Well? It'll be here sooner than you think!

I've had my own little tradition for a number of years... The family plot is in the cemetery just a bit up the road, here. So often on Halloween I would go up there at twilight with a couple of jack-o-lanterns and place them (lit) on the graves for a bit of decoration. I take a sandwich and drink with me as well, so I sit back, propped against a tombstone, and have a nice little meal and chat with the dead. Well, okay, no one has answered back as of yet! But I just sit there for a while, as darkness falls, telling the family about how my year went, and what's up with me. Afterwards I walk home in the dark, and will perhaps re-read a few old juvenile favourites when I'm back in the house (like "The Witch Family" or something similar), and I often have ended the evening with a viewing of the film "Something Wicked..." Hmmmm, I suppose all that sounds more than a little odd! Rather gothic... Of course, the meal in the cemetery is totally dependent on the weather conditions that night, which can vary quite a bit at that time of year. I don't go if it is absolutely freezing, or pouring down rain, or anything...

Throughout the month of October, though, I do make a special effort to re-read some Bradbury appropriate to the season, like "The Halloween Tree" or "To the Dust Returned" or "Something Wicked" or "Dark Carnival." I may not read all of those every year, but do try to get to a couple of the books, at least...

That's awesome t.o.c.! Nice thread Lordshen, how about you? We usually go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood which sadly here ends around six-thirty these days. Last year my kids and I walked further after it was apparent that our neighborhood was "dead". We were pleasantly surprised at how kickin it still was just a few more blocks farther than we usually venture with houses decked out scarily and a few haunted garages. It's also the time of year we get "Skinny" out of the dank basement. Skinny is a mechanical skeleton that my wife won at bingo for getting the pickle jar number. He says stuff like, "trick or treat", "boo, did I scare you?", and his eyes light up red, then he sings the macarana(?). My wife stays with Skinny and gives out candy while we are gone. This year I am toying with dressing up in drag as the evil school marm Mrs. Peterson using a large floral dress, bee hive wig, and helium balloons strategically placed of course.

Not having Halloween age kids I plan to do is go to the traditional Halloween Day book signing at Vhroman's in Pasadena. This is usally an annual event but has not been confirmed yet for this year. A year has been missed here and there. If this event gets confirmed I'll post the time, etc.

Oh, did I forget to mention that the author is Ray Bradbury?

theoctobercountry - awesome! i don't find that strange at all. we all need rituals (as Bradbury so eloquently defended in Dandelion Wine). so, to be sure, i'm almost a bit envious of you and your tradition. wonderful times can be had speaking with those not there... or are they? Halloween is definitely a day to celebrate ancestry and those who have passed on and I cannot honestly think of a better way than yours.


rocket - thank you. i love Halloween and cannot imagine fellow Bradbury-enthusiasts not enjoying the holiday, as well. it's great that you have kids to celebrate with and that you yourself dress up. have u ever thought of going in drag as a pregnant nun? a friend of mine several years ago went as such and the response was enormous! i just moved to the house im in now a year ago. there's an elementary school nearby and the neighborhood has quite a few kids. as such, we got something like 120+ kids knocking on our door last year (we like to keep count).

jkt - that's an amazing tradition as well! please post info for those in the area and maybe pics if you have the chance?


as for me, i always dress up, whether i go out or party or stay home and pass out candy. i have some pics on my site from the last few years. You can find them here (you might recognize Pip's jack-o-lantern!). I also do an annual Halloween Edition of my e-zine/webzine. i also make it a tradition to sit and watch the animated movie version of The Halloween Tree and, of course, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

so as you can see it's a busy and exciting time of year for me and I love to hear what other people do.

This year I may splurge a small bit and get a headless horseman costume. I really love Irving's tale.

Please keep sharing!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LordShen,

Nice Lordshen, love your pumpkin carving skills! Don't think the nun thing would go over with the devoutly catholic wife or kids, better save that for my nursing home escapades I'm planning!

I watch The Halloween Tree every year at Halloween. Also, I'l be going to various b-movie fests in town. Also, will buy and eat too much Halloween candy.

rocket - thanx again for the compliments. and OOPS about the nun idea. meant no offense. seems i've mis-spoken twice now on these boards.

as for nursing home escapades, you sound like me! while i'm enjoying my life, i'm always threatening my sweetie that i'm going to become a crotchety yet loveable old man eventually much like peter boyle on ELR or William Frawley as Fred Mertz. her answer is always, " BECOME?!" as if i've already become one! haha (i also learned recently, via youtube, that william frawley was actually the first person to publicly perform the tune My Melancholy Baby... great song!).


fanboy - me too, most likely. i usually buy too much candy and wind up eating the leftovers. i love smarties

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LordShen,

Shenster, ever have British Smarties? Completely different. More like our M&Ms, but larger and filled with superior chocolate.

In the Olden Days I used to get a lot of Banana Bikes, Mary Janes, Dum-Dums, Bit-O-Honeys, and several (gasp!) homemade items!

Individually wrapped (in clear cellophane) vanilla or chocolate fudge squares made by Tootsie Roll. They were about an inch and a half square in size. Also, those great small, flavored liquid-filled wax soda bottles. You'd sip the sugar drink (really nutritious!?*%) and then chew on the wax until it lost all of the flavor and your jaws were tired.

Clark, 5th Avenue, Heath Bars, or a good old box of Cracker Jacks or a candy apple always got the word out, and we would go blocks out of the way to cash in!

Didn't Bit-O-Honey come in a couple of different flavours (that's for Philnic), molasses and chocolate?

Yeah, homemade?? Not a chance today.

quote:

Originally posted by Braling II:
...ever have British Smarties? Completely different. More like our M&Ms, but larger and filled with superior chocolate...

And served in a one-inch diameter cardboard tube, secured at one end by a plastic lid. Each lid bears a random embossed letter of the alphabet. (This latter is how we Brits secure our tradition for literacy...)

Butch, regarding the wax confections, I preferred the orange wax panpipes and the red wax lips! And what became of Mountain Bars ("Brown & Haley makes 'em daily!") each with a "smart card"! And Chunky! ("Open wide for Chunky!")

Phil, returning from the UK we always bring back PG Tips (loose, which is getting harder to find), but I notice there are no cards or anything inside anymore...?

Say, what thread is this again?

quote:

Originally posted by Braling II:

Say, what thread is this again?

It's the candy thread!

Those Smarties sound amazing! Where can I get some? I guess all this talk about candy got to me. I just walked down to the party store (aka liquor store) and bought some Boston Baked Beans and both Orange and Cherry Slices.

Last year we passed out gummy body parts (like gummi bears or gummi worms but modeled after ears, eyes, tongues, etc.).

I used to like wax lips, too. I never got into the wax bottles, however. I guess I'm missing out.


and: home... made?? LoL I've never had the pleasure.

*sigh* I guess these are the days in which we live.

Does pumpkin pie count?

Ah, those Lips! They were definitely worth waiting for!

Lordshen, you can't offend me, I thought the nun thing was funny. I just don't think my wife would, that's all. By the way, I can't wait till Halloween and the cool breezes of October.