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.
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