Sunday, September 29, 2013

It's Getting CLOSER!


it's creeping up on us...
quietly arriving on patent leather witch-boots ~
it is riding on the night wind and is behind every dark corner...

how ever you call it:
Hallowe'en ~ All Hallow's Eve ~ Old Saints Night ~ Samhain
IT will be here in a short time.

I love Hallowe'en.
I love my memories of Hallowe'en growing up in Connecticut:
dragging my pillowcase-full of sweet loot on the suburban streets of Stratford,
wearing homemade costumes of sheets, old mops for hair and burnt cork for beards...
walking through dead leaves in a dimly lit graveyard through a shortcut to a friends house and feeling scared out of my little wits while passing the cold graves...but loving every minute of it!
~
I remember well how my little neighborhood 
took on a magical look at twilight on that very anticipated night, 
and how the houses were decorated with leaf-stuffed scarecrows & pumpkins 
on whitewashed porch steps...

the crisp October air would crackle with excitement 
as I would walk up that first set of steps and touch the first doorbell to become what seemed like hundreds of front doors that were usually kept ajar for trick-or-treaters like me.
~
Sometimes there would be a big bowlful of candy on a table on the porch and it was placed there by someone who couldn't hand out the candy piece by piece and I thought how trusting the person was to leave all of that addiction in one place for children to take at will...and take we did!
(I was 'good', taking only what I thought 
would be appropriate such as 1 candy bar and perhaps a popcorn ball...really I was!)
~
house-by-house, 
street-by-street, 
...neighborhood-by-neighboorhood, I would trudge on
in my annual quest for candy & horrors....

~ I passed zombies, ghosts, pirates & witches ~
'old men' & pumpkin heads, devils and black cats 
and never knew who was staring at me from behind those masks.
hundreds of children taking over the streets in search of treats!! 
wow. never really thought about it that way! ha!
~
~ I remember being so tired and cold by the end of evening that I could hardly lift my feet 
let alone a sack-ful of sugar...
and when I got home, I emptied everything into the bottom drawer 
of our refrigerator that my Mom had cleared our for me, 
putting the onions and potatoes elsewhere 
for a short time, 
...until my candy was fully consumed.
~
Reese's, Turkish Taffy, Clark Bars...
Sugary Water-filled Wax Bottles & Hardly-Mint-Flavored Wax Lips 
would fill that drawer and I swore I had ALL of the candy in the world!
...but I did my best to rid the needful drawer for my Mom by gorging on that candy...
((I was always trying to help her like that...hehe.))
~
after a bellyache, a good tooth-brushing and a hot bath, I would head to bed.
tuckered out and full of sweet things that helped fuel
 the crazy scary Hallowe'en nightmares that only an
8 year old girl could dream up....



 as I 'matured' 
and going door-to-door dressed up as something(one) else 
became no longer acceptable,
I guess the next best thing I could do
was create my own little Hallow's Eve in my head & heart...

using my hands, 
some thread, wool & linen...
pencil, pen, paint & ink ~
tiny stitches, a couple of loops and some sharp scissors & pins ~
cotton fabrics in shades of soot, moss, candy corn and autumn leaves, 

...I create characters & needlework 
that only a child at heart could ever love...



I've uploaded 3 original drawings in my Ebay auctions for your amusement & bidding pleasure,
you can visit them by clicking my Ebay link on my sidebar :)

Hoping you receive all of the treats you wish for!

*Blessed be ~ my friends*
 ~ Lori ~

7 comments:

Debra said...

Such memories! Your description of Halloween past is very familiar to me, as I remember with fondness very similar scenarios from my own childhood. I still feel the same anticipation!

moosecraft said...

What great memories! I had that whole story playing in my head while reading your words... Halloween sure was fun!

Chris said...

Lovely Halloween memories!

Robyn ♥ said...

Absolutely LOVE Halloween!! Excellent memories!! LOVE your drawing!

Jennifer said...

In recent years Halloween has become my favorite holiday, even surpassing Christmas. No obligations, over-priced gifts, long visits, specialty foods. No packed stores of mandatory church services.
I love costumes of all sorts. Dressing up, especially with a mask was so liberating for a shy child. I could be anyone or anything I wanted.
Thank you for this wonderful stroll down memory lane!

Anonymous said...

Now that's what Halloweem is about! Such wonderful memories and a day so filled with fun, excitement and treats. It saddens me so that some forget how special
that day can be for children, and how it keeps us as adults generous and gives us smiles as we treat a those little goblins, as they try to take it away from cities and schools.

It's one day when we can all be light hearted, generous, giving and smile. We all need that!

Joy said...

I remember those Halloweens and many other times with you my dear friend. Hope all is well with you. Love you.