Day 30: Origin Story

Happy October Eve everyone! I can’t believe the best day of the year is tomorrow. 

I drove a lot yesterday and as I was letting my mind wander between appointments I thought about nostalgia and it sparked something. What is my October origin story? When did it become the big orange colored juggernaut that eclipsed all other months? Though I can’t pin point an exact day or year, I know it began before I started kindergarten.

 

If you don’t already know, my family likes to Decorate (yes, with a capital D) for holidays. Granted I now have taken that mania to all new heights, but every budding Martha Stewart has to start somewhere. We kept the boxes of decorations in our rec room on top of the water heater closet. That 6x6 square held all of our decorations for ALL of the holidays. I was always so giddy when mom or dad got out the ladder to take the boxes down. I loved looking at the decorations and watching my mom put them up. It was truly something special. I think my love for October probably started there, because after the long drought of having no decorations for half of July, and all of August and September, October finally rolled around and began things afresh. October meant it was that much closer to Thanksgiving when we went up and saw my grandmother and cousins. Then came Christmas and New Year and before you knew it my birthday. October was like the opening of the gates at a horse racing track. October meant there were months of fun in store.

 

Originally October meant Halloween and that meant candy hauls and a very large orange plastic pumpkin. It meant wearing a costume and getting to stay up late. There were pumpkins to carve and pumpkin guts to play with. It meant that I could listen to my Sounds of Halloween tape and not feel weird about it. Plus it gave my Christmas tape a chance to rest. I’m pretty sure I was the only six year old who rocked out to Bach without her parents forcing her to. It also meant that I got to have my light up spooky mansion in my room. It was the only decoration that lit up inside the house and it was all mine. I watched that thing for hours. If I remember correctly, it didn’t live in my room at first. I think it lived in one of the downstairs windows, but after I snuck it up to my room, it just kinda stayed there.

 

I was in love with October before I ever went to school. But school brought on a whole different kind of October love. I couldn’t wait to start school, and when I finally did I loved it. I loved the homework, I loved the desks, I loved the supplies, I loved recess, I hated nap time, I loved walking to the gym to get hot lunches. School was just plain magical. I hated for it to end each year and I counted the days until it began again. I would nag my mother for weeks about getting school supplies and new clothes, but mostly the school supplies. I still love back to school time. October meant that for at least a month I had been back in school. Routines were being established, friendships had been renewed and life was settling back into a well-worn groove. October meant harvest parties, field trips to the pumpkin patch, the school wide costume day and best of all family fun night. October was like one big party. No one ever stressed out over October. It was just fun.

 

As I grew up, I didn’t lose any of my October enthusiasm. Duh, I’m 40 and still getting giddy over an Arctic Circle square pumpkin kids meal. I started to pay more attention to my costumes. Dad and I planned routes for our candy onslaught, and the decorations got a bit more elaborate because I was old enough to have some input on the purchases. For years and years and years, mom was the only one who was allowed to decorate the house. I could help take the decorations down, and maybe take them out of the box, but that was it. I begged and pleaded to be allowed to put one thing up. But no. It took a long time, but that first time I was allowed to decorate the house myself, I was in heaven, and it happened in October. Now I am the one who does the decorating and won’t let mom touch the boxes.

 

Though I fell in love with Halloween first, I think I started to really appreciate other aspects of October somewhere in high school. I always loved the dark nights, the bats at my window, and the way the leaves changed, but I don’t think I ever equated them with October until later. I could sit for hours and look out my bedroom window at the rain coming down on the jewel colored leaves. I would lay awake at night and watch the wind whip the skinny black tree branches against my window. October just felt different than the other months. It felt cozy. It felt slower. It was like a month out of time.

 

In high school, I finally had to stop trick or treating, but that fun was replaced with Friday night football games. The lights of the stadium on a cold October night with the sounds of high school football can’t be beat. I know I’ve said it before, but it really is magical. When I went off to college, I brought my love of October with me. I decorated my desk in the student government offices. I bedazzled my dorm room. And I met Kristen who introduced me to October Thoughts. After graduation I found the joy that is group apple cider making and graduated to Pumpkin Spice Lattes and scones. Moving to the country I added corn mazes and farmers markets to my list of October loves.

 

Now I can buy my own pumpkins, order my own costumes, and write my own Thoughts. Every year I am more and more blessed by what this wonderful month has to offer. Sure, bad things do happen. This year mom was in the hospital. One year I got mono and missed all the fun. Six years  ago or more we had the house fire.  One year we didn’t decorate at all because we had moved. More often than not though, October shows me something great. I see more miracles and wonder in October than any other month. For every negative, there are at least five positives if not more that cancel it out. Surprises are the rule and not the exception in October. There are little stolen moments, tiny kindnesses, and grand gestures. For thirty-one days I get to revel in the beauty and magic, peace and plenty that is October. I never realized how much it plays a part in my life.

 

It is interesting to read back over what I wrote and see how my love for October has changed and grown throughout the years. It started off as a means to get vast amounts of candy and now it is still about the candy, but it is also about reflection, slowing down and giving back. I don’t think little me would ever have imagined how big October could become. It is easy to dismiss someone who likes October as a silly person who never grew up or is just plain odd. (Both descriptors do fit me, ha ha, beat ya to it, but that’s not the point) Yes, I like costumes and flashlights with pumpkin heads on them. I buy candy corn with no intent to share it with small children. I decorate like crazy, have scare movie marathons, buy ridiculous amounts of October scented things, and own way too many holiday themed socks. But I don’t care. I love October. I love how I feel in October and that is enough for me.

 

What is your October origin story?

Day 26: Back in the Day

I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic lately. I always tend to in October, but it has been even more so this year. In the last couple of weeks especially I have been reliving the “good old days” in my head. It is probably due to the fact that the radio has an all 80’s and 90’s music block lately. The sounds of my youth have been on heavy rotation on just about every station. I’m beginning to wonder if I have super powers that return everyone to my childhood.

Yesterday was no exception. I had been thinking a lot about old music videos and then one of my friends a new song from one of the old boy bands. I gave it a listen and it was pretty decent, then the next video was the Backstreet Boys Halloween video. I remember waiting for hours till MTV would play that video. It was so cool. Now I can watch I whenever I want, and I did. It is super cheesy, but back in the day it was something else. It is kinda like Thriller, but not as classic. I love the costumes. That is pretty much the only reason I watch it. I wish I could step into that video, or at least be really good friends with the costume designer and makeup artist.

From there is got me thinking about other childhood favorites, which of course, they have also been showing on TV. I recorded on episode of Tales from the Crypt. I was so excited to see it back on. Of course, it wasn’t as good as the original and I think they got someone new to do the Crypt Keepers voice, but it was sure a blast to turn the lights out and settle in for a good old fashioned scare.

Aside from Vincent Price, there is one person who will always embody October for me. If you were a child of the 80's and watched TV, especially sports or late night horror movies, it will be easy to guess this extra special lady. She is a cross between Morticia Addams and Dolly Parton and just rocked my socks when I was little. She is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

Back then she shilled beer, campy horror marathons and whatnot, now she sells T-shirts, dolls, costumes and movie collections. She also appears in malls, cruise ships, Playboy mansion parties and drag contests. In addition she offers pumpkin carving tips and holiday menus. She is a very well rounded hostess with the mostess.

Her real name is Cassandra Peterson and if you see her without the Elvira make-up you can hardly believe that it is her. She looks good either way. She has also written a children's book about a naughty dog, called "Bad Dog, Andy." But that is not all that Cassandra/Elvira has done. Elvira was the first to have a nationally syndicated horror host show. She was the first person to be broadcast in 3-D in America, and she was the first female celeb to do a national beer campaign.

Alas, the mistress is getting on in years and in true campy fashion there is a soon to be reality show The Search for the Next Elvira. If I could lose a pound or forty here and there and were to dye my hair black I think I could pull it off. Oh yeah, I would also have to get taller, but a girl can dream.

 Ahhh, Halloween...............there's nothing quite like it. And if you feel like a bit of a song, head on over to YouTube and watch the Backstreet Boys groove to Everybody. 

Day 3: Picture Your October

There is this picture I have next to my reading chair that brings me great joy. I colored it in kindergarten and no matter where I have lived that picture has gone with me. For years it hung on the closet door in my childhood bedroom. The white paper backing slowly turned yellow. The paper curled and ripped in places. One day I discovered the magic that is “The Laminator” and I preserved this piece of my childhood in melted plastic.

I still remember the day I colored it. It is a standard size piece of paper. On it there is a rainbow with a happy sunshine in the mostly middle. There are two puffy clouds one either end of the rainbow and the whole thing is stretched across a half moon section of a town. We had to cut out each of these components and glue them to our paper and then color them. I was not a very good cutter outer so it took me some time. Then I had to select just the right colors for my rainbow. Some genius decided that this rainbow only had 4 bands instead of 6, so I had to decide which ones got the ax (sorry orange and purple). Next I decided that if the sunshine was happy then my clouds had to be happy too. So I drew faces on them. Frankly they both look like they are angry napping but what can you do?

Next came the town. There is a school, stores, fire station, apartment buildings, regular houses, a park, roads, parking lots and a pool. I painstakingly selected just the right brown for the roads. I decided that it was fall in my tiny town (of course) and all the trees needed to be a different fall color. I chose a grey for the roofs and I bartered, begged and pleaded with another kid to use his super fabulous florescent orange. It was a magic crayon I tell you. I still think about it. So there I was happily coloring along and the teacher said, ok, time to finish up. I had about 90% of my town left to color. I raised my hand and explained my dilemma. My teacher who was normally the sweetest woman on the face of the earth was a little perturbed that I wasn’t further along and said that I needed to hurry up and finish because (I think) we were putting them up for parent’s night that night and an unfinished paper was unacceptable. Sooooo, I decided that my town had boroughs, like in New York. To show this I picked a crayon at random and just started coloring the rest of the blank sections in large swaths. There is the blue zone, the florescent orange zone, a whole lot of red and a tiny bit of green. I was rather proud of my solution to the problem.

My teacher came by again, looked at my paper and was not enamored with my quick fix. My parents weren’t all that impressed either. I was told I should have colored things individually and taken my time because it just looked messy. 35 years later I’m still mad about it. Oh the injustice of it all. But at least I got to use the florescent crayon.

So what does my childhood coloring trauma have to do with October? Welllll, when you looked at all the pictures from everyone in my class, they all looked different. They were the same picture. Everyone had the same color pallet to choose from, but it showed our creativity. October is like that. We all have the same 31 days, but what we choose to do with them shows our individuality. Some people curl up and get cozy, some like to look for scares. Some like pumpkins some don’t. Some like candy, some really don’t care. Some people like to take one last trip before winter sets in, while others wait till Thanksgiving to go out and about. There is no wrong way to celebrate October. Decorate with pumpkins or bloody fangs, or don’t decorate at all. Wear orange and black pom poms on your head with a bee costume or put on a cozy sweater. Sip a pumpkin spice something, or find some apple butter. How you find your joy is up to you. How are you planning on celebrating October?

Day 30: Family Fun Night

I am in full blown “October is almost over” panic. There are still so many things that I want to do before the month ends and I know I’m not going to make it. But that is ok, mostly. October is a no fault month. Besides, if I can't do it in 31 days, then I will just appropriate some of November for other October related purposes. Ah, now I feel better. Finally, November is good for something.

Last weekend it seemed, many people decided to have their Halloween fun early. I saw people in costume, read about people in costume, and heard about people in costume. So many parties and gatherings were going on before the big day. I hope they save some of the merrymaking for actual Halloween.

Parties are one of my favorite things about October. Scary movie nights, costume parties, harvest parties at school, pumpkin carving parties, trick or treat sleep overs, and the best of all, Family Fun Night.

Family Fun Night was the best day of the school year for me. Even better than the first day, and that is saying something. For years I thought the event was indigenous only to my school, but since then I have found out otherwise. For one night, our gym and surrounding classrooms would be turned into an October wonderland. Rooms that were dedicated to learning, morphed into photo studios, game booths and face painting way stations. The library turned into the cafeteria and the halls were filled with excited children who had parents in tow.

But the gym, the gym was amazing. Professional looking carnival booths lined every wall and took up any available floor space. And for the most part, the floor plan didn't change from year to year. The fish pond was always on the right back corner near the cake walk stairs. The cake walk was always on the stage. The ticket booth was always out of the gym teacher’s office. The rope climb with its big spongy mat was always in front of the cake walk in the middle of the room and the cotton candy was always out the right side gym doors turning the entryway into a shiny sugary mess.

Once I entered the building I didn't see my parents again until I either needed more tickets, had to drop off prizes because my hands were full, or needed food. Sometimes I saw them at one of the booths playing games, but really, I can’t tell you what they did with their time other than hold my winnings and keep the cafeteria chairs warm. It was pretty much a given that I would win 3 or 4 baked goods of some kind and bring home a fish or two that wouldn't last till morning. At some point during the night I would have the little kid melt down of NO I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YET, and the begging and pleading of just one more booth would begin. Eventually, after a few years, my parents got wise and curtailed my cake walk participation. No more walk after two wins, and I was forbidden to play the fish game, which really was fine with me. Perpetually dead fish are not all that much fun.

Now that I have had the opportunity to plan my own Family Fun Night, I realize how much work went into making things look how they did and run so smoothly. I wish that I could have a time machine to go back and appreciate with new eyes all that was going on. But maybe not, maybe I am content to just let it live in my imagination with all the sparkle and wonder that an elementary school child can conceive.

I still have mementos from those wonderful days. They make me smile every time I see them. Instantly I am transported back to a waffle floored gym and the sounds of merrymaking on a cold October night. I wish everyone could have such a wonderful experience. I wouldn't trade those memories for the world.

Day 22: Sweets and Memories

Have you ever been walking and stumbled upon a scent lingering in the air that made you stop in your tracks? A scent that caught you by complete surprise and triggered a memory or made you smile? That happened to me yesterday. It was completely random. There was no way this particular smell should have been lingering but it was, and sniffing it took me right back to my childhood.

I can't accurately describe the smell. It was a pleasant one is about as close as I can come. It smelled like the candy my grandfather used to buy at the corner store when we went for walks. Since I know that much I should be able to describe if it had caramel overtones or a chocolaty vibe, but the best I can say is that I smelled a memory.

The minute my nose came into contact with that phantom scent I was instantly transported back to standing by my grandpa at the candy counter in the corner store. The particular goodies he liked came in bins and he would fill up a small plastic sack with a mixture of them. Sometimes he even let me pick what went into the sack. There were chewy things like taffy but not. Candied orange wedges, spice drops, butterscotches and other hard candies. Hands down, those were the best candies I have ever eaten. Maybe it was because we walked a couple miles to get them. Maybe it was because of the company I was in, or the fact that my taste buds were different then. Either way, I have never been able to find those same candies since.Sure, there are the modern day equivalents. They can still be found in bins. They may even be from the same company as when I first tried them, but they just don't taste the same.

But that got me thinking about candy. On the radio last week the DJ took a poll of what were listeners favorite Halloween candies. Before that I’ve seen countless web tallies of favorite candies by state. I disagree with almost every tally or poll I hear, but when I try to think about my favorite Halloween candy I am stumped.  

I don't think I actually had, or have a favorite. Ok, that isn't true, it will always be candy corn, but you really can't compare that to other Halloween candies, so for arguments sake we will leave it out. I know what I didn't like to get in my trick or treat bag. I wasn't fond of the houses that gave out health food. That's the equivalent of getting socks and underwear for Christmas. Sure, you may need them, sure, health food may be, you know, good for you, but you don't hand it out on holidays. That's like the dentists who give out toothbrushes. Buzz kill man. I also wasn't overly fond of popcorn balls. I like them more to play with than eat. They are just too messy.

I remember when I was done trick or treating, I would come home and dump all my loot out on the floor. If it wasn't wrapped it went in the trash. If it was waxy like those lips or some of the really hideous caramels they also went in the trash. I sorted my candy by type, chocolate, fruity, gum, licorice, suckers, stuff I don't want and other. Once my piles were sorted I called my parents in and they took their share. It worked out well. Most of the time my parents loved the things that I couldn't stand and I would happily hand them over, but when it came to the good stuff, I would haggle a bit.

If I had to narrow it down, I would say that my favorite Halloween candies would be the peanut butter cups and tootsie rolls. Wow. It is kind of sad that I can't remember what candy I liked as a kid. I know I had definite favorites, but tastes change. I know that I hated Almond Joys when I was little and now I love them. I also liked pixie sticks and now I can feel my teeth rotting just looking at them. If someone had given me a package of Red Vines back then I probably would have asked if they could adopt me. Twizzlers not so much. Cheap fruity knock offs.

Isn't it interesting what we remember? I have a fuzzy recollection that I liked the candy bars best. I think probably Snickers and Hershey. Dad got the Mr. Goodbars and no one wanted the Krackle unless the candy supply was dwindling and it was the only chocolate left.

So now that I have put some semi serious thought into it, what was your favorite childhood candy? Or if you are having trouble remembering like me, what is your favorite candy now?

Day 17: Dressing It UP

I am not a girlyl girl. I don't like dresses and I’m not overly fond of skirts, though they are growing on me. I will take an action film over a romance any day. I can't use make up in a convincing fashion and my only hair styles are up, down or in a hat. That said, I LOVE to play dress up, or as I like to call it, make believe. Some little girls wanted to be a princess when they were growing up. I wanted to be a pirate...or Indiana Jones. My heroes were Mr. T, Hulk Hogan, Batman and Fragles. My poor mother had to be on constant alert lest I attempt to tear my shirt down the middle whilst shouting "I pity the fool."

When I was growing up, there weren't very many worthwhile costumes for girls. I could either be Barbie (too much pink), Strawberry Shortcake (too frilly), a princess (ugh yuck no), or a ballerina (too much like a princess). What I really wanted to be, they never had costumes for. No Neverending Story (and how does one dress up like the Nothing anyway). No Dark Crystal (ask for a Gelfling costume and people look at you funny). Mom wasn't really into me being a Ninja Turtle, so for years I settled for being a really hideous clown. I am ashamed to even admit it. I hated that costume. I still do in fact. I think I inherited it from my older cousin. It was itchy, came with a truly vile mask that I really couldn't see out of and it made my face sweat.

I don't remember what happened to the costume. I'd like to say I took it out back one dark evening and buried it, but it probably got donated to Goodwill. Poor kids. I pity the fool. The hideous clown was replaced by a leopard unitard that came with a snap on head piece and already affixed tail. It was my favorite costume of my childhood. Mostly because I had a tail to twirl and the fact that I felt compelled to make the cutest growling noises known to man while wearing the costume. I did it so much in fact that dad had to threaten to take my candy away to make me stop. It was no use telling him that the suit was making me do it. I wore that costume until I couldn't squeeze into it anymore. At some point my head got too big for the hood and the leggings that used to go to my ankles started to reside somewhere past my knees. It was a good run and a great costume. Plus I really enjoyed having whiskers drawn on with eyebrow pencil.

Costumery in our house was pretty low key until I started going to college. Then I could choose my own costume. My favorite college costume was Queen Amidala from Star Wars. I did the full make up and everything. I looked so convincing in fact that at my part time job (where they encouraged us to wear costumes on the day) little kids kept coming up to me to get their picture taken. It was a blast. 

I love costumes. I love that now there are so many more things to choose from, in a way. But it is still hard finding things to my exacting specifications. For years I have wanted to be Charlie Chaplin, but I can't quite find the right bits. One can't simply stick on dark pants, a hat and a fake mustache and call it good. They have to be the right corduroy pants with a black bowler, a rounded cane and big, slightly clownish black shoes.

I also don't like to settle for mainstream. Why be Katniss Everdeen when I can go as Charlotte from Making Fiends. I like elaborate or quirky, or a combination of both. I can't wait to find a good steam punk costume. As soon as Halloween is done and I have had time to appreciate the month, I start searching for next year’s costume. Sometimes I buy two or three out of season just so I have options if it comes down to the wire and I still haven't found "the one"?

But why do I like costumes so much? I think it is because I live more in my imagination than most people. Getting to wear a costume is a way to express that after a fashion. How cool to suspend disbelief for just one night and pretend you really can fly, because you are Peter Pan or Tinker Bell. For one night you can be a princess if you want (ugh yuck). You can be a mummy without the nasty side effects of being dead for years. You can be a dashing pirate or a super hero. You can walk around shouting "I'm Batman" and people will only think you are a little crazy.

In one of my favorite TV shows, the characters dress up for Halloween and due to a little magic snafu, find themselves stuck as their costume for the night. When picking a costume I always have that idea floating around the back of my head. Sure, I want to be a Twister game board. How funny. But what happens if I get stuck this way?  It is an interesting idea to think of. Maybe this year I will go as rain. Not quite sure how to pull that concept off. Maybe paint myself blue and stick clear beads all over to show moisture.

Whatever I choose to be, I know I will have fun doing it. What is your favorite costume past, present or future?

Day 13: Candy Corn, the Untold Story

In one form or another, I have been writing my October Thoughts since 2003. For sixteen 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 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.

For a while now, due to ill health and Alzheimer’s, she hasn't remembered that I am writing the Thoughts, and 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 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 1800's, 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 handmade 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.

Day 7: The Joy of October

October to me is pure joy. I don’t know for certain when I really started to identify October with all that is good, (I think it was somewhere between 4^th and 6^th grade) but I know that in this month I am happier than at any other. That doesn’t mean that all is wine and roses in this most special of months, but I simply seem to have a different outlook on life. I’m energized and excited, cheerful, bouncy and an abundance of surprises managed to find their way too me. Yesterday was no exception.

I made up my mind on Friday night that since I had an honest to goodness day off for a change I would capitalize on it and excavate the storage pod that has been holding my decorations hostage for two years. I didn’t know what sort of shape I would find them in, I didn’t know how long it would take, but I would move every last box if it meant that this year all my stuff could be reunited. I really needed a “win” and I was going to manufacture one for myself.

I had visions of being crushed by all my precariously balanced boxes. I dreaded the hours it was going to take. I even dreamed of how I was going to move everything. I made an offhand remark to my roommate about it and when I got up the next morning she said she was ready for me to put her to work. She was going to help me get my stuff. I told her no, it would be really hard work and I appreciated it but it was too much to ask. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and cut to 3 hours later, not only do I have ALL my October décor, but I have all the rest of the holidays too. I can finally decorate again! Now to you that might not be a big thing, but to me it is. I can’t properly convey how wonderful this makes me feel. I was singing as we moved things. I was giggling and laughing and thanking her profusely. It took 4 trips to get it all back to the house, but it was so worth it.

After we got everything settled I put on some of my favorite October films, sat down on the living room floor and started unpacking things. I didn’t get as far with that process as I would have liked because I kept exclaiming over each thing, here was my monster mix-tape; there was my old plastic pumpkin. Over in that box was the dining room table décor that I had been missing. New treasures, old treasures, and as I sit in a glittery, spooky pile of décor I look around and wonder, where the heck is all of this going to go? I am so happy that I don’t think I will even care if this year is tacky. I want everything up. I want to sit in my cozy blanket and relive the memories. I want to feast my eyes for the time I have left of this wonderful month. I want to walk down memory lane, I want to share it with friends, I want to bask in the overabundance of October, and you know what, I’m going to.

 

To add to my decoration joy, tonight was the premier of my favorite zombie show. I got to watch it sitting amidst all my treasures. Then there was the most perfect orangey sunset that I have seen in a while. It must have read yesterday’s Thoughts because it was all different hues of orange and I put the show on pause and watched the splendor of it till the night descended into black. How marvelous. How wonderful, how October. Ok, enough of this, I’m going to go play with my decorations……

Day 5: October Nostalgia

I spend a lot of time talking at you telling you what I think the best parts of October are. I like leaves, pumpkins, zombies, scary movies, socks, bats, cider, pumpkins, corn mazes, monsters, holiday breakfast cereals, did I mention pumpkins, etc...The list could go on and on.  I have no shortage of things to say. But yesterday, as I was contemplating quiet country roads it occurred to me, I don't know why any of you like October. It is wonderful to find kindred souls on this month long journey. I love sharing my memories, activities and joys, but I would like to know some of yours. What makes October so special for you? What is a favorite October memory? What is a tradition that you have that only happens in October? Do you like the scary and the beautiful, or just the leaves? Do you like the dark and the howl of the black cat, or do you much prefer a cozy blanket and a cup of cider by the fire? I really want to know.

But it wouldn't be fair if I didn't share something, so I will still go first. This isn't my favorite thing about October, I don't think I have just one, but this is the one that floated to the top today.

I am comforted by nostalgia and that is what October is for me. I get misty when I take out my decorations for the season for the first time. I see each of them and they are more than just a trinket, they are a memory portal. I see a broken snow globe with a skull in the middle and bits of black snow stuck to it and I am instantly transported to the warehouse job that I worked one summer. I remember finding the globe and gleefully putting it aside so that I could buy it when payday came around. I also remember quite a few years later when it slipped out of my hands and broke making an awful mess on the floor. I remember being really sad, awfully frustrated and then I remember deciding that I would not throw it away; I would instead turn it into a new decoration. I kept it for many more years after that until the knuckle bones started to break and I finally had to give it the old heave ho because it really did look like trash. I still look for it when I go through my décor every year. Maybe this will be the year that it magically reappears. It hasn’t so far, but thinking of it and the memories it conjures up makes me happy.

I look at past October Thoughts and relive the fun and wonder. I am reminded of the kindness of friends and strangers, the beauty that is all around and what I was fixated on that particular year. It is fun to walk around in my own memories. It is comforting that somewhere in cyberspace, even if my own memory fades, past Octobers will live on for posterity. That is unless I break the internet. Which could happen.

I love the possibility of what will be. Towards the end of September and possibly other earlier months I am loosely plotting and planning my October list. What will I watch, read or do? What new adventures can I take? What old traditions must be upheld? Then when October is over, I look back and see how this year measured up. Was it an October to remember, or one that should best be forgotten? I spend November first giving thanks for the October that was and the October that will come again. I say thank you for the changing of the seasons and realize that winter will soon arrive with its snowy cloak.

But not today. Today I still have a bunch of October left and I am determined to experience every bit of it that I can. So, hid your pumpkins, put out the good candelabras and let’s take this glorious October adventure together......

Ok, your turn ;)

October Thought Day 20: The Sounds of Halloween

I found my Halloween cassette tape today and my whole October was saved. Seriously. When I was unpacking the decorations I came across the tape case and naturally assumed that the tape was inside it. I went to play it earlier in the month and when I opened it up all I was met with was empty space. I poked the empty space just to make sure the tape hadn’t acquired the super power of invisibility in the year since I had last seen it. Alas, it hadn’t. There was no tape to be found. It was a harsh blow and I had no idea where to look for it. This particular tape had been my very favorite since my mother gave it to me as a Halloween present in 1986. What can I say; I was a weird little kid who grew up to be a weird adult.

The tape is from Hallmark of all places and has a cheesy actor in vampire costume on the front cover listening for the sounds of Halloween presumably, either that or he’s singing and listening to his pitch, it’s hard to tell. There are two playable sides totaling a very random forty-six minutes. Side one is scary sound effects; more on that in a minute, and side two is knock-offs of popular Halloween songs. The tape is not nearly long enough for my liking and frankly I’m surprised I haven’t worn it out from years of overuse.

There are only five songs on side two and quite honestly I could do without one of them. There is Ghostbusters which never goes out of style, Monster Mash which just might be my October anthem, Thriller, which is a close second, the Bach-Toccata and Fugues in D-Minor done on pipe organ and lastly Purple People Eater which I loathe with the fire of a thousand suns because the people who sing it are just plain irritating.

While I could, and have listened to Thriller and Monster Mash over and over, the Toccata is my favorite hands down. The piece throws in some extra Halloween sound effects at the beginning which only adds to the enjoyment. It starts with a creaky door opening and closing, then you hear loud footsteps going up to the organ. There is silence, and then the music begins. I could float away from pure joy just on the opening chords.

From the first note I am transported to a dark gothic cathedral on a cold October night. The organ and player are up in the balcony and hidden by shadows, but the music, the music swells and overflows the pipes. It fills the empty spaces and carries me upward to the cathedral ceiling. I’m flying on the melody, pitching and rolling with each note. I am always sad when the piece ends and more often than not I hit rewind and listen to it a few more times. Someday I hope to hear it in an actual cathedral rather than on the speakers of my headphones. But for now I am content.

But as great as the Toccata is, it is nothing compared to the sound effects on side one. I think that is my favorite part of the whole tape. I can listen to each creaking hinge and monster voice till the echoes reverberate in my ears without the tape. Whoever thought up the effects was one creative individual. There are Igor’s, cat-men, and witches with the absolute perfect cackle. There are accented vampires, clanking chains, creaky doors, ominous footsteps, screams, haunting laughter, spooky wind gusts, howls and more. I love it. I always have. As a kid I would pop the tape into my portable My Little Pony player, hook it to the handlebars of my bike and zoom around the neighborhood. I would also do the same on the factory floor of my mom’s work. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a six year old flying by you on a tricycle with streamers, listening to witches cackle on a My Little Pony player. It simply isn’t done. I think I am the original Wednesday Addams minus the dark hair.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty low today and then I found the tape. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Well, it would have been nice for it not to have been lost in the first place, but I’ll take this minor miracle. I happily popped the cassette in and my mood instantly shifted. I floated away on the Fugues and my cares were forgotten. I listened to the scary effects and remembered trick-or-treat’s gone by. I always made my dad play the tape in the car on Halloween and he was happy to oblige. After all, we had to get into proper trick-or-treat mode. I remembered the smell of the car, the weight of the candy in my sack and the dark nights. Hearing that tape brought back memories of Family Fun Night’s at my school and wearing my horrible clown costume to my great aunts for pictures and hugs. Listening to the tape was like stepping into a time machine. I’m so glad I found it. I even found spares for sale on Amazon of all places, so I just might invest.

What is a favorite Halloween/October thing of yours? And while you’re pondering that question, I’m going to go listen to my tape again.

October Thought Day 2: Home

What does the word “home” mean to you, and no I’m not fishing for a haunted house answer either. Unless of course you’re a ghost and you are reading this on the Supernatural Interwebs and you actually live in a haunted house. In which case, do elaborate. Snails carry their homes on their back so they are already home no matter where they go. One of my favorite signs comes from a realty company and reads “If you lived here you’d be home now.” It tickles my fancy. I understand what they mean, but it seems magical to me, like suddenly I could just decide to live there and I would instantly be home. How cool would that be! Then there are the sayings; Home is where the heart is. There’s no place like home. Home is where you hang your hat. I could Google more of them but I think you get the picture.

So why am I even asking this question in an October Thought? What do non haunted houses have to do with October anyway? Simply put, the month makes me both nostalgic and contemplative. I take out my decorations and reminisce about holidays gone by and what I was doing back then. I think about how my life has progressed or stalled. I think about where I am going to put this year’s décor and think of where I have arranged things in the past. I have a freakishly odd memory when it comes to this kind of stuff. I can recall where I got almost all of my decorations and where I have put them over the years. Sometimes I can’t remember my own phone number and occasionally I space out on my own name, but decoration locations, I’m golden, I’d win a trivia contest on it if there was such a thing….anyway back to home.

Home is where I can be the most me possible. It’s where I feel safe and comfortable. I can walk through it in my jammies with my pumpkin socks singing Thriller with not a care in the world. Home is where I can curl up on the couch and read as the rain pelts down on the roof. At home I can paint my toenails October colors by firelight and listen to the sounds of the high school football game floating up from the valley. Home is a place I can festoon with seasonal frippery and fill with the smells of autumnal baked goods. Home is where my things are, where my family is and where I welcome my friends. Home is where I can rest and make memories.

However, when I’m on a trip, I find myself calling my hotel room home. My friends’ houses are home, so is my church. Places I have lived before are also home. If I’m on a long trip, or watching a double feature at the drive-in, my truck is home. The concept of home seems to have many facets just like love. The idea of home means something different for everyone, or maybe it doesn’t. Some don’t have a home and some only consider home a state of mind.

All I know is that this evening, when I was watching the sun fade over the horizon, my home was back lit with this golden shimmer and it pulled on my heart strings. There it was, my home, and it got me to thinking, hence this post. So, what does home mean to you? I’d really like to know.

October Thought Day 18: Friendship

Have you ever noticed that traits from other months find their way to October. I can be  basking in a perfect October day and be suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of thankfulness. Actually, I think I am more thankful in October than I ever am in November. I think about resolutions more in October than January and I use the word love more in October than I do in February. Go figure. I know that those months don't have the monopoly on those particular topics but it just feels a bit out of place when they do pop up.

But what does all that have to do with October, you may ask? Friendship, I reply. You see, August is the official month of Friendship Day. But today, actually all of this weekend, I have had  a chance to reflect on what it means to be a friend and I realize that I am more cognizant of friendship in October than any other time of the year, especially August. I think it has to do with the weather turning a bit brisk and me finding ways to keep cozy. Cozy equals friendship in my world and naturally my mind turns there.

This weekend while I was squirreled away in the mountains in front of a flickering fireplace I sat back and thought about friends past, present and future. I thought of friends who at the time meant something special in my life. How I shared important moments and milestones with them. Some of those friends I still have, some have moved on and I can only wonder what their lives are like now. Friendship is an odd thing. Sometimes quick friendship bursts can be just as important as friendships that last throughout the years.

I had one friend who saw me through some dark days when a relative passed. They were a shoulder to cry on, a warm body to sit next to and a voice of reason when mine was clouded by grief. If you'd have asked me then how long our friendship would last, I would have said forever. But after a while our lives took different paths and we talked less and less. Not because we had  any animosity or a falling out, life just happened. One day they moved and that was that.

There was another dear friend who I suppose would be classified as only an acquaintance by a casual observer. I saw this person every week and only for an hour at that. We never talked about anything of substance, in fact we didn't talk much at all. We were simple glad to see each other and that was that. This friendship lasted for maybe ten years until they passed away, but I still think of my friend and whenever I do that memory makes my heart sing.

I have other friends who have known me either all my life or very close to it. We drift in and out of contact but always seem to circle back and it is like no time has passed at all. I treasure those friendships.

I have new friends who I feel I have known forever. I feel as comfortable with them as with family and they have only known me for a minute or less. I treasure those friendships as well and can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

Friendship is a funny and multifaceted thing. Much like autumn leaves they can take on many hues and colors. They can last like a leaf preserved between the pages of a book or they can fall and blow away like a leaf on the wind. For each of these friendships I am extremely grateful. They have had a part in shaping who I am and I know they will continue to shape who I will be.

So while my Octobers may be full of bats and pumpkins, monsters and mayhem, it is also full of friends. Friends who like me despite my proclivity for pumpkins. Friends who read these lengthy October letters and keep coming back for more. Friends for dark days and light days. Friends for the long haul and friends for the minute. If you count yourself as one of my friends, thank you. I cherish you and the joy that you bring to my life. Whether we are near or far from each other, whether we have seen each other ten minutes ago or ten years ago, you are not forgotten. You are my friend and there is a special place in my heart that belongs only to you.

If you aren't my friend, but still are reading these words, then perhaps one day we will be. Mayhap you are simply a friend that I haven't met yet, in which case, I am already very excited to meet you.
So, take a minute today to think over your friends, past, present and possible future. Give thanks for them and what they have brought and what they will bring to your life. You won't be sorry, I promise.

October Thoughts Day 12: A Question For You

I spend a lot of time talking at you telling you what I think are the best parts of October. I like leaves, pumpkins, zombies, scary movies, socks, bats, cider, pumpkins, corn mazes, monsters, holiday breakfast cereals, did I mention pumpkins, etc...The list could go on and on. I have no shortage of things to say. But yesterday, as I was contemplating quiet country roads it occurred to me, I don't know why any of you like October. It is wonderful to find kindred souls on this month long journey. I love sharing my memories, activities and joys. But I would like to know some of yours. What makes October so special for you? What is a favorite October memory? What is a tradition that you have that only happens in October? Do you like the scary and the beautiful, or just the leaves? Do you like the dark and the howl of the black cat, or do you much prefer a cozy blanket and a cup of cider by the fire? I really want to know.

But it wouldn't be fair if I didn't share something, so I will go first. This isn't my favorite thing about October, I don't think I have just one, but this is the one that floated to the top today.
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I am comforted by nostalgia and that is what October is for me. I get misty when I take out my decorations for the season for the first time. I see each of them as more than just trinkets, they are memory portals. I pick up a broken snow globe with a skull in the middle with bits of black snow stuck to it and I am instantly transported to the warehouse job that I worked one summer. I remember finding the globe and gleefully putting it aside so that I could buy it when payday came around. I also remember quite a few years later when it slipped out of my hands and broke making an awful mess on the floor. I remember being really sad, awfully frustrated and then I remember deciding that I would not throw it away, I would instead turn it into a new decoration.

I look at past October Thoughts and relive the fun and wonder. I am reminded of the kindness of friends and strangers, the beauty that is all around, and what I was fixated on that particular year. It is fun to walk around in my own memories. It is comforting that somewhere in cyberspace, even if my own memory fades, past Octobers will live on for posterity. That is unless I break the internet.
I love the possibility of what will be. Towards the end of September and possibly other earlier months I am plotting and planning my October list. What will I watch, read or do? What new adventures can I take? What old traditions must be upheld? Then when October is over, I look back and see how this October measured up. Was it one to remember, or one that should best be forgotten? I spend November first giving thanks for the October that was and the October that will come again. I say thank you for the changing of the seasons and realize that winter will soon arrive with its snowy cloak.

But not today. Today I still have over half of October left and I am determined to experience every bit of it that I can. So, hid your pumpkins, put out the good candelabras and lets take this glorious October adventure together......

Ok, your turn

October Thought Day 1: The Adventure Begins

I can't hardly believe my good luck but it is finally October again. I was ready for it in November, April and July. I was positively chomping at the bit in August. Usually I can exercise some self control and wait until my favorite month actually starts before I enjoy the seasonal bounty. Not this year, not even close. I have already had so many pumpkin spice lattes that I'm pretty sure my bloodstream runs orange. I've already watched 3 of my normal October movies and 3 more new ones. I've read a few October books and I've worn an October watch. I've bought October swag in non approved months, I've scouted several corn mazes, and bought a positively ginormous pumpkin. And am I sorry I did it, not one little bit.....ok, maybe a little, but I got over it fast and did more October stuff.

If you are new to the October Thoughts, welcome. If you are an old hat (or should I say, old pumpkin) and have hung in there with me through the years, thank you. I cherish the fact that I get to share my love of all things October with you. Thank you for letting me steal precious minutes out of your life to let me ramble.

Yes my little monsters and minions, October is finally here. Which leads me to my normal first October Thought, why do I like this month so much? Sometimes the reason is the same from year to year, sometimes different. I've thought long and hard about it, and for this year at least, here is my reasoning. I like magic. I like color. I like whimsy and things that scare me on my terms. I like monsters and spooky sounds, I like leaves and crunchy noises. I like dark nights and full moons, orange M n M's and pumpkin everything.

In October I feel nostalgic. Everything takes on the sepia toned fuzzy edges of memory. I think of little me and what I would normally be doing this time of year. I think back to Octobers past.

I believe in possibilities. When I open a wardrobe I fully expect to find Narnia. When I walk under a full moon and hear a howl I know there is a werewolf nearby. I wouldn't be surprised if one day I came upon a fairy in the woods or a monsters tea party. I also wouldn't be surprised if a corn maze took me to an alternate reality. I like to live in my imagination and October is the perfect vehicle for that. In October anything is possible. There are grand adventures to be had if only we know where to look or are open to them. October allows my inner child to pop out and explore. If Peter Pan could be a girl, then that girl is me. I never did grow up, I just wear an adult costume the other 11 months of the year.

I am actually happier in October than any other month. I always have been. Maybe it is because I can sense the wonder and possibility in the air that October brings. The world is dying in a riot of color and begging for us to notice and join in the grand celebration. It is asking that we step out of ourselves and our routines and grasp the splendor. My imagination comes alive in October.

This year bits of October leaked out into other months even without my prompting. I felt a chill in the summer air that whispered to me. It spoke of campfires under velvety black skies and toasted marshmallows. I saw fog escaping riverbanks and creeping toward country roads trying to hitch a ride. I felt the eyes of generations on me as I sat and ate my lunch overlooking the gorge high up on a deserted plateau. October is coming the voices whispered, October is here, I say now.

Someone decorated their house early for Halloween and I actually had to pull over to the side of the road because I was getting a bit teary eyed. In the last few years, October décor has really dwindled around here, and no it isn't because I am buying it all up. Maybe kids are getting older and the parents don't' care to celebrate. Maybe the people who did decorate moved. Who knows why, but it made me sad. It was good to see October come back again even in such a small way.

October is the embodiment of me. To me October is comfort. It is beauty and magic. It is possibility, joy, sadness, fright, fun and Technicolor. October is schizophrenic in the best way possible. On one hand you have soft blanket, firesides and leaves. On the other you have fangs, dark corners and screams in the night. The silly and the scary create a perfect blend.

October is the song in my soul, the cool breeze against my cheek. It is the enveloping smell of cinnamon and spice, the crackle of a fire, the hoot of an owl. It is the dark velvety corners and the things that live in them. I look forward to seeing what the adventure of this October turns out to be. Thank you for journeying with me.