Scary Stuff

Halloween has become a major holiday in the USA. We are someplace between thosewho regard it as pagan revelling and avoid it and others who enjoy the fun of decorating and dressing in costumes and having parties. We will give away bags of Famous Amos cookies with a message attached.

When our youngest was in junior high he dressed up as a scarecrow (full mask) and sat quietly on a chair outside our front door trying to blend in as part of the decorations. When kids rang the bell he would ask them if they wanted candy. Scared a few of them. He was under instructions not to do that to very little kids.

For years our churches had parties on Halloween. A couple years ago our pastor decided it was time to quit hiding in the church and use the opportunity to spread a little good news. Groups of people now host elaborately decorated houses, do puppet shows, etc and give away the king sized candy bars to kids. There is always a child's bible verse attached to the candy. Nothing too scary. Another group of people do reverse trick-or-treating and go to houses giving them gifts. Almost everyone answers their door on Halloween. One year they made beautiful pine swags as gifts. Just a friendly greeting and invite them to church if they are looking for one.

Friday we went to the Halloween party that could not be topped. My sister and brother-in-law spent weeks decorating and it was better than Disney would have done. Invitations said "Costumes expected". Jon bought a Barack Obama head mask and I wore sequins and feather boas and went as Dancing With the Stars contestant Cloris Leachman with a long black wig. Jon thought I looked more like Jimi Hendrix! Lots of fun. They did an amazing job inside and out.

Pictures: My good looking brother-in-law Gordon as a Zombie (Swamp thing?)

My sister in-law Jannie as Cleopatra

Jon as Barach ( he will vote McCain)

Hillary even showed up and Barach and Hillary were making nice.

(Hillary was one of their neighbor guys who even wore low heeled women's shoes. The pant suit was actually orange, but looks pink in this picture.)

You can't see the black feathers on the bottom of the pink sequeined pants from my costume. The pants were a little long, and as I walked I would step on the feathers. Yesterday my sister in law called and told Jon, "Tell your wife to get over here and pick up her feathers! " They were everywhere. Sorry, Jannie. Today she called me and while laughing, related that when she made her bed this morning and shook the quilt, black feathers went flying. I had to defend my honor. While I think my brother in law is a good looking guy, I was not attracted to him as swamp thing. I keep finding black feathers around our house too. Old birds molt, I guess.