WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN MEMORIES?

I say just one “of”, because if you are like me there are many favorite memories. Bits and pieces of moments in time, of the Halloween season. Halloween, holds some of my favorite memories.


This day, I was in the studio, my happy place, and was working this piece for a collection we were releasing soon, and memories came flooding over me. This piece was once part of a Halloween invitation I made for one of our parties. That life I had while we lived in Missouri.


I remember this time when my mom came out for Halloween. She made the most awesome witch finger shortbread cookies. They looked so realistic. I have this hanging lamp with these glass balls that I was putting webs on, spider eggs, old lady underneath, you get the picture. She came up with the wonderful idea of putting all these spiders on our ceiling going to the vent. Why not, we were going to paint it anyway. I was so impressed with her suggestions.


This one Halloween my mom told me something I had never heard before. This one Halloween, while she was pregnant with me, her and some ladies in the neighborhood dressed up and went Trick-or-Treating with the kids. So, you see, I have loved Halloween since I was very, very young. My mom made this costume for me. How special is that. Still had part of it but now it is page in my scrapbook. I loved the hat. Accidently burned it when I set it on fire on top of my parents TV. You know those big TV’s that was like a wooden cabinet. Sshh, they didn’t know. Last time I ever did that!! My first witch costume, of many. It started at a young age.



I remember all us neighbor kids walking for hours with our moms. Our poor moms. Our bags would be filled with tons of candy. Seems like, back in the day, almost all the lights were on with people just giving us candy as long as we said those three magic words, Trick-or-Treat followed by the 2 magic words, Thank-you, (well, this is how I remember it). Even back in the day loving and caring parents were checking their children’s Halloween candy. Candy “that is bad for you”. I was so happy that my parents loved me enough to check my candy. Many times, they protected me from the harm of candy “that is bad for you”. I too, became a loving and caring parent and protected my children by checking for candy “that is bad for you”. In those days, Almond Joys and Snickers were on the bad list. My son now protects his kids. I remember this one house, when you rang the doorbell, a giant, I mean huge, ginormous, spider came down from this huge knarly tree behind us. You turned, and the huge eyes were flashing red, yes it blocked the gate to exit the yard. It was the coolest thing! I love spiders. Childhood memories.



I remember in High School the church I went to did a haunted house. It was the coolest thing. It was exciting and scary but not gross. (I pass out at blood). Then one year I got to work in one. It was so exciting to see how they achieved the special effects, like tunnels out of refrigerator boxes and you felt you were going for miles. This one Halloween, I got to work in “The Graveyard”! Yessss! I was the one, digging the grave.
“Would this be your grave? Beware, you are but a guest, pass through my graveyard, carefully.”
Or something like that.

People are walking through a small dark room covered with dirt and sand, over water bed mattresses strategically placed though out. Just filled up enough to give you a little wobble as you walk across them. So here they would come in my grave yard, my dark black of night graveyard with a strobe light off in the distance as it there was lightening in the dark sky, fog rolling on the ground being stirred up by the movement of the footsteps of those in my graveyard. Wobbling as they go across the mattresses, tombstones marking the dead, RIP, and me, dressed in black digging a grave.

“Would this be your grave? Beware, you are but a guest, pass through my graveyard, carefully.”
Or something like that.

The night before, a high school group, seniors. It went well, great test run. This night the senior citizens group.

“Would this be your grave? Beware…of my shovel…oh no!”
An elderly gentleman is falling and hits his head on my shovel. I see it unfolding in front of my eyes, slow motion, the wobble and there is nothing either of us can do. Both helpless. It was like watching a horror movie. Really? Die in a graveyard, my graveyard? Oh, the irony. Thank goodness this was not a Stephen King or Disney movie. He rose up from the grave, laughing and rubbing his head. He was fine. He loved Halloween, and the effects of the room and the irony. I traded rooms with someone. That was scary.


Years later working on my very own graveyard in MO. Who knew it was training. 💀🎃💀




I remember this one Halloween, when we lived in Germany. The kids’ father was stationed there and the housing area we lived we took the kids to go Trick-or-Treating. This year their father made my son’s robot costume. Cutest Robot EVER! I made my daughters pumpkin costume. Cutest Pumpkin EVER!



We would go to this one house that had a pumpkin patch. My little pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

This year took the kids to the Mahaffy Ranch Pumpkin Patch , almost 30 years later my pumpkins in the pumpkin patch or is it children of the corn, hmmmmmm.

I remember one Halloween my daughter was a cute little bunny that I made for her. At one house the woman who answered the door grabbed her from my arms and took her inside proclaiming to all “isn’t this the cutest bunny ever”. Sniff, proud mama. Several years later my son was a headless guy, he was a teenager. The story will make more sense by you knowing this. He even carried around a skull with his brains, still have the skull, packing peanuts spray painted red shrivels up and looks like brains. Well as close to ever wanting to know what they actually look like. He had a hard time seeing through the sweater, so I had to guide him, poor thing. He hit so many fences, poles, parked cars, etc. So clumsy. Again, someone who answered the door, a guy this time, grabbed my child from my arms, took this child inside proclaiming to all “look at this man, this is so cool”, sniff, proud mama. Have you ever looked across a yard or street to a dark empty house and see something? A slight movement, a shadow in the dark of night. A faint sound, the leaves crackling under the adjustment of position. “Look kids, lets go to that house there. No, go ahead, I’m sure there is someone there, I saw someone”. Screams as the shadow jumped out from the dark of night. Oh, how I laughed. Teenager.

I remember the Halloween parties in Missouri. I would plan all year, we’re talking blue prints, menu, and lists. So much to be made. Props, bleeding portraits, moving light up laboratory equipment, invitations, tombstones and costumes. Our house was transformed. Each room with its own theme and each year different. I love themes. The feast was well thought out and there were even fireworks. We are not talking about California fireworks (being from California I only remember the ones on the ground), we’re talking about Missouri fireworks that go off in the sky. It was so beautiful. Like being in a firework. Looking up in the sky above us. I had friends and family that came from afar to spend this special time with us. Memories of another life.

I remember one Halloween, my sister, my best friend and her daughter came to celebrate the season with us. It was a special time of special gifts and memories. One memory was going to the Bellfontaine Cemetery in St Louis Missouri. It is a such a beautiful cemetery, to drive through, and this time of year with the big old trees and the fall colors it is breath taking.
It was a gray drizzling rainy day, so we stayed in our cars, me with my sister and Kaylyn with Michelle and her daughter. We were taken aback with the beauty of the cemetery. The vibrant fall colors on a dark rainy day. The huge trees of the park. The amazing tombstones, obelisk and statues. We knew we had to come back in a few days to this magnificent cemetery. We had other places to go this day. Apparently, we stayed a bit longer than planned, enjoying the drive so much we lost track of time. The gates out were closed and locked. It was after 5:00 pm. It must have been, it said right there on the gate, Gate closes at 5:00PM. Hmmm, interesting. Not exactly where we planned on spending the night. I personally do not wish to spend an evening in a cemetery. Thankfully there are very nice people who take care of this beautiful cemetery that kindly let us stragglers out. How we laughed later. It was a good funny memory. There are many more during this life.

As life changes, Halloween changes. Still there are memories. We now have a Halloween tree. It’s fun to decorate and we have memories scattered throughout. I like looking at those little memories.

I remember that time, many many times how my Poor Lil Buttercup loved Halloween. To lay under the Halloween tree. Sleep for hours in the sun. To bat at the sparkling, glitter glass ball ornaments in the moonlight. Oh no, it came off, must chase around the house batting at sparkling ball. Always towards the large Rose Quartz rock to have it shatter. We learned to decorate for cat. She left the tree alone. Except for Zero, Kaylyn’s ornament. There would be no Zero on the tree. She gave up, she being Kaylyn and there was no Zero on the tree. I miss my Buttercup. I like to collect witches, they remind me of a memory. Had to get this adorable kitty kat witch. I had kitty kat witchs.



So being a Wacky Wandering kind of team, me and my daughter like to try to do something special for Halloween. Go on a road trip to a haunted destination, fall foliage or even a hike along the river.




I remember one year we went to Salem MA for Halloween. Last minute...let’s go! It was crazy amazing! Cutest little town, with some wonderful little shops, beautiful fall foliage, history, ancestry (uncle was accused of being a witch) some amazing costumes, and dancing in the streets. It is an amazing memory to have done this. One day want to go back earlier in the month and not just for one day.



I remember this one Halloween we went to Sedona and to haunted Jerome in Arizona. Staying at the cutest place, Iron Horse Inn in Cottonwood.

I was so excited to get some adorable vintage look Halloween keepsakes at Papillon Too in Cottonwood. Reminds me of a Halloween long ago of my adorable kids in Germany. The year they were the cutest little Robot and Pumpkin EVER! A reminder of the time me and Kaylyn spent our Halloween here on this adventure. We were each holding a doll we had pick up in different areas of the store. The owner even said “oh look they are you two”. We had Zomtini’s on the patio at Bocce Club Pizza watching the Trick-Or-Treaters go by. Little shops in Old Town Cottonwood had decorations and passed out candy to young and old. People can be so creative with their costumes, there was the Adams Family, Captain Tight Pants and Kaylee from Firefly, love me a good TRex. This area I am not so clever. It was fun watching young and old walk by, dressed in there Halloween best. Halloween is for all ages.

My lovely daughter was playing with her filters on her phone? And this is the result. I tried not to laugh, she is so clever. Proud mama. Brat.

Last year we were in Edinburgh Scotland for Halloween. Edinburgh is amazing. We ate at Worlds End and drank Thistly Cross. I will admit I went because of the movie. I adore Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (just finished watching Shaun of the Dead). Long day and up early the next day so we didn't stay for the Samhuinn Fire Festivial. We did treat ourselves to more Thistly Cross to take back to the room and some devilishly decedent desserts. They were to pretty to pass. Amazing memory.

Next day I ate here.


Halloween memory of parties at a good friend. I love any occasion to wear a new hat

This year, decorations are up. First Halloween in our new place on our new adventure. I asked myself this year “do we decorate for Halloween or do we rearrange our things?” Do you “rearrange”? You know what I mean. Me and my daughter pull some of our favorite treasures from our space and bring them to a new space. I get to see some of her cool things. Bare spots in my room though. Hahahaha.

Love seeing the memories on my tree. A witch I got on our first trip to Barcelona Spain.


witch at a Renassaince Faire in Santa Fe


A witch we got in Salem Ma


Kaylyn loves her bats

Thistle from Edinburgh Scotland


Ornament a dear friend taught me how to make.


my love of black birds and spiders and skulls and purple and black and orange...

So this one, this one is mine.



For now, it is on my tree. “one of” my favorite Halloween memories…

This Halloween we made more memories. It was a cloudy rainy, foggy day. We drove to Florence OR and walked in Old Town Florence. Shops had treats for young and old. It wasn’t planned but we went Trick-or-Treating. Thank you very much! Went for a lovely drive to Mapleton for some fall color and a wonderful dinner at El Guadalajara. Realized Halloween means mexican food yummmm. It has become an accidental tradition.

Yummmm.

It was a fun day. Kaylyn got a blown glass ornament to remember this day. It’s on the Halloween tree for now.

This Halloween has past. Always a bit sad. It is such a special time. The season goes by so quickly and life can be so busy. But in my house, my life my heart there is always a bit Halloween. The dark, the décor, the fun, the magical, the spiritual. It’s more than a holiday, it’s a way of life.

So what’s one of your favorite Halloween memories?
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