Ghost Upon the Floor

     After Halloween, a photograph of Margaret Hamilton, in the dress of the character which made her famous and likely immortal, with Oscar the Grouch on Seasame Street came to my attention. Forever a fan of the witch, and Margaret's incarnation of the green, slipper-stealing role-- and of Jim Henson's mupperty-- I clicked over to YouTube faster than you can say "I'll get you my--" 

     The first few days of November are always a melancholy time. Pumpkins begin to leave windows, be thrown out, and gradually the orange glow and the crisp cool nights are replaced by images of turkeys, faceless pumpkins and cold, cold nights. All while Christmas carols begin to sneak their bells into the air.

 However, this year found me with appropriate bookends for the All Hallow's season. Earlier in the season, I wrote about how going to the "Frightworld" haunted attraction was the perfect beginning to set the spirit for the season. Last night, I found myself at "Frightworld" again, picking up what is now my new favorite t-shirt. Brilliantly, "Frightworld" was still open this weekend and delivering the scares. Walking into the building, hearing people scream, watching a group of girls walk out of a haunt clutching each other, I saw in the illuminated darkness that Hallowen is alive and well. Seeing the outside of the Eerie Asylum haunt, watching the lights flicker and hearing the screams made me want to walk through each one of them again-- and I would have, if it weren't for the people waiting for me out in the car.

 Thank you, Frightworld, for giving such a fitting beginning and end to Halloween 2013. Here's to next season-- and the three-hundred sixty-some days I have to blog about my favorite time of year until it is actually, again, here.

     Well. The day for the blog is finally here. The reason I write these thoughts here, All Hallow's Eve is here. And I seem to be spent from the day, the night. Always, the rush to get the lights up, the tombstones out, the costume on before the trick or treaters arrive. Again, this year I believe I did a fair job of it -- but not enough, never enough.

      Notable things I did this Halloween include the likes of watching "Halloween" (or having it on in the background, at least; and the original, of course) three times and "Hocus Pocus" two and a half today, and carving several pumpkins. Among my jack o'lanterns, I carved Winifred Sanderson from one of my favorite and most enjoyable seasonal films "Hocus Pocus" (with a pattern from Zombie Pumpkins) and Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon from Season 1 of "American Horror Story." The pumpkins, too, valiant efforts.

      God, do I love this holiday. Everything it stands for; every foam tombstone out in the yard, every trick or treater wide-eyed at my fog machine spraying fog on the porch, every wig and piece of makeup to create a costume. The harvest, the day when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinniest, when everyone, no matter living or dead, can walk amongst us, and everyone can be whomever she or he wants to be. Mask or no mask.

     Tonight, the annual Halloween Cookie Baking is done. With the help of some dear friends and family with a penchant for baking and decorating the season in cookie form, we got it done.


     Notable cookies a part of this year go to two cookie cutters Laura and I brought back from Salem-- The Day of the Dead cookie cutter set, and a Vodoo doll cookie cutter, along with the eBay purchased "Undead Fred" set (all products from "Fred and Friends." The traditional El Dia de los Muertos skulls are ideal for cookie decoarting-- ideal, and challenging. The detailed designs and patterns on the skulls challenged us-- but were pulled off in a big way. For next year, we will read up on better and more efficient ways to decorate those cookies in particular. However, I think we did a valiant job.

     Back in September, for Stephen King's birthday, I had a plan to make Stephen King-themed cookies. This never fully materialized, but left me with a cookie cutter bought online that was supposed to be the shape of a "Princess." To this Ghost, the princess looked like she could pass for a prom queen, and pass I believe she did as I finally made my Carrie White cookies-- all decked out in her blood for prom. 

     Tonight, the moon is high in the October sky; bright, beaming, cool and windy. I stood in the dark watching it for a few moments, understanding competely how people of less developed times may have been spooked by the moonlight, alone.

 It was the kind of moonlight no camera would capture, out there in the dark. While no photograph will capture that feeling, perhaps, some music can. And so, for tonight, in the high moonlight, here is some original Halloween music by Michael Szmania. For the moonlight, for your pumpkin carving, to play as your trick or treaters come to the door. Some great October ambiance.

      I know not what show this is, I know not what ethical waivers the producers may have entered or what these, for lack of a better word, contestants may have known going in. I know not what anyone here in this clip from Brazil is saying, but I know one thing.

 They are scared.

      It is with some sorrow that I annouce the passing of one of my two pumpkins. The first one which started to grow I soon came to find, after harvesting, had likely been left on the vine too long. My pumpkin had started to rot from the inside. What had once been firm and strong started to soften and cave in from the top. Next year, if I have any pumpkins, I will be sure not to leave them on the vine too long.

 Without researching online whether or not the seeds of a rotting pumpkin could keep, or be roasted, I decided to try and save the seeds anyway. I cut into the soft pumpkin skin and removed all the pumpkin, as much of the seeds as I could, and submerged the pumpkin in water to separate the seeds. It remains to be seen how they will turn out.

 Before throwing away the pieces of rotted pumpkin, I did the pumpkin right and cut a face into one of the firmer pieces. All this work, all the planting and watering and weeding and tending to harvest the thing-- all to cut into it for seeds and a face.

 In happier pumpkin growing related news, I have a third-- smaller, but very strong-- pumpkin still mostly green, but soon ready to harvest. I had not placed much faith in this third pumpkin; however, the plant I believe will soon prove me very wrong.