Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Halloween 2007 and 1962


Halloween is over. It was a perfect night, cool but not cold, and about ½ after dark it started raining! My daughter and her friends and I made a quick retreat home and I built a fire. They got enough candy. It was light way too late now we’re still on Daylight Savings Time. This is another reason that I don’t think Congress should monkey with the time, but they didn’t ask me. I’ll just have to vote against ‘em. Anyway, here’s a picture of this year’s pumpkin and a story from my childhood about my first Trick-or-Treat experience.

I was Tony the Tiger, wearing a mask that I got by saving box tops from Frosted Flakes. My brother had on some kind of bear cartoon character mask and I don’t remember what my uncle had on. He was an old timer at this “Trick-or-Treat” stuff, we were just beginning. I was five years old. That night my mother took my brother and me by Bunches Store in Eastwood. It was our first stop and I think we got an apple. Then we went over to my grandmothers. Grandma drove, mom rode in the front seat while L, W and I piled into the back seat for the drive into town. Once there, my uncle lead my brother and I down the street, stopping at houses and shouting “Trick-or-Treat.” We were filling up our pillow cases fast. Then we stopped at this big old brick house. It looked haunted. Suddenly, three witches appeared at the door. My brother and I screamed “witches,” as loud as we could and ran back to my grandmother’s car that had been trailing us along the street. Out of breath, we began to tell about our narrow escape (Uncle L stayed back to collect the candy). My mother got out of the car and grabbed my brother with one hand and me in the other and started dragging us back saying that we had to apologize. No, we pleaded. I wondered if my mom was really a step-mom, like the one in Hansel and Gretel. I knew that when it came to witches, one couldn’t be too sure about mothers… “They’re not witches,” she kept saying, “and you need to apologize.” When we got back to the door, the women were laughing and gave us extra candy. It turned out that they were nuns, which didn’t make sense to me at the time, but I was finally reassured that they served God and not the devil. This happened about the time of Vatican 2, which meant nothing to this Presbyterian, but looking back on it, that was obviously the reason they were still in their black outfits and wearing habits.

14 comments:

  1. Great carved pumpkin, and the story about the nuns is too funny!

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  2. I love Halloween! Love it. We had a good one this year. On Tuesday night the sorority houses here has a trick-or-treat for the kids. The kids loved (and not bad eye candy for their old man either!).

    We took the kids trick-or-treating tonight as well. So they got to double dip this year. The university also has a Halloween event tonight that was just awesome. Great night out the wife and kiddos!

    Great pumpkin too Sage!

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  3. I don't blame you for being scared! Very funny.

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  4. One of these years, I am going to dress up as a scarecrow and sit very very still out on the front deck with a bowl of candy and a sign around my neck that says "Just Take One." When some poor kids takes more, I am going to shout just one really loud and scare the bejeebers out of them.

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  5. Thanks Diane, and those witches were scarier than the one over at your place!

    Joe, glad you had a good halloween--it's a kids holiday and I hope your kids had a great time

    Kenju, when you're 5 and have barely been out of the backwoods for Moore County...

    Ed, are you a mime? Can you stay that still... and can you imagine the tricks that might get played on you?

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  6. I miss the old days when pumpkin carving was done without the kits. Give me three triangles and a smile with square teeth any day. Did you roast the pumpkin seeds, Pa?

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  7. Murf, I have you know that I didn't get another of those carving kits--I got the pattern off the internet (I think I googled "pumpkin carving templates"). This was mostly done with knives and the little saw that I threw away and figure next year I'm make my own saw out of a coping saw blade.

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  8. Yeah, you very seldom see a nun in a habit. When I was in grade school the nuns that taught summer CCD at our church still wore theres...but erm..I think it was out of habit. Pun intended.

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  9. Love the pumpkin and the nun story is classic! Too funny.

    I must say, you have talent with knives. Very nice.

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  10. Love your stories, sage!

    And, the pumpkin is just so, well...

    HALLOWEEN!!

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  11. I've been to the very same site before Sage because I knew I recognized that one.

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  12. Beautiful carving and very good story.

    You asked in my blog, if we have halloween in Delhi. It is more popular in Mumbai which a melting pot for multi-cultures. As I was studying in a convent we used to follow it in school. So I have always been aware of it. Delhi is waking up to it only now. Media plays a great role. It is more common in the malls and departmentl stores.

    In Hinduism, we do have a fortnight in Sept or October ( We call that pitripaksh) which is 25 days before Dusshera where we believe our ancestors come to visit us. In those 15 days, a lot of rituals are followed. Since my dad passed away, I too do it although I am not deeply religious. Maybe a force of habit. I don't know. But I have felt closer to him in those days as if he is hovering around watching over me.

    Coming back to the topic, on Diwali night our ancestors leave us to come back next year.

    I believe we all have something similar in our religions with minor differences.

    I am sorry to take so much of your blog space!

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  13. I knew that when it came to witches, one couldn’t be too sure about mothers…

    ROFL

    I love that line!!!

    Hilarious about the nuns as witches... too funny! I bet they got a kick out of that! :)

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  14. You were a wicked boy calling nuns names! Good thing they had a sense of humor. I love the pumpkin shot. The getting dark so much later hurt our trick or treater numbers. If only they'd known how much candy I had for them and how excited I was to see them. oh well.

    I can't remember if I congratulated you or not on your article. If I haven't I meant to. Now I am off to take your quiz above.

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