The Ghost of Halloween Past...

I've loved Halloween since I was 3 years old. My Mother dressed me up as the Easter Bunny (strange choice for a costume, huh?) and immediately left enroute to the hospital to give birth to my baby brother. My Aunt Jane took me trick-or-treating that year.

A few years later (1976ish), I went out trick-or-treating dressed as one of Charlie's Angels. I looked nothing like Jill, Sabrina or Kelly-- more like their ancient aunt. I had borrowed one of my mother's dresses and one of my grandmother's wigs. I thought I looked like one of the Angels-- my parents probably thought I looked like I needed a little therapy. Joel has a picture of me dressed in my costume. I had forgotten it until a few years ago-- we worked together at Rosenbluth, and he brought the picture to show to everyone. I wish I had a copy of it to post-- you'd flip!

Fast forward to the 1980's. I threw a big Halloween party every year. My party was the event of the year, or at least I thought of it that way. I always held it in the backyard-- I transformed the garden into a graveyard-- you can make a pretty realistic tombstone with poster board if you put your mind to it. I usually had an old cast-iron kettle filled with dry ice and water.... it gave the entire backyard an eerie mist floating just above the ground. One year a friend of mine donated a bunch of manacins (sp?) to the cause. None of them were complete bodies, but I had lots of arms, legs and faces and I buried them strategically amongst the headstones in the garden.

Fast forward a couple more decades and you'll find me sitting in my house tonight-- in the dark. I was invited to a couple of parties, but I declined. I'd prefer to sit here and hide from the trick-or-treaters. I have candy for the ones that are brave enough to approach a dark house filled with barking dogs... they deserve a couple of milkyways for that! I guess I am getting old!

Damn-- I have to go-- there are 2 witches and a clown approaching my front door!