. I know I just got done telling you how leaves and fall magazines were the be all and end all of October, but I was wrong. It is all about pumpkins. I have a kind of pumpkin mania. Really I am the thing that keeps the retail industry open in October. I am a sucker for fall stuff. And if it has pumpkin taste, smell, appearance or anything remotely pumpkin like, I will buy it. I consume copious amounts of pumpkiny beverages, pumpkiny snacks and pumpkiny innards. It is a veritable pumpkin palooza over here. Which, coincidentally (I think not) is the name of our new fall festival this year. Pumpkin Palooza. Well you KNOW that I am going to attend that.
There are so many wonderful things to do with pumpkins. You can use them for bowling or as a bowl/serving dish. You can make scarecrows out of them, or carriages. You can pumpkin chuck them (which for the uninitiated means you basically catapult a pumpkin across a distance using a really big rubber band and your own arm power, it is so much fun). According to fairy tales, if you grow one big enough, you can live in it. Some people grow them incredibly large so that they can either air lift them and drop them on cars, or explode them in front of anxious spectators. What I mean to say is, pumpkins and most everything associated with them are wonderful.
Pumpkins come in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes. I myself prefer the oblong or round, but last year I found some that were shaped like a spaceship and I fell in love. I had no idea there were so many choices. But I guess that is what happens when you introduce a city girl to a farm stand. What, you mean they don't just spontaneously grown in the Albertsons produce bin? Mind blown.
Every year I carve a certain type of pumpkin. He has the same features as the year before. This tradition got started mostly because I am not the worlds greatest pumpkin carver and also because I sit around with so many ideas and can't decide which one to do. So every year I carve a Bob. I don't know why I named my pumpkin creation Bob and not Vlad or Frank, but Bob it was. If I am feeling especially creative I carve other things. Last year I was brave and bought a pumpkin body stocking. The end result did not look anything like the picture and it took forever to try to get the mesh over the gourd. Very disappointing.
This year, along with my Bob, I am going to attempt to paint my pumpkin creations. I have high expectations, so we shall see. But I am quite excited to try something new. Did I mention that I l LOVE October ;)
There are so many wonderful things to do with pumpkins. You can use them for bowling or as a bowl/serving dish. You can make scarecrows out of them, or carriages. You can pumpkin chuck them (which for the uninitiated means you basically catapult a pumpkin across a distance using a really big rubber band and your own arm power, it is so much fun). According to fairy tales, if you grow one big enough, you can live in it. Some people grow them incredibly large so that they can either air lift them and drop them on cars, or explode them in front of anxious spectators. What I mean to say is, pumpkins and most everything associated with them are wonderful.
Pumpkins come in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes. I myself prefer the oblong or round, but last year I found some that were shaped like a spaceship and I fell in love. I had no idea there were so many choices. But I guess that is what happens when you introduce a city girl to a farm stand. What, you mean they don't just spontaneously grown in the Albertsons produce bin? Mind blown.
Every year I carve a certain type of pumpkin. He has the same features as the year before. This tradition got started mostly because I am not the worlds greatest pumpkin carver and also because I sit around with so many ideas and can't decide which one to do. So every year I carve a Bob. I don't know why I named my pumpkin creation Bob and not Vlad or Frank, but Bob it was. If I am feeling especially creative I carve other things. Last year I was brave and bought a pumpkin body stocking. The end result did not look anything like the picture and it took forever to try to get the mesh over the gourd. Very disappointing.
This year, along with my Bob, I am going to attempt to paint my pumpkin creations. I have high expectations, so we shall see. But I am quite excited to try something new. Did I mention that I l LOVE October ;)
Friday, October 11, 2013
Day 11: The Night
Today was a rather hectic day. It did not at all go how I planned it. Sadly, it was not a super cool surprise kind of day, but we roll with the punches. After everyone was bedded down and tucked in for the night. I grabbed my mattress and drug it out to the back of the pick up truck. I piled it in along with blankets, pillows, a cup of tea, and the puppy. Then I just snuggled down and looked up at the stars.
Star gazing is a great thing to do in October, and I have had a love affair with the velvety blackness since I was a wee sprout. I find that the night sky always has something fantastic going on. Unbeknownst to my mother, I used to sneak out and climb up on the roof to stargaze. It is just so peaceful. One can sit absolutely still and watch the world turn.
Star gazing was especially wonderful tonight. There was a haze over the moon making it all distorted and out of focus. The glowing orb was only at half strength, which made it easy to see the other twinkly bits in the heavens. I saw a few shooting stars and made sure to look for my favorite constellations. But I don't limit myself to them. I make my own star patterns, name them and come up with back stories. October I have found is a fertile ground for imagination and flights of fancy.
Back home, I used to watch the bats fly as I gazed. Now I look for owls. It always gives me a tingle to see some giant winged thing out and about when the rest of the world is sleeping. But isn't that half the fun of October. Letting ones imagination run away with them? I let mine do that all the time. October nights just make it easy. Foggy, dark, cool, black. Things chirping or rustling in tall dry grasses. Ooooh. I just gave myself goose bumps.
So yes, one of these remaining October nights, go out and watch the stars. Go for a midnight stroll with the bats. Play peek a boo with the moon. You won't be sorry you did.
Star gazing is a great thing to do in October, and I have had a love affair with the velvety blackness since I was a wee sprout. I find that the night sky always has something fantastic going on. Unbeknownst to my mother, I used to sneak out and climb up on the roof to stargaze. It is just so peaceful. One can sit absolutely still and watch the world turn.
Star gazing was especially wonderful tonight. There was a haze over the moon making it all distorted and out of focus. The glowing orb was only at half strength, which made it easy to see the other twinkly bits in the heavens. I saw a few shooting stars and made sure to look for my favorite constellations. But I don't limit myself to them. I make my own star patterns, name them and come up with back stories. October I have found is a fertile ground for imagination and flights of fancy.
Back home, I used to watch the bats fly as I gazed. Now I look for owls. It always gives me a tingle to see some giant winged thing out and about when the rest of the world is sleeping. But isn't that half the fun of October. Letting ones imagination run away with them? I let mine do that all the time. October nights just make it easy. Foggy, dark, cool, black. Things chirping or rustling in tall dry grasses. Ooooh. I just gave myself goose bumps.
So yes, one of these remaining October nights, go out and watch the stars. Go for a midnight stroll with the bats. Play peek a boo with the moon. You won't be sorry you did.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Day 10: Candy Corn, the Untold Story
In one form or another, I have been writing my October Thoughts since 2003. Quite by accident, I realized tonight that that makes this my tenth anniversary. I can hardly believe it. For ten years I have been writing about things that go bump in the night, holiday décor, strange obsessions and whatever else pops into my head. What started out as something for friends and family has branched out into the wide world and it is exciting and a bit scary. So really, it is perfect for October.
Over the ten years, one thing has remained the same, and that is my original fan, my mom. Every year, she is my Thought writing supporter. She reminds me (like I could forget) that I need to sit down and write a thought before bed. She pesters me about what the next thought will be and why I pick and choose some and leave others out. She offers suggestions, gives critique and really wishes that I would stop writing about vampires. I love having her on my "staff." She keeps things interesting.
This year, due to ill health, she hasn't remembered that I am writing the thoughts. When reminded, she is often too tired to read, but she smiles and tells me that she is sure they are good. Every year there is one theme she insists be written about. She doesn't care when it happens, just so long as it does. When my friend Kristen writes her Thoughts, mom insists that I remind her to write about them too. She is after all, an equal opportunity pester-bot. So since she can't remember to heckle me this year, I will do it for her.
Today then, is all about candy corn. That wonderful little multicolored triangle that is perfect for making vampire teeth out of. Sorry mom, it had to be said. According to the National Confectioners Association, candy companies will produce nearly 35 million pounds of the corny candy this year. That's about 9 billion individual kernels of corn. Or about 10 million dollars in dental bills.
Most people know the traditional candy corn with three stripes -- yellow at the bottom, orange at the center and white at the top -- but it also comes in a variety of other colors and flavors depending on the holiday: Brown, orange, and white Indian corn (the brown section is chocolate-flavored) for Thanksgiving. Green, white and red Reindeer corn for Christmas (which I think should be mint flavored but so far they have not mass produced my idea yet). Pink, red and white Cupid corn for Valentine's Day (gag). And the dreaded Pastel-colored Bunny corn for Easter. Dreaded because even though color has nothing to do with it, and I know they make it fresh, Bunny corn looks ridiculous and tastes stale. And that is just the way it is. But my mom isn't the only one who loves the triangular sweet stuff, October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. Though I don't think I have ever heard them announce that on the news.
According to writing and research done by TLC staff reporter Stephanie Watson, "Candy corn has been around for more than a century. George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company invented it in the 1880s. It was originally very popular among farmers and its look was revolutionary for the candy industry. The Goelitz Candy Company started making candy corn in 1900 and still makes it today, although the name has changed to the Jelly Belly Candy Company.
Although the recipe for candy corn hasn't changed much since the late 1800s, the way it's made has changed quite a bit. In the early days, workers mixed the main ingredients -- sugar, water and corn syrup -- in large kettles. Then they added fondant (a sweet, creamy icing made from sugar, corn syrup and water) and marshmallow for smoothness. Finally, they poured the entire mixture by hand into molds, one color at a time. Because the work was so tedious, candy corn was only available from March to November.
Today, machines do most of the work. Manufacturers use the "corn starch molding process" to create the signature design. A machine fills a tray of little kernel-shaped holes with cornstarch, which holds the candy corn in shape. Each hole fills partway with sweet white syrup colored with artificial food coloring. Next comes the orange syrup, and finally, the yellow syrup. Then the mold cools and the mixture sits for about 24 hours until it hardens. A machine empties the trays, and the kernels fall into chutes. Any excess cornstarch shakes loose in a big sifter. Then the candy corn gets a glaze to make it shine, and workers package it for shipment to stores."
I know it is time consuming, but I miss the good old days of hand made candy corn. Not that I ever tasted it, but don't you just imagine that it was better? But how weird is it that so much work went into making something so small. I think knowing that painstaking process is what cemented my love of candy corn in the first place. Candy is a complex thing and we just grab it off a supermarket shelf like it is no big deal. It really is something to savor. Think about it the next time you have some, hopefully this month.
Think about time, and creativity. About taste and texture. I know they say that the colors don't make a difference and that the corn tastes the same. But I swear, the orange part tastes a bit like a creamsicle, the yellow like honey and the white like a frothy marshmallow top. Just taste and see if I am wrong.
But now that you know the technical side of things, imagine with me if you will the fantastic. See, I don't think that candy corn is really made like that at all. I think candy corn comes from a parallel world that we can't see. In it, candy corns are living creatures who dwell in villages made out of gumdrops and romp and frolic like fairies. They fly to and fro on sugary wings, and eat only the choicest marshmallows from the mallow trees. As candy corns mature they get more colors. Baby corns start out as little white nubbins who then eventually grow into orange adults. From those adults, only the wisest and most magical of the candy corn people attain their yellow stripe.
But lest you think we barbaric human beings gorge ourselves on sweet candy people, let me tell you the rest of the story. When the wise candy corns have lived a full and happy life and are ready to journey onto the next adventure, they shed their triangular coats and become October sun and moon beams. Haven't you noticed the particular sparkle and shine on a beautiful day, or the twinkle of a star at night? Those are the candy people waving hello and giving October a little extra oomph.
With all those discarded candy coats lying around, something has to be done. That is where the scarecrows come in. Did you really think that they just stood around in fields all day looking at birds? Their job is to harvest the candy corn coats while the world is sleeping. And really, the birds work for them. They spend their days on the lookout for the candy coats and then report back. It is quite the system and I don't want to spoil all the secrets, but doesn't that just give you a whole new appreciation for the tiny, tasty triangle.
So the next time you are at the supermarket, buy a bag and support a scarecrow. Taste a tiny tricolored triangle for me. Have one for my mom (as long as it isn't chocolate) and be sure to have another on the 30th. I know I will.
Over the ten years, one thing has remained the same, and that is my original fan, my mom. Every year, she is my Thought writing supporter. She reminds me (like I could forget) that I need to sit down and write a thought before bed. She pesters me about what the next thought will be and why I pick and choose some and leave others out. She offers suggestions, gives critique and really wishes that I would stop writing about vampires. I love having her on my "staff." She keeps things interesting.
This year, due to ill health, she hasn't remembered that I am writing the thoughts. When reminded, she is often too tired to read, but she smiles and tells me that she is sure they are good. Every year there is one theme she insists be written about. She doesn't care when it happens, just so long as it does. When my friend Kristen writes her Thoughts, mom insists that I remind her to write about them too. She is after all, an equal opportunity pester-bot. So since she can't remember to heckle me this year, I will do it for her.
Today then, is all about candy corn. That wonderful little multicolored triangle that is perfect for making vampire teeth out of. Sorry mom, it had to be said. According to the National Confectioners Association, candy companies will produce nearly 35 million pounds of the corny candy this year. That's about 9 billion individual kernels of corn. Or about 10 million dollars in dental bills.
Most people know the traditional candy corn with three stripes -- yellow at the bottom, orange at the center and white at the top -- but it also comes in a variety of other colors and flavors depending on the holiday: Brown, orange, and white Indian corn (the brown section is chocolate-flavored) for Thanksgiving. Green, white and red Reindeer corn for Christmas (which I think should be mint flavored but so far they have not mass produced my idea yet). Pink, red and white Cupid corn for Valentine's Day (gag). And the dreaded Pastel-colored Bunny corn for Easter. Dreaded because even though color has nothing to do with it, and I know they make it fresh, Bunny corn looks ridiculous and tastes stale. And that is just the way it is. But my mom isn't the only one who loves the triangular sweet stuff, October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. Though I don't think I have ever heard them announce that on the news.
According to writing and research done by TLC staff reporter Stephanie Watson, "Candy corn has been around for more than a century. George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company invented it in the 1880s. It was originally very popular among farmers and its look was revolutionary for the candy industry. The Goelitz Candy Company started making candy corn in 1900 and still makes it today, although the name has changed to the Jelly Belly Candy Company.
Although the recipe for candy corn hasn't changed much since the late 1800s, the way it's made has changed quite a bit. In the early days, workers mixed the main ingredients -- sugar, water and corn syrup -- in large kettles. Then they added fondant (a sweet, creamy icing made from sugar, corn syrup and water) and marshmallow for smoothness. Finally, they poured the entire mixture by hand into molds, one color at a time. Because the work was so tedious, candy corn was only available from March to November.
Today, machines do most of the work. Manufacturers use the "corn starch molding process" to create the signature design. A machine fills a tray of little kernel-shaped holes with cornstarch, which holds the candy corn in shape. Each hole fills partway with sweet white syrup colored with artificial food coloring. Next comes the orange syrup, and finally, the yellow syrup. Then the mold cools and the mixture sits for about 24 hours until it hardens. A machine empties the trays, and the kernels fall into chutes. Any excess cornstarch shakes loose in a big sifter. Then the candy corn gets a glaze to make it shine, and workers package it for shipment to stores."
I know it is time consuming, but I miss the good old days of hand made candy corn. Not that I ever tasted it, but don't you just imagine that it was better? But how weird is it that so much work went into making something so small. I think knowing that painstaking process is what cemented my love of candy corn in the first place. Candy is a complex thing and we just grab it off a supermarket shelf like it is no big deal. It really is something to savor. Think about it the next time you have some, hopefully this month.
Think about time, and creativity. About taste and texture. I know they say that the colors don't make a difference and that the corn tastes the same. But I swear, the orange part tastes a bit like a creamsicle, the yellow like honey and the white like a frothy marshmallow top. Just taste and see if I am wrong.
But now that you know the technical side of things, imagine with me if you will the fantastic. See, I don't think that candy corn is really made like that at all. I think candy corn comes from a parallel world that we can't see. In it, candy corns are living creatures who dwell in villages made out of gumdrops and romp and frolic like fairies. They fly to and fro on sugary wings, and eat only the choicest marshmallows from the mallow trees. As candy corns mature they get more colors. Baby corns start out as little white nubbins who then eventually grow into orange adults. From those adults, only the wisest and most magical of the candy corn people attain their yellow stripe.
But lest you think we barbaric human beings gorge ourselves on sweet candy people, let me tell you the rest of the story. When the wise candy corns have lived a full and happy life and are ready to journey onto the next adventure, they shed their triangular coats and become October sun and moon beams. Haven't you noticed the particular sparkle and shine on a beautiful day, or the twinkle of a star at night? Those are the candy people waving hello and giving October a little extra oomph.
With all those discarded candy coats lying around, something has to be done. That is where the scarecrows come in. Did you really think that they just stood around in fields all day looking at birds? Their job is to harvest the candy corn coats while the world is sleeping. And really, the birds work for them. They spend their days on the lookout for the candy coats and then report back. It is quite the system and I don't want to spoil all the secrets, but doesn't that just give you a whole new appreciation for the tiny, tasty triangle.
So the next time you are at the supermarket, buy a bag and support a scarecrow. Taste a tiny tricolored triangle for me. Have one for my mom (as long as it isn't chocolate) and be sure to have another on the 30th. I know I will.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Day 9: Lovely, Lovely Leaves
Let me first say, "IT TOOK YOU (mother nature) LONG ENOUGH." Whew, glad I got that out of my system. I have been waiting for October for months. I have been waiting semi patiently for all the delights that come with this fabulous month. I twiddled my thumbs and waited for the corn maze. (I may or may not have constructed a practice maze in the shop to pass the time). I jiggled my legs in restless anticipation waiting for pumpkin spice lattes. I paced and fretted over the remaining time left until fall décor hit the stores. And I overloaded my bookshelves with other tomes trying to distract myself from reading prepurchased October themed books (that sickness is just as bad as my magazine purchasing, but we won't go into that here). But the thing that really drove me nuts, was waiting for the leaves to turn. Here it is 9 days into October and FINALLY I see some progress.
Last year the trees had the good sense to start putting on their show in August. Not this year. This year they made me wait......and wait....and wait some more. It was getting to the point where I was about to go out and start spray painting trees just to see some color. But last night, I noticed it. Overnight the shiny greens had been replaced with gold and crimson. If I hadn't been driving at the time, I would have done a happy little dance right there. As it was I let out WHOOP and shimmied a little in my seat.
I LOVE leaves in the fall. They are spectacular. To be fair, I really love trees, but when they turn, ooooh, it makes my little October loving heart go pitter patter, or rather crinkle crackle. One day I hope to be able to drive around New England while the leaves change. Even better, I hope to be in a horse drawn carriage, sipping cider and looking at the leaves. Wouldn't that be fantastic.
Having completed many, many science courses in my long educational career, I know that the turning of the leaves mean that in reality they are dying. But what a way to go out. I hope to live my life that way. Shiny and green for the majority of my life, then on the way out, a riot of color and vibrancy that all can appreciate.
There is a movie that perfectly describes how I see fall leaves. It is called Pleasantville and in it, the world is all in black and white. There is no color at all. One of the characters happens to be out for a stroll one evening and chances to walk past a tree. As he looks at it, the tree suddenly BURSTS into flame. But it isn't black and white flame, it is flame in color. Seeing that fire, against a black and white world is amazing and that is how I see fall leaves. A brilliant splash of color against the drabness of everyday life.
As one of my October pins says, "I love the leaves. I love the air. I love the rustling sounds everywhere." Even the crinkly noise that the leaves makes is music. Crackly leaves, a cricket choir, a froggy chorus and the hoot of an owl....best. symphony. ever!
Leaves are magical. They must be, because they have so many different uses. They can make forts, art projects, clothing, table décor, regular décor, pressed patterns, and the list goes on. If I ever get married, I want fall leaves scattered instead of rose petals and a leaf bouquet instead of flowers. Dying leaves hold so much possibility. Their life may be coming to an end, but look at all they still have to offer.
And then there are the leaf piles. Raking leaves is the best job ever, especially if you have a leaf blower. (power tools and October fun, I get thrill giggles just thinking about it) You can rake them up, then frolic in them, then rake them up and repeat to your hearts content. You can make leaf angels in them, or a pillow. Just don't jump into leaf piles from anything higher than your legs can spring you. While they may look bouncy and full of cushioning, they are not. Trust me. I learn these things so you don't have to.
Yes, October leaves thrill me and I am not ashamed to say it. Just another wonderful October gift.
Last year the trees had the good sense to start putting on their show in August. Not this year. This year they made me wait......and wait....and wait some more. It was getting to the point where I was about to go out and start spray painting trees just to see some color. But last night, I noticed it. Overnight the shiny greens had been replaced with gold and crimson. If I hadn't been driving at the time, I would have done a happy little dance right there. As it was I let out WHOOP and shimmied a little in my seat.
I LOVE leaves in the fall. They are spectacular. To be fair, I really love trees, but when they turn, ooooh, it makes my little October loving heart go pitter patter, or rather crinkle crackle. One day I hope to be able to drive around New England while the leaves change. Even better, I hope to be in a horse drawn carriage, sipping cider and looking at the leaves. Wouldn't that be fantastic.
Having completed many, many science courses in my long educational career, I know that the turning of the leaves mean that in reality they are dying. But what a way to go out. I hope to live my life that way. Shiny and green for the majority of my life, then on the way out, a riot of color and vibrancy that all can appreciate.
There is a movie that perfectly describes how I see fall leaves. It is called Pleasantville and in it, the world is all in black and white. There is no color at all. One of the characters happens to be out for a stroll one evening and chances to walk past a tree. As he looks at it, the tree suddenly BURSTS into flame. But it isn't black and white flame, it is flame in color. Seeing that fire, against a black and white world is amazing and that is how I see fall leaves. A brilliant splash of color against the drabness of everyday life.
As one of my October pins says, "I love the leaves. I love the air. I love the rustling sounds everywhere." Even the crinkly noise that the leaves makes is music. Crackly leaves, a cricket choir, a froggy chorus and the hoot of an owl....best. symphony. ever!
Leaves are magical. They must be, because they have so many different uses. They can make forts, art projects, clothing, table décor, regular décor, pressed patterns, and the list goes on. If I ever get married, I want fall leaves scattered instead of rose petals and a leaf bouquet instead of flowers. Dying leaves hold so much possibility. Their life may be coming to an end, but look at all they still have to offer.
And then there are the leaf piles. Raking leaves is the best job ever, especially if you have a leaf blower. (power tools and October fun, I get thrill giggles just thinking about it) You can rake them up, then frolic in them, then rake them up and repeat to your hearts content. You can make leaf angels in them, or a pillow. Just don't jump into leaf piles from anything higher than your legs can spring you. While they may look bouncy and full of cushioning, they are not. Trust me. I learn these things so you don't have to.
Yes, October leaves thrill me and I am not ashamed to say it. Just another wonderful October gift.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Day 8: October Disease
I have this affliction. It only seems to present itself at certain times of the year. I can be walking along, minding my own business, when suddenly, it hits. I am powerless to stop it. I am forced to do its bidding no matter how I feel. What is this malady, you ask? Is it contagious? Will it soon overrun the population like a zombie plague? Never fear gentle readers, I think this sickness is confined only to my person. It is.........no, it is to gruesome to say. But I must. I admit..........I am..............a fall magazine addict. Whew, there, I said it.
It is no joke. It doesn't matter if I hate the publication on principle, if it has the words, fall, autumn, Halloween or October on the cover page, I feel strangely compelled to buy it. Maybe I was hypnotized by a roving October magician. Perhaps I drank one too many pumpkin spice lattes and all the orange flavoring did something to my brain. Whatever the cause, holiday magazines seem to multiply like vampire bunnies around my house in the month of October. Really, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to fall ideas, but I must buy the product anyway.
By now I must have hundreds of dozens of articles on how to make witch fingers out of breadsticks, how to turn cheesecloth into ghosts or what areas of the US are the best for leaf peeping. The new fall colors are always the same, parents always supply information on how to turn your kid into a cute scarecrow for cheap. But I don't care. I LOVE each and every repeated cheesy idea. And speaking of cheese, did you know that mini Rondelle cheeses can be carved like pumpkins? I have about 7 or 8 articles on it if you want more information.
Maybe one day, I will be in one of those magazines contributing some cheesy autumnal craft idea or wacky Halloween recipe. Either way, I know I will be buying multiple copies. I won't be able to help myself.
It is no joke. It doesn't matter if I hate the publication on principle, if it has the words, fall, autumn, Halloween or October on the cover page, I feel strangely compelled to buy it. Maybe I was hypnotized by a roving October magician. Perhaps I drank one too many pumpkin spice lattes and all the orange flavoring did something to my brain. Whatever the cause, holiday magazines seem to multiply like vampire bunnies around my house in the month of October. Really, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to fall ideas, but I must buy the product anyway.
By now I must have hundreds of dozens of articles on how to make witch fingers out of breadsticks, how to turn cheesecloth into ghosts or what areas of the US are the best for leaf peeping. The new fall colors are always the same, parents always supply information on how to turn your kid into a cute scarecrow for cheap. But I don't care. I LOVE each and every repeated cheesy idea. And speaking of cheese, did you know that mini Rondelle cheeses can be carved like pumpkins? I have about 7 or 8 articles on it if you want more information.
Maybe one day, I will be in one of those magazines contributing some cheesy autumnal craft idea or wacky Halloween recipe. Either way, I know I will be buying multiple copies. I won't be able to help myself.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Day 7: October Bounty
I know that I have said it before, but October is magical. The best things really do seem to happen during this month, and they happen with amazing frequency. I'm sure skeptics will say that I am simply looking for good and surprise, surprise, I find it. But I think it is more than that. I don't believe in coincidence. October really is this wonderful. You don't believe me, then observe a typical day. There was so much wonderful in the day that I am about ready to burst.
1. We took our church picture yesterday. Everyone gathered in a tight group outside and we stood in the beautiful sunshine and smiled like a bunch of crazy fools. It was GREAT! I don't care if you hate having your picture taken. I don't care if you don't like getting up early on a Sunday morning. To have such a massive group of people all fancied up and grouped together laughing and joking was wonderful. There wasn't a frowny face in the bunch and no one really cared that the sun was in our eyes the whole time. It will make for a great memory.
2. I got to finally hug a bunch a people that I have been missing and who have been on my mind. I didn't know they were going to be there. I didn't know that they were going to come into my path. Everything just fell together and I got to share some of my joy with them.
3. I have been saving up for a snazzy jacket and today I finally had enough to get it. I walked into the store and they only had one left. It was the one in my size and it looked great (ok, it makes me look like a hipster biker, but who cares). When I went to check out, a random lady gave me a $20 off coupon.
4. While out and about running errands, my wonderful, fabulous, green thumb extraordinaire neighbor texted me that she had extra pumpkins and whatnot for me to come peruse. It was the perfect day for pumpkin perusal. I mean, you couldn't have ordered a more perfect day. I got to spend at least an hour, if not more, roaming over the hillside, through vines, and across the planting bed in search of perfect, natural October décor. She had Alice in Wonderland sized sunflowers towering high above our heads. The pumpkin patch had taken steroids and overgrown the banks. There were white pumpkins, warty pumpkins, orange pumpkins, green pumpkins, purple corn, orange corn, speckled corn, yellow corn. I was in heaven. I got to feed a skittish cow, toss gourds at chickens (no chickens were harmed in the tossing of said gourds) snuggle an October colored kitten, snuggle its momma and take pictures of bees. I even found a lady bug. It was better than any pumpkin patch and I am truly spoiled to have such a wonderful neighbor.
5. While eating dinner I happened to glance outside at the valley below. There, slowly creeping its way along the riverbanks was a massive fog bank. The sun was just beginning to set and there was a long snake of fog just winding its way across the hills. It was magnificent. I went outside and watched it for at least a half an hour. It expanded and flowed like a living thing. The mists began to branch out and slowly climb the hillsides. Watching the fog was better than watching any TV show...........except...........
6. Tonight was the first of the Halloween episodes for some of my TV shows. It was so good. It was full of everything I love about holiday theme episodes. The characters house was super decorated. The actors had fabulous costumes AND I have been turned on to a new hobby, Halloween caroling! Why on earth didn't I think of that sooner?!
So you see, it really isn't just my imagination, October really spoils me with the wonderful. The only thing missing in this perfect month so far is the fact that I still have not found soy nog yet, but I still have 25 days, so I'm not really worried. Bring on the wonderful October. I can take it!
1. We took our church picture yesterday. Everyone gathered in a tight group outside and we stood in the beautiful sunshine and smiled like a bunch of crazy fools. It was GREAT! I don't care if you hate having your picture taken. I don't care if you don't like getting up early on a Sunday morning. To have such a massive group of people all fancied up and grouped together laughing and joking was wonderful. There wasn't a frowny face in the bunch and no one really cared that the sun was in our eyes the whole time. It will make for a great memory.
2. I got to finally hug a bunch a people that I have been missing and who have been on my mind. I didn't know they were going to be there. I didn't know that they were going to come into my path. Everything just fell together and I got to share some of my joy with them.
3. I have been saving up for a snazzy jacket and today I finally had enough to get it. I walked into the store and they only had one left. It was the one in my size and it looked great (ok, it makes me look like a hipster biker, but who cares). When I went to check out, a random lady gave me a $20 off coupon.
4. While out and about running errands, my wonderful, fabulous, green thumb extraordinaire neighbor texted me that she had extra pumpkins and whatnot for me to come peruse. It was the perfect day for pumpkin perusal. I mean, you couldn't have ordered a more perfect day. I got to spend at least an hour, if not more, roaming over the hillside, through vines, and across the planting bed in search of perfect, natural October décor. She had Alice in Wonderland sized sunflowers towering high above our heads. The pumpkin patch had taken steroids and overgrown the banks. There were white pumpkins, warty pumpkins, orange pumpkins, green pumpkins, purple corn, orange corn, speckled corn, yellow corn. I was in heaven. I got to feed a skittish cow, toss gourds at chickens (no chickens were harmed in the tossing of said gourds) snuggle an October colored kitten, snuggle its momma and take pictures of bees. I even found a lady bug. It was better than any pumpkin patch and I am truly spoiled to have such a wonderful neighbor.
5. While eating dinner I happened to glance outside at the valley below. There, slowly creeping its way along the riverbanks was a massive fog bank. The sun was just beginning to set and there was a long snake of fog just winding its way across the hills. It was magnificent. I went outside and watched it for at least a half an hour. It expanded and flowed like a living thing. The mists began to branch out and slowly climb the hillsides. Watching the fog was better than watching any TV show...........except...........
6. Tonight was the first of the Halloween episodes for some of my TV shows. It was so good. It was full of everything I love about holiday theme episodes. The characters house was super decorated. The actors had fabulous costumes AND I have been turned on to a new hobby, Halloween caroling! Why on earth didn't I think of that sooner?!
So you see, it really isn't just my imagination, October really spoils me with the wonderful. The only thing missing in this perfect month so far is the fact that I still have not found soy nog yet, but I still have 25 days, so I'm not really worried. Bring on the wonderful October. I can take it!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Day 6: Joyful
The title pretty much says it all, October makes me joyful. I don't know why, but it does and I roll with it. I can't pinpoint exactly when I really first started feeling this way. If I wrack my brain, the very first instance I can remember being excited about October was in elementary school. It wasn't a month long love affair like it is now, but it was there. I really can't explain it. Does October make me joyful, or do I make October joyful? Or is it some strange combination of both?
There are so many things to see and do in this super month. So many things to taste and experience. Yesterday was the perfect, joyful October day. The sun was out, but it wasn't to hot or to cold. There was a gentle breeze. There was a cider party that I could have gone to, the downsized Octoberfaire was happening and the Corn Maze opened. There was just a glut of wonderful things to do and that is the rule, not the exception.
So how did I spend my day? I slept in until the suns liquid gold rays peeked around my curtain and poked my eyelids. From there, I strolled through the day without a care in the world. I went down to the river and read my book. I bought some cider and sipped it as I drove through the countryside. I went to the very last movie at the drive in and got to drive home on darkened back roads. It was a wonderfully relaxed day.
But that is how I see most October days. They are full of promise. Ready and willing to be anything you need them to be. You can cram them as full of things as you like, or spend the day lazily rocking in a hammock. It is your choice. I think the magic that happens in October is a way for my system to gear up for the holidays. There is no pressure in October. You don't have to wrap any gifts or host any dinners unless you want to. October is the best possible way to usher in the holidays. The deep breath before the race.
But loving October like I do, has given me a deeper appreciation for the other busy holidays. I used to be a staunch Thanksgiving hater. It doesn't' help that November is the anti October. But last year, I had a change of heart. November really isn't all that bad, and Thanksgiving can be kind of fun I have found. I had been rather Grinch like about December, but I am feeling a softening to that as well. And it is all thanks to October and its easygoing magic.
I hope that some of my October joy finds its way to you this year. I can't wait to see what other adventures the most wonderful of months has in store.....
There are so many things to see and do in this super month. So many things to taste and experience. Yesterday was the perfect, joyful October day. The sun was out, but it wasn't to hot or to cold. There was a gentle breeze. There was a cider party that I could have gone to, the downsized Octoberfaire was happening and the Corn Maze opened. There was just a glut of wonderful things to do and that is the rule, not the exception.
So how did I spend my day? I slept in until the suns liquid gold rays peeked around my curtain and poked my eyelids. From there, I strolled through the day without a care in the world. I went down to the river and read my book. I bought some cider and sipped it as I drove through the countryside. I went to the very last movie at the drive in and got to drive home on darkened back roads. It was a wonderfully relaxed day.
But that is how I see most October days. They are full of promise. Ready and willing to be anything you need them to be. You can cram them as full of things as you like, or spend the day lazily rocking in a hammock. It is your choice. I think the magic that happens in October is a way for my system to gear up for the holidays. There is no pressure in October. You don't have to wrap any gifts or host any dinners unless you want to. October is the best possible way to usher in the holidays. The deep breath before the race.
But loving October like I do, has given me a deeper appreciation for the other busy holidays. I used to be a staunch Thanksgiving hater. It doesn't' help that November is the anti October. But last year, I had a change of heart. November really isn't all that bad, and Thanksgiving can be kind of fun I have found. I had been rather Grinch like about December, but I am feeling a softening to that as well. And it is all thanks to October and its easygoing magic.
I hope that some of my October joy finds its way to you this year. I can't wait to see what other adventures the most wonderful of months has in store.....
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Day 5: Epitome of October
If you know me at all, or even a little, you know that I have a love of words. Long ones, short ones. Weird ones or normal. This love of words translates into a love of literature. I have many favorite October writers and genres, but one author above all others can lay claim to being my very favorite. I am talking of course about Mr. Washington Irving, and my favorite work of his is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. October is not complete without reading or watching this story.
Last year, I got lost in the book. This year it has been the film. I have watched it twice so far and feel repeat viewings in my October future. Normally I like Tim Burton, but I do not much care for his adaptation of Mr. Irving's story. True, there are elements of the macabre in it, but not to that extent. I much prefer the cartoon Disney version of the tale.
The story by Mr. Irving is to me, a perfect encapsulation of all my favorite October things. There is history, lyricism, superstition, calmness, plenty, harvest, stories, romance, comedy, foreboding, and mystery. Each wonderful idea, mixed together to produce a timeless tale. Plus, Bing Crosby is the narrator and the voice of Ichabod. So really, how can one go wrong?
From the very opening of the cartoon book, I am hooked. By the time Bing says "If we could but journey back to that remote period in American History," I am already lost in the story. I am a rapt listener sitting by the fireside, hanging on every word. "Nestled deep in the low rolling hills, in a sequestered glen sits a quiet peaceful place and yet somehow foreboding. For it abounds in haunted spots, twilight tales and local superstitions." How can one not be transported with words like that? One of my bucket list items is to type out those words, laminate them, and then go on a driving spree in New England during the fall to find just such a spot. Then I will take out my trusty dog-eared copy of the tale and read it by firelight.
I love the fact that Ichabod is not the typical leading man of stories. He is not muscled like Vin Diesel. He doesn't make ladies swoon like Cary Grant. He is not a millionaire playboy like Tony Stark. Instead he is a skinny man with a long snipe nose, shovels for feet and a voracious appetite. As Mr. Irving so eloquently puts it, "one might mistake him for a scarecrow eloped from a cornfield." I think another reason that I like Ichabod so, besides his wonderful name, is the fact that he is a learned man. Schoolteachers were looked on with higher esteem than they are now and he traveled the country lending his learned services to the country folk. It was a different time. A time when they used words like odds bodkins and gadzooks and that suits me just fine.
Ichabod is a fish out of water. We learn with him as the story goes. We see how the town runs, who the popular players are and how country life moves. People work, but they also play. They gather together rather than isolate themselves behind things. One of my favorite scenes is when Ichabod is daydreaming behind his school desk. His classroom is run riot, but as Bing puts it "Ichabod filled his mind with many sugared thoughts and hopeful suppositions." Swoon. I would love to call my daydreams that, many sugared thoughts and hopeful suppositions. Language has been lost I think. We need to bring back those hopeful suppositions.
But words aside, lets get to the good part. Ichabod attends the Van Tassel annual Halloween frolic. Never before have I so wanted to crawl into a book. The dancing, the merry making. The people, the food, the cold night air, kept at bay by the lantern light and barn doors. Ahhhh. We get to be a fly on the wall as Brom Bones spins his tale of the Headless Horseman. We get to separate ourselves from Ichabod and wander the room. This story is not new, it is an oldie but goody. People lean in to hear more and let their imaginations run away with them. Some laugh, some are wary, some are waiting for Brom to get to the good part. But poor superstitious Ichabod. He is not in on the joke. He is getting more frightened by the minute. He won't have the luxury of going home in his nice safe minivan, with the doors firmly locked and the windows rolled up. No, he has to travel by ancient steed through a darkened forest all alone.
Brom spins his story well and we follow Ichabod out into the night. "The sky grew darker and darker as one by one the stars winked out their lights and the clouds obscured the moon from sight." This is the story Ichabod has found himself in. He is in a waking nightmare. He could just shrug off the story, but what fun would that be? His imagination has run away with him far before he even ventured out. It is not a matter of if things will happen, only when.
My favorite part is when poor Ichabod starts to hear things. The reeds along the route sound like hoof beats. The frogs sound like they are croaking him a warning. He scars himself silly only to find that it is nature and not a phantasm. He beings to laugh at his own foolishness. It is that unhinged laughter that only comes about when you know you are being ridiculous. But sadly, he isn't. His laughter turns to screams of fright as the Horseman finally makes his appearance. Over the roads they fly. Gaining ground and losing it. Soon the covered bridge is in sight. Safety at last. Contrary to what we think will happen, Ichabod makes it across the bridge and the specters power is evaded. But the story has one more turn, the Horseman flings his fiery pumpkin head and we know no more of Ichabod.
This vague ending is one of my favorite things. Usually unresolved stories drive me crazy. But this, this one seems right. The next day, only Ichabod's hat is found, next to the shattered remains of a pumpkin. Realists say that he found love a few towns over and is living a good life with a fine family, but those superstition loving Sleepy Hollow folks know better. The Horseman got him and let that be a lesson to all unbelievers. The reader simply has to choose which story to believe and be satisfied. Did Ichabod survive? Was the Horseman really Brom Bones, or was it a true specter? No one knows and that is what makes it delightful.
It is a great tale and does not diminish with the years or multiple readings. As Bing says, "He had a way with the yarn did Mr. Irving. " and I couldn't agree more.
Last year, I got lost in the book. This year it has been the film. I have watched it twice so far and feel repeat viewings in my October future. Normally I like Tim Burton, but I do not much care for his adaptation of Mr. Irving's story. True, there are elements of the macabre in it, but not to that extent. I much prefer the cartoon Disney version of the tale.
The story by Mr. Irving is to me, a perfect encapsulation of all my favorite October things. There is history, lyricism, superstition, calmness, plenty, harvest, stories, romance, comedy, foreboding, and mystery. Each wonderful idea, mixed together to produce a timeless tale. Plus, Bing Crosby is the narrator and the voice of Ichabod. So really, how can one go wrong?
From the very opening of the cartoon book, I am hooked. By the time Bing says "If we could but journey back to that remote period in American History," I am already lost in the story. I am a rapt listener sitting by the fireside, hanging on every word. "Nestled deep in the low rolling hills, in a sequestered glen sits a quiet peaceful place and yet somehow foreboding. For it abounds in haunted spots, twilight tales and local superstitions." How can one not be transported with words like that? One of my bucket list items is to type out those words, laminate them, and then go on a driving spree in New England during the fall to find just such a spot. Then I will take out my trusty dog-eared copy of the tale and read it by firelight.
I love the fact that Ichabod is not the typical leading man of stories. He is not muscled like Vin Diesel. He doesn't make ladies swoon like Cary Grant. He is not a millionaire playboy like Tony Stark. Instead he is a skinny man with a long snipe nose, shovels for feet and a voracious appetite. As Mr. Irving so eloquently puts it, "one might mistake him for a scarecrow eloped from a cornfield." I think another reason that I like Ichabod so, besides his wonderful name, is the fact that he is a learned man. Schoolteachers were looked on with higher esteem than they are now and he traveled the country lending his learned services to the country folk. It was a different time. A time when they used words like odds bodkins and gadzooks and that suits me just fine.
Ichabod is a fish out of water. We learn with him as the story goes. We see how the town runs, who the popular players are and how country life moves. People work, but they also play. They gather together rather than isolate themselves behind things. One of my favorite scenes is when Ichabod is daydreaming behind his school desk. His classroom is run riot, but as Bing puts it "Ichabod filled his mind with many sugared thoughts and hopeful suppositions." Swoon. I would love to call my daydreams that, many sugared thoughts and hopeful suppositions. Language has been lost I think. We need to bring back those hopeful suppositions.
But words aside, lets get to the good part. Ichabod attends the Van Tassel annual Halloween frolic. Never before have I so wanted to crawl into a book. The dancing, the merry making. The people, the food, the cold night air, kept at bay by the lantern light and barn doors. Ahhhh. We get to be a fly on the wall as Brom Bones spins his tale of the Headless Horseman. We get to separate ourselves from Ichabod and wander the room. This story is not new, it is an oldie but goody. People lean in to hear more and let their imaginations run away with them. Some laugh, some are wary, some are waiting for Brom to get to the good part. But poor superstitious Ichabod. He is not in on the joke. He is getting more frightened by the minute. He won't have the luxury of going home in his nice safe minivan, with the doors firmly locked and the windows rolled up. No, he has to travel by ancient steed through a darkened forest all alone.
Brom spins his story well and we follow Ichabod out into the night. "The sky grew darker and darker as one by one the stars winked out their lights and the clouds obscured the moon from sight." This is the story Ichabod has found himself in. He is in a waking nightmare. He could just shrug off the story, but what fun would that be? His imagination has run away with him far before he even ventured out. It is not a matter of if things will happen, only when.
My favorite part is when poor Ichabod starts to hear things. The reeds along the route sound like hoof beats. The frogs sound like they are croaking him a warning. He scars himself silly only to find that it is nature and not a phantasm. He beings to laugh at his own foolishness. It is that unhinged laughter that only comes about when you know you are being ridiculous. But sadly, he isn't. His laughter turns to screams of fright as the Horseman finally makes his appearance. Over the roads they fly. Gaining ground and losing it. Soon the covered bridge is in sight. Safety at last. Contrary to what we think will happen, Ichabod makes it across the bridge and the specters power is evaded. But the story has one more turn, the Horseman flings his fiery pumpkin head and we know no more of Ichabod.
This vague ending is one of my favorite things. Usually unresolved stories drive me crazy. But this, this one seems right. The next day, only Ichabod's hat is found, next to the shattered remains of a pumpkin. Realists say that he found love a few towns over and is living a good life with a fine family, but those superstition loving Sleepy Hollow folks know better. The Horseman got him and let that be a lesson to all unbelievers. The reader simply has to choose which story to believe and be satisfied. Did Ichabod survive? Was the Horseman really Brom Bones, or was it a true specter? No one knows and that is what makes it delightful.
It is a great tale and does not diminish with the years or multiple readings. As Bing says, "He had a way with the yarn did Mr. Irving. " and I couldn't agree more.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Day 4: Cozy & Quiet
Last night I had the best of intentions to sit down and write my October Thought. I was excited, I was ready, and then I got distracted. The night was dark. The wind was howling. It was almost perfect October weather. (perfect would have fog and a full moon) I grabbed my trusty blanket, snuggly dog, some warm socks and went to watch the show. Everyone was asleep so I snuck into the living room and listened as the wind tried its hardest to take the roof off of the house. The eaves creaked and moaned and it was wonderful.
There is nothing like the feeling of being safe, secure and snuggly. One can watch the wind push and pull against nature. Listen as it screams in frustration and all the while be wrapped up in a cozy blanket. It just feels good. After a while I wanted a little more ambience to add to my late night snuggle fest, so I turned on the electric fire. I made a cocoon out of the blanket, curled up on the floor and watched the fake flames dance. It was all so peaceful.
Too peaceful in fact. I woke up quite a few hours later and dawn was peeking over the horizon. The wind was gone, but the fake fire remained. The puppy was curled up in my cocoon with me and all was right with the world. October seems the ideal time to find moments like this. Quiet times to be alone with ones thoughts. I don't know if it is the weather that turns us inward, but introspection seems to happen a lot more in October, at least for me. So that was how I spent my morning, watching the sun come up and enjoying the simple pleasures of an electric fire, warm blanket and a cuddly companion. I love these unexpected October moments!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Day 3: Reminders & Beginnings
Normally, I save this thought for later in the month, but it just kept nagging at me and I had to get it written so I could get some peace. One of my very favorite things about October is the decorations. I love decorations in general, but from April through September, there isn't really much to do holiday wise. Sure, the fourth of July is in there, but there is only so much one can do with red, white and blue. After an almost six month dry spell, this gal really needs to get her decoration on, and October is there to save the day.
I love everything about October décor. There are so many options. Do you go scary? And if so, is it funny scary, ironic scary, scary scary, gruesome scary or a hodgepodge? If scary isn't your thing, maybe pumpkin everything is. Or perhaps scarecrows. Maybe you are a leaf lover or a fan of the jewel tones. It doesn't matter. October has it all.
I get such a rush taking down the decoration boxes. Opening them up and seeing what is inside is like Christmas morning. Sure, I already know what is going to be in the box, but it is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. Do I put it somewhere new, or do I do the same thing as last year and the year before? It is great coming up with new ideas, or adding a bit of bling to an old favorite.
This year however, there was a touch of melancholy to my decorating fervor. Last October thirtieth my house caught on fire. I had gone all out with the décor, so much so that it bordered a bit on tacky. I just wanted everything on display since I couldn't pick a favorite. I can remember standing in the rubble of the house a few days after the fact. The house was eerily quiet and everything was soot blackened. The plastic pumpkins over the valances had melted and run down the drapes. The haunted village looked like it had been ravaged by monsters. The fake flowers had melted and drooped in their vases and the banners hung in rags from their hooks. It was all so sad. But at the same time, kinda theme. The interior looked like the perfect setting for a haunted house.
It didn't really hit me until a few weeks ago, and then especially Tuesday, the October décor was not going to be the same. Ninety-five percent of my décor was lost in the fire. Things that had major memories attached to them. Now some might think it silly to cry over holiday decorations, but they meant something to me. The five light up pumpkins that always sat on the window ledge, were purchased at Payless on a whim, because I had learned a poem about five pumpkins that day in school and mom thought it would be cute to buy them. There was the haunted house that my grandmother made me that had color changing lights on the inside and made a funny clicking sound at each interval. There was the skeleton snow globe that I bought with money from my first job. I had broken it years before while hastily putting it away, but repurposed the remainder so that I didn't have to part with it. Every decoration had a story and it felt like a part of me was missing this year as I put up the new baubles.
But then I realized, there was a silver lining. Not all of the decorations were destroyed. Some really meaningful things had survived. Like the paper scarecrow who has faded and has a myriad of tape removal marks on one side. Or the leaf garland that is starting to look a bit sparse because each year it loses a little more of its foliage. And already, the new decorations have a history built in. As I go through the years into the future, I will remember that this pumpkin was purchased the year of the fire. Or that new decoration was bought on a whim the day before and wasn't put out yet so it was spared. Already new memories are being made. And, with the new décor, there is a new house. Even if the old décor was around, there are not the same places to put it in. So creativity is needed and encouraged.
I haven't really had to think about the placement of things for a few years now, so it was sorta fun to reimagine what October would look like this year. True, it is a bit sparse and a tad eccentric, but it is a start. It will be fun to build my collection back up and make new memories. And, with the documentation of the October Thoughts, I can revive the past and see those decorations again in my minds eye. A real October miracle.
So, what is your favorite fall/autumn/October/Halloween/harvest decoration? And does it have a story?
I love everything about October décor. There are so many options. Do you go scary? And if so, is it funny scary, ironic scary, scary scary, gruesome scary or a hodgepodge? If scary isn't your thing, maybe pumpkin everything is. Or perhaps scarecrows. Maybe you are a leaf lover or a fan of the jewel tones. It doesn't matter. October has it all.
I get such a rush taking down the decoration boxes. Opening them up and seeing what is inside is like Christmas morning. Sure, I already know what is going to be in the box, but it is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. Do I put it somewhere new, or do I do the same thing as last year and the year before? It is great coming up with new ideas, or adding a bit of bling to an old favorite.
This year however, there was a touch of melancholy to my decorating fervor. Last October thirtieth my house caught on fire. I had gone all out with the décor, so much so that it bordered a bit on tacky. I just wanted everything on display since I couldn't pick a favorite. I can remember standing in the rubble of the house a few days after the fact. The house was eerily quiet and everything was soot blackened. The plastic pumpkins over the valances had melted and run down the drapes. The haunted village looked like it had been ravaged by monsters. The fake flowers had melted and drooped in their vases and the banners hung in rags from their hooks. It was all so sad. But at the same time, kinda theme. The interior looked like the perfect setting for a haunted house.
It didn't really hit me until a few weeks ago, and then especially Tuesday, the October décor was not going to be the same. Ninety-five percent of my décor was lost in the fire. Things that had major memories attached to them. Now some might think it silly to cry over holiday decorations, but they meant something to me. The five light up pumpkins that always sat on the window ledge, were purchased at Payless on a whim, because I had learned a poem about five pumpkins that day in school and mom thought it would be cute to buy them. There was the haunted house that my grandmother made me that had color changing lights on the inside and made a funny clicking sound at each interval. There was the skeleton snow globe that I bought with money from my first job. I had broken it years before while hastily putting it away, but repurposed the remainder so that I didn't have to part with it. Every decoration had a story and it felt like a part of me was missing this year as I put up the new baubles.
But then I realized, there was a silver lining. Not all of the decorations were destroyed. Some really meaningful things had survived. Like the paper scarecrow who has faded and has a myriad of tape removal marks on one side. Or the leaf garland that is starting to look a bit sparse because each year it loses a little more of its foliage. And already, the new decorations have a history built in. As I go through the years into the future, I will remember that this pumpkin was purchased the year of the fire. Or that new decoration was bought on a whim the day before and wasn't put out yet so it was spared. Already new memories are being made. And, with the new décor, there is a new house. Even if the old décor was around, there are not the same places to put it in. So creativity is needed and encouraged.
I haven't really had to think about the placement of things for a few years now, so it was sorta fun to reimagine what October would look like this year. True, it is a bit sparse and a tad eccentric, but it is a start. It will be fun to build my collection back up and make new memories. And, with the documentation of the October Thoughts, I can revive the past and see those decorations again in my minds eye. A real October miracle.
So, what is your favorite fall/autumn/October/Halloween/harvest decoration? And does it have a story?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Day 2: Breathe Deep
My first day of October was fantastic. Not the most fantastic October day ever mind you, but it certainly was up there. I had a smorgasbord of October fun and didn't want it to end. Sun dappled drive through an autumnal countryside...check. First pumpkin spice latte of the month...check. Surprise treat that only October can bring...check. Decorations up and fabulous...check. Getting to revel in the first new day...super check!
But what really stood out to me, was the smells. No matter what time it was, no matter what I was doing, I was surrounded by October aromas. Each season/month has a scent or scents that readily identify it. But I think October has an embarrassment of riches in the olfactory department. Don't believe me, just think about it. February smells like chocolate and roses. March like a brewery, newness and green things. July smells like fireworks, May like flowers and December like pine. This year Yankee Candle has gotten in on the scent craze and released November smelling theme candles. There is Sweet Potato Pie, Cranberry Sauce and Turkey & Stuffing. Personally, I would not buy a candle that smelled like turkey, but that is just me.
In an abstract way, October smells like magic and excitement. There is this sense of wonder and adventure that permeates the days. Those feelings insinuate themselves into the everyday smells and makes them sharper and more lively.
I woke up this morning to the clean, crisp smell of an autumn day. The air was dry and had a snap to it. It is like the air is cleaner in October. You breathe it in and just feel better. More alive. It smells like moisture and midnight. While out running early morning errands I drove by machines freshly turning over the earth. There was this raw, wet, loamy smell that wafted into my truck. The rich aroma of soil. I almost stopped so that I could scoop some up and bottle to keep for later. Now there is a candle I would buy, wet earth. And speaking of wet, have you ever smelled a pile of wet leaves right after the rain? It is almost that same loamy smell and I just can't get enough.
But maybe you are not a fan of the wet earth and soggy leaf smell. October has other snifftastic smells in store. A lot of really good October smells come from baked goods or cooking. The weather turns cooler and out come the recipes for comfort foods. Smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel and honey can delight the senses. There is the sharp smell of licorice and the homey smell of cinnamon rolls or breads baking. There is spiced everything. Spiced chai, spiced cider, spiced air fresheners. October in general has this deep and somewhat tangible aroma, but it also has its lite moments. There is the smell of freshly washed blankets, or the wafting smell of wood smoke.
Like I said before, October is all about comfort and really breathing life in. The harvest is coming and the world puts out one final aromatic aria before fading into the dullness of winter. So my challenge to you for today, breathe deep. Really stop and take in a lungful of what October has to offer. Then share what you find.
But what really stood out to me, was the smells. No matter what time it was, no matter what I was doing, I was surrounded by October aromas. Each season/month has a scent or scents that readily identify it. But I think October has an embarrassment of riches in the olfactory department. Don't believe me, just think about it. February smells like chocolate and roses. March like a brewery, newness and green things. July smells like fireworks, May like flowers and December like pine. This year Yankee Candle has gotten in on the scent craze and released November smelling theme candles. There is Sweet Potato Pie, Cranberry Sauce and Turkey & Stuffing. Personally, I would not buy a candle that smelled like turkey, but that is just me.
In an abstract way, October smells like magic and excitement. There is this sense of wonder and adventure that permeates the days. Those feelings insinuate themselves into the everyday smells and makes them sharper and more lively.
I woke up this morning to the clean, crisp smell of an autumn day. The air was dry and had a snap to it. It is like the air is cleaner in October. You breathe it in and just feel better. More alive. It smells like moisture and midnight. While out running early morning errands I drove by machines freshly turning over the earth. There was this raw, wet, loamy smell that wafted into my truck. The rich aroma of soil. I almost stopped so that I could scoop some up and bottle to keep for later. Now there is a candle I would buy, wet earth. And speaking of wet, have you ever smelled a pile of wet leaves right after the rain? It is almost that same loamy smell and I just can't get enough.
But maybe you are not a fan of the wet earth and soggy leaf smell. October has other snifftastic smells in store. A lot of really good October smells come from baked goods or cooking. The weather turns cooler and out come the recipes for comfort foods. Smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel and honey can delight the senses. There is the sharp smell of licorice and the homey smell of cinnamon rolls or breads baking. There is spiced everything. Spiced chai, spiced cider, spiced air fresheners. October in general has this deep and somewhat tangible aroma, but it also has its lite moments. There is the smell of freshly washed blankets, or the wafting smell of wood smoke.
Like I said before, October is all about comfort and really breathing life in. The harvest is coming and the world puts out one final aromatic aria before fading into the dullness of winter. So my challenge to you for today, breathe deep. Really stop and take in a lungful of what October has to offer. Then share what you find.
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