Ghosties, goblins and haints, oh my!

Resident ghouls one year at the Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow,

Pat, Dorothy, Tayla, Tom

 

            When I began this post, it had rained gently all day. I smelled the rain the first thing that morning, even before I knew it had begun. The aroma and the sound of rain have long been some of my favorite sensings. I like the foreboding sound of thunder, too, although that was lacking. A gentle rain should do--if not much to alleviate the drought--some good for the flowerbeds, azaleas and the dogwoods. From the looks of it, it's too late for the lilac in the back dooryard. If I get another one, I should plant it more in the shade, my brother said.

 

            Before leaving for Beebe on Saturday, I'd watered all the plants, put food and water out for the cats, worked up all the groundfall pears, washed clothes and run the dishwasher. What else?   Oh, before long, I need to find LPs of "Danse Macabre" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." I must locate "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" to re-read--all in the celebration of Halloween. I won't do the zombie movies or books--those are of a different time and place. I'll remember the Halloween carnival recapped in my newest novel, "Her Face in the Glass."
 

            Some folks remember ghost stories from their childhood told by their grandfathers or other relatives. I don't. Is that a good thing or not, I wonder. A sister remembers that she and some of her siblings used to make masks out of brown paper bags.  Also, that they would sit on the stairs of the basement and tell boogie man "made up" stories along with scary noises.  "I think we also went to the cemetery and roamed around all up and down the road."

         

           We never did the ouija-board thing, either. I wonder why? You'd think with five girls and three boys and lots of friends, someone would have had access to one. Maybe we were too scared. Perhaps it was frowned on by our parents, the preacher or the church itself. Was it even around then?

 

            Speaking of scared, one brother says he donned an old sheet with holes for eyes, and came to our own front door. "I scared the bejesus out of the smaller kids. They  screamed bloody murder and hung on to Mom's skirt tail.

             I don't remember any of us Couch kids trick-or-treating, either. Bryant Schools DID have a Halloween carnival--at least ONE year. I DO remember that.

            Kid Billy ( now 25 years old) remembers that for many years, I made pumpkin pies out of jack-o-lanterns for many. He asked for the recipe. He remembers wearing a Ninja costume, and going with a babysitter through a college dorm in Arkadelphia--the first time he'd collected so much candy. He was 6 or 7.

            As a mother of four, I sewed a rabbit costume for the younger daughter, and a wonder-woman outfit for the older one. They were both drill teamers at the time. No idea how--or if-- the two boys "dressed up."

            No trick-or-treaters have visited Couchwood since long before Mom died in 2006. There weren't and aren't many children in this neighborhood. It's likely to change when the new subdivision goes in directly north of us.

            I have a bag of Halloween decorations and objects that I pull out each year. Kid Billy's papier mache pumpkin from art class has lost its chin but leers at me from its place on a book. Also, a multi-branched "tree" with figures hanging from it, a mug that reads, "It's scary without coffee," a black-plastic mouse, a Jack-o-lantern mug that I do not use and a small wooden witch. Also, a felt tote and a purse-sized, handled fanny pack--or something.

            Today, Halloween is almost as big a holiday as Christmas. Costumed children are already being photographed getting ready for--or attending--church carnivals. When I drove by mid-afternoon, Geyer Springs Baptist Church had a huge carnival set up and operating.

            I'll be doggone! I actually stayed on one subject for most of the column. Hmm. My attention span must be growing.

If you haven’t had a happy Halloween, it’s not because you haven’t had enough reminders on Facebook, or goings-on in your town. Remember to set your clocks back after all the "kiddies" have come and gone.