Halloween. My favorite time of the year bar none. OK, August heat with close friends in canvas runs pretty close too but Halloween has always held a very special place in my heart. This Halloween was pretty low key and I thought it would be a let down compared to last year particularly. You see, I have fallen in with a Halloween crowd over the last couple of years. They are a wonderful influence to my inner freak, especially around Halloween. Actually, they are a wonderful influence all year long but they are just as nuts about Halloween as I am, maybe more, so around this time of year it gets to be even more fun.
There is something very magical about Halloween. The fall leaves showing off their finest gowns before ending their dance for the season, the frosty morning when the grass crunches under your shoes, the smells so crisp and clean that can only exist this time of year and all of it leading up to a night that demands a fantasy for any age as long as they keep magic and wonder in their hearts. This describes my Halloween loving friends to a T.
Last year their house because a haunted stone mansion complete with smoke filled graveyard where the living dead would occasionally rise up to see the costumes parading down the sidewalk. There were laser lights to guide the unsuspecting into the laboratory on the porch where they were greeted by severed heads, more smoke, hideous monsters and teenagers with the ultimate prize…the chocolate! It was amazing and everyone had a great time. They had a Halloween night staff who showed up the night before for a pre-party and final set up evening and most of us returned for the main event to see the overall effect and enjoy each others company as we chatted with the parents accompanying their wildly outfitted offspring on their yearly candy fest. Young lions growled the courage, dogs forced to wear bumble bee costumes were given treats right along with their mini human counter parts and everyone enjoyed the night despite the chill in the air.
This year, I was sure would be a let down as this couple has been so busy they weren’t able to construct the whole mansion this year. I knew the pre-party would not happen and the magically night itself would probably be pretty low key. My daughter and I went over to enjoy chili, rolls and cornbread as a pre-invasion feast (and it was truly wonderful) while Todd (the Halloween Master) set up what decorations he could; the blow up spider with smoke billowing from his fangs every once in a while, various jack-o-lanterns also bellowing mysterious smoke and a gate way daring people to enter. The cauldron was full to brimming with chocolate and the dog treats were open and ready in time for the first brave adventurers to utter the timeless plea “trick or treat”. For the next 2 hours we watched the endless parade of fairies and zombies, princesses and ninjas as we huddled in coats trying to shut out the cold and enjoyed every single magical moment. As it turns out, I don’t need big fake mansions and ghostly graveyards, I just need my friends and our mutual love of Halloween and everything it embodies.
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