I Take My Lead From Witches

Sometimes people ask me if I get depressed after Halloween since I've been building up to it all year, but for me, Halloween is just one day in 365 spooky days. That's the great thing about being a spook-loving person- it never ends. My skeletons don't go back in the closet on November 1st; I enjoy them every day. I take my lead from witches: Halloween is celebrated as the closing of a cycle, not an ending.

Last night was lots of fun for me. I made a delicious pot of barley & tomato soup for dinner so that I wouldn't find myself at the stove when the first doorbell rang (not till almost 6:30 this year!) I lit the candle in the family altar then I opened a bottle of wine and waited for the little monsters. I sat on the porch most of the night even though the temperature dropped down to 40 degrees. I love sitting off to the side and hearing the conversations as the kids and their parents approach the house. A group of 5 teenage boys strolled down the sidewalk singing "Hooked On A Feeling" at the top of their lungs as they approached the house. I would have missed that had I been inside and what a shame that would have been.

I had over 125 scary, little monsters come to our door. All of them were polite and thanked me profusely (hint: give out full-size candy bars). A few told me they loved me; a few more told me that this was their favorite house for decorations; and several parents said it's not Halloween in town until we put up our flames in front of the house. I think I have cracks in my face from smiling so much.

I ended the night with my traditional reading of "The Homecoming" by Ray Bradbury. The story is bittersweet, but perfect for this time of year. I look forward to reading it every year.

So, if you're feeling a little down, remember that there are artists out there making their daily living from creating hauntingly, beautiful works of art, more spooky movies than you could watch in October, holidays celebrating the dead throughout the year all over the world, hoards of ghost stories, and you can wear black everyday and be considered "fashionable." You can't say that about a Christmas sweater.