Good Samhain to All and Thank You for Your Votes!

Good Samhain or Halloween to each and every one of my readers. As we move from the season of abundance into the season of cold, need and want, perhaps it would be good to reflect upon the past year's deeds and accomplishments. Just as your ancestors (in the Northern Hemisphere) brought in the crops at the end of the growing cycle, so you should also gather those stray thoughts and unfinished deeds, deciding which to keep, which to hold until the Spring's renewal, and which to toss onto the bonfires of the closing season of Summer. 

The bonfires of Samhain allow for the burning of the 
past and the lighting of the future. Let its' flame warm 
you and brighten your path ahead. 

I'm still alive in LJ Idol, and I'm glad for it. I appreciate every single vote, and thank each of you for taking that extra step of not only reading my entry, but voting for me. We're down to a startling small number of writers now, compared to the huge group we initially had. Votes and/or circumstances have led to our shrinkage of numbers, and I'm SO honored to be among this small group of very talented people. I couldn't still be here without your votes, so once again a sincere and heartfelt "Thank You" if you have been one of those friends who have voted for my efforts. 

I'm VERY grateful for all of you who took the time and 
voted for my latest entry. It's looking like I will live 
to write at least once more, and I'm thrilled about that. 
Of course, the voting isn't closed yet, things could still 
change and I could be kicked off the island. But it's 
looking good so far. 

I awakened early today, so I'm not SUPER rushed (although I don't have all the time in the universe either). DH was in the computer room (the lights were on, I could see the light line at the base of the door). I got up, watered the fountain, convinced the lights above the picture window that it was their time to shine, and settled down to meditate. Getting up at 2:30 am when my alarm is scheduled for 3:00 am, just means I have a bit of extra breathing space before I leave for the swimming pool. 

If my road had been this open, I would have turned 
around. That was an impossibility, however. I had 
cars behind me and next to me, curbs that held me 
into my lane, and no ability to change fate. It was 
a very long 25 minutes before I was able to continue 
on my way to fetch my missing bag. *sigh* 

Yesterday I was an idiot (and probably half asleep). I was at the gym, reaching for my swimming stuff, when I realized I was missing one of the two bags I take with me. I had my swim bag - flippers, goggles, fins, etc - but I was missing the bag with my soap, lotion and clothing for the day. OOPS! I quickly left the gym to return home. Normally this is a five-minute trip. But I got caught by one of the large freight trains they have overnight - the multi-hundred cars worth of train. Twenty+ minutes later I finally was free of the train and heading home. I did return to the gym, and I did get at least half of my normal workout, but it was SO frustrating and so unnecessary if my head had been on straight. *sigh*. Sometimes I can be really stupid! I won't forget today! 

Dressing up for Halloween is a tradition, but one that I 
don't always indulge in. I suspect I won't dress up 
for the shop today. I have work to do, and outfits can 
sometimes get in the way. 

So, I'm off to the swimming pool. There's no way to dress for Halloween for swimming, so I can think about whether or not I'll dress up when I get home. Although I often do dress in a "Morticia Addams" style gown and a long wig, I might forgo that this year. I'm not really in the mood for it. Still, Samhain is finally here, and Winter will begin. It's time. Be safe, enjoy your Halloween, and don't eat TOO much candy. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Good Samhain To All - Stepping Into The New Season

Good Samhain and Happy Halloween to all of my readers. I'm festooned in a shirt of spider webs with two silver spider pins, one spider earring, and my glass spider for jewelry (and a touch of gold, because what spider can resist gold?) LOL. I have a good book on my phone, tasks awaiting me at the shop, and the envelopes for my Holiday Cards are underway. I'll try to get another 20 of those done this morning, with the final 20 tomorrow morning. The ink takes time to dry on these and I can't leave them sitting out to dry while I'm helping customers. 

My spiderweb shirt is quite similar to this one, with 
mesh spiderwebs for the sleeves and along the yoke 
of the shirt. I'm wearing a grey sweater turtleneck 
underneath so the webs show up nicely. With my 
spider jewelry, I'm totally honoring Grandmother 
Spider today. 

Once I've finished decorating the envelopes, I'll put together my final mailing list and start printing them for mailing. If things go according to schedule, I'll have them in the mail around Thanksgiving. We'll see. There's still a fair amount of work to be done. But these cards aren't as labor intensive as last year's were. I needed to back off a little bit this year, 

The bonfires of Samhain are sacred and cleansing. Often 
the animals would be led between two bonfires to 
allow their participation in this event. We are a step 
closer to Winter Solstice now, and the Season of Hunger 
will soon be upon us. It's time to cleanse the soul with 
the fire, reflect upon the year, and celebrate the 
harvest with loved ones. 

Samhain is the end of Autumn and the start of Winter. The harvest is now in, the slaughter of the last of the animals for winter stores will happen shortly, and the tribes will start pulling together, ready to share warmth and resources for the bitter season ahead. It's not deep winter, we haven't even hit Winter Solstice yet, but Samhain is the classroom "five minute" bell - the one that you have to pay attention to. The cold is coming, and the season of starvation lies ahead. The season of reflection begins now and continues until Imbolc when the first stirrings of Spring begin. 

To everything there is a season, and Autumn is a season 
of reflection and preparation. We are now setting our 
feet on the beginnings of the season of cold and it is 
time to celebrate life with the harvest, and prepare for the 
months of need ahead of us. 

As we enter this season of reflection, remember that the focus is two-fold. Inner reflection for your own benefit - analyze and understand yourself and your own place in the world with greater clarity. And outer reflection - how is the outer world going to interact with you? What impact will it have upon your daily life and how can you attempt to improve the greater good? For many of you that will focus on the choices facing you this election day, which happens to be tomorrow. 

No two people will see the same thing. Everything you 
see is filtered by your mind and experiences. Your life 
is unique to you, and although you can share it, no-one 
else can live it for you. 

DH will head to the polls, shaking his head. He said to me "It's one of the few times in my life I'm voting Democrat" with disgust in his voice. I'm delighted, as a life-long Democrat. But everyone must vote their own conscience. I'm relieved that I voted more than a month ago. I don't have to try and get my vote in, then run to the shop to open on time. I've done my duty and maybe ... maybe ... we might get a few weeks of respite from the never-ending political advertisements and platforms. 

Once again, Good Samhain to all. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Dia De Los Muertos, Samhain and NaNoWriMo

I hope everyone had a good Samhain and that today will be an excellent Dia De Los Muertos for each of you. These two days open the doorway to Autumn in my mind, and we're now on the slippery slope towards Winter Solstice in December. My Samhain was quite low-key, just the way I prefer it to be. My Dia De Los Muertos is a chance for a bit of retrospection and remembrance. Today I'll be remembering those who have passed the veil before me - my parents and in-laws, my Unci, and this past month, my brother Floyd. 

Sugar skulls and colorful altars are often a characteristic for
the celebration of Dia De Los Muertos. Remembering those
who have gone before is always a good thing. 

Memory can be a filter of your choosing. You can remember the good times or the bad. You can focus on one irritating thing about a person who has gone beyond, or remember the good things. To be honest, it's probably better to take off the rose-colored and the violet-colored glasses and just view memories as what they are - compounded, often only accurate in part, and not a good place in which to spend a lot of time. Memories can be faulty, incorrect, and slanted. If you build your future based only upon your memories of the past, it won't have a very solid foundation. 

I love this quotation by J.K. Rowling. So many times we
hit rock bottom and are looking up, trying to climb up
sheer sides. If you just look at that bottom as the lowest
point you'll ever go, it's only up from there. 

But as we step out into the latter portion of the year, it isn't a bad thing to remember and to celebrate. Those who have passed ahead of us still shared and influenced our lives in many ways. There is no person who will affect everyone in a positive fashion at all times. That's sainthood far beyond sainthood, and Godhood that really doesn't exist. Give me a more balanced view, please. Give me the mother who loved me and supported me, but who often didn't really understand me. Give me the brother who was demanding and sometimes toxic, yet who opened up more doors to me than I would ever have believed. Give me life - because that's what life is. Life is both good and bad, sometimes within the same moment or stream of life. Pain is balanced by joy, laughter is balanced by tears. 

Writing for NaNoWriMo? I'm here on the sidelines,
cheering you on. "Go! Go! Go! I know you'll do it!" 

So I wish all of you a wonderful Dia De Los Muertos, and for those of you doing NaNoWriMo, I wish you a successful day at your keyboard - only 28 days to go after today's writing session. I'm standing at the sidelines cheering once again. But I'm totally in your corner - my voice is calling out encouragement for you along with a large crowd of other voices. Have an excellent Saturday, remember to turn your clocks back tonight, if appropriate for your area of the nation, and I'll be back on Monday. Blessed Be! 

Happy New Year - A Solstice Card Update & 2nd Call For Cards

I hope everyone had a wonderful Samhain and wish everyone a steller New Year on the Wheel. We didn't have Trick-or-Treat kids coming to our door, even though the lights were on, but I had warned DH to only purchase one bag of candy so we're not too overloaded this year. Of course, his one bag actually equated to two, but since he's the candy monster, I'll live with it. 

He bought Reese's for me - I love their Peanut Butter Cups.
It wasn't quite this assortment, because it also had Kit Kats
in it for him, and the Reese's were individual standard
sized peanut butter cups. Yummy! 

I had a great "day off" though, and the most exciting thing about it was that I started the next step with my Solstice cards and started painting them. This year's card will feature two hand-painted images of those amazing and so fun House Mouse characters, (although I've decided that adding a separate ornament is beyond my time frame). They're turning out SO cute! I'm working with a new product for me - Tom Holtz' Distress Inks. These are funky, blend beautifully, and I'm really enjoying working with them. 

I've had Tim Holtz Distress Ink colors for a couple of years now,
and this is the year to play with them. I'm loving how my
House Mouse images are turning out once they are painted. 

I'll be solidifying with my address list within the next week or so, so I'm putting out my SECOND CALL FOR CARDS. If you would like one of my hand-made cards for your holiday, I'd be delighted to send one your direction, but they are finite and my family and close friends HAVE to come first on the list. I always send them around the world to friends, though, so don't be afraid to message me with your address and card request. I may be messaging some of you individually too, just to make sure we're still OK re addresses, etc. 

The other thing that will be used on this year's
card are my Stabilo pens. These are my go-to pens,
I've used them for years and adore them. 

So, as I wrap this up and get ready to leave for my morning swim, please message me. I'd love to hear from you. I may not be as vocal on the Boards as I used to be, but I'm still there, in the corners, lurking and rarely commenting. Hugs to all, have a great Thursday, and I'll return tomorrow. 

Good Samhain To All

Good Samhain to all of my friends and readers today. The veils between the worlds are thin today, so take care with your choices, look twice before entering crosswalks, and watch out for tricksters when opening your doors tonight. 

Samhain weakens the walls between the worlds and realms. Be cautious
as you go about your business today, and stay far away from Fairy Hills. 

Samhain has both a sacred robe and a secular costume. Choose whichever suits you best, or combine them into your personal comfort wrap. It's all OK. 

Whether you celebrate with others or on your own, or whether you
merely enjoy the trappings of secular Halloween, it's the beginning
of a new year in the Wiccan calendar and a time for reflection and
new beginnings, as well as an acknowledgement of what has
passed during the previous year. 

We're cold up here in the Frozen Northlands, but no snow (at least none sticking on the ground for more than an hour or so). It's been wet, but it's looking like we're dry for the day and tonight. I might get some college kids trick-or-treating tonight ... or not. Not just means more candy left for DH, and a bit for me. 

Because we all need guidance in our lives, I give you crow (or raven) as
your spirit guide this Samhain. Watch carefully as he finds the
safe paths to walk. 

I'm sharing Samhain pictures with all of you today, urging you to have a wonderful and safe holiday and to watch out for things that go "bump" in the night. Hugs to all, enjoy your spooky Wednesday, and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Horror Movies - DH Loves Them, I'm Not As Much of a Fan

After two weeks off, I'm finally heading over to my Chiropractor today. Usually I see him every two weeks, so I'm sure I'll be all cracks when I'm adjusted, rather like an old tree in a windstorm. But, I am an old tree, and even though the windstorm is time, it doesn't make it any less real. It will be a relief to be back onto our normal bi-monthly schedule. Both DH and I benefit from our appointments. 

Movie posters from all of the Halloween movies. Who would have
thought Jason would live for so long in, around and away from
Crystal Lake. 

Of course, it's also the week of Halloween, or Samhain. Lots of things to go bump in the night and the television and movie theaters are filled with scary and horror movies. DH enjoys these kinds of movies. Me? Not so much. Yesterday appeared to be a "Halloween" marathon. DH was watching Part 3 when I came down to the computer room, and between our afternoon football games he wasted the time by watching a portion of Part 8. It's hard to believe that tale went through eight movies and three spin-offs. I guess Jason really does live forever. 

The Shining is one of my favorite scary movies. The
plot, the location, the ghosts and the child - all spin
together into something that screams "Don't
open that door!" 

I'm more of a subtle horror movie fan. My favorite horror movie of all time? "The Shining" starring the amazing Jack Nicholson. Scary - oh yes, VERY scary. The pacing was perfect, the locale was one I'm extremely familiar with (it was just up the road as I was growing up) and yes .... I totally believe in ghosts and spirits. Even though I've watched it often, there are still parts I have problems watching. The mark of a good movie. 

There's just something about Freddy Krueger that
I like. It's scary - absolutely - and he's a fabulous
character, but it's more than that. It's just really
well made and well conceived. 

DH and I and a bunch of our college friends saw "Carrie" in our local theatre. It was a long time ago, but I still remember the ending - don't think I'll ever forget that one. There were other movies of note through the years - "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Hellraiser" which introduced the world to Pinhead, and my favorite of the bunch - "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and the immortal Freddy Krueger. Yes - I'm totally a Freddy Krueger fangirl. 

Pinhead in "Hellraiser" was a frightening central character, but
I didn't like him as much as the two previous ones I've
featured in today's blog. 

Do you enjoy horror movies? Are there some kinds that you find fun and others that you won't watch any time or place? Share with me. I don't want to feel alone as I wander through the next few days of weakening walls between dimensions. 

Happy Monday to all and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Blessed Samhain

Today - well, tonight starting at sunset and going through tomorrow's sunset - is Samhain, the traditional end of the harvest and beginning of winter. It was a time to gather around bonfires, do divination for the next year, and have the final Great Festival before the start of leaner times. The harvest has now been gathered and put aside for the winter and early spring months. It's time to hope that what was processed and stored will be enough food for all until the next growing season. 

Black cats and pumpkin jack-o-lanterns are traditional Halloween items
in the USA. Turnips are the thing in the UK, along with bonfires. It's the
season for witches, divination, and meetings around bonfires. Take care,
it is the season of the witch! 

Divination was often practiced on this doorway day. I call days like this "doorway days" because they are major transitional days between one aspect and another. In the roll of the year, Samhain is a major holiday. In the day-to-day of today, a time when the passing of the seasons means more looking forward to winter sports than it does gathering together for survival, it's a time to go door-to-door and beg for candy. How the mighty have fallen! 

Samhain and Beltane are the two major holidays in the Celtic calendar -
bookends of the world, feasts featuring flame and the remembrance of
those who have passed and those who still may come. Blessed Be! 

There will be covens gathering together tonight to celebrate the shift of the seasons, but there will also be lots of little kiddies going door to door in hope of treats (or celebrating at various hosted events at shopping centers, churches, and schools). For many kids, Halloween will have been an on-going blitz of chocolate and sugar for almost a week now. I pity the poor parental units (and hope that they have also gotten to share in the chocolatey, gooey, goodness). 

Halloween celebrates those who have passed before us. They mark the
road that all of us will tread upon in days to come. Distribute your
candy, but remember those who stood behind you as well. Both
sides make up Samhain. 

I have my bowl of candy by the door and I will happily pass them out to those who ring my doorbell before 9:00 pm. After that, the candy distribution machine resides that in this house reverts once again to operate specifically for those of us living here. Have a safe All Hallows Eve and a good Tuesday. I'll be back tomorrow. 

A Holiday Weekend - Samhain, Dia de los Muertos and Daylight Saving Time

It's a holiday weekend of celebration, things that go bump in the night, celebration of the dead and the joyful laughter of kids (old and young) as they overdose on candy of all types. It's also Samhain, the holy day of many pagan believers. I'll be holding the Goddess and the Spirits in my thoughts today as I work and think about friends, old and new, and hoping the best for each of you over the next year. Solstice has yet to come, and in the US, Daylight Saving Time will end in less than 24 hours.

I love this carved pumpkin. There are others more elaborate
out there, but the idea of the skull and exposed brain is brilliant! 

So, good Samhain to all, and a Happy Halloween. I don't have my stoop decorated with pumpkins or other decorations, but my porch light will be on until 9:00 pm and I will pass out candy to any of the college students who are in costume. I'll do jigsaw puzzles on my computer and keep my Morticia Addams dress on through the day while I answer the door. I don't have to try hard to dress like a witch - LOL.

The Veil is thin at this time of the year. Honor those who have
passed and walk with caution. Good Samhain to all! 

I urge those of you who will be out and about over the next day or so to travel with caution. The Veil is thin at this time of the year. Whether or not you believe in ghosts or spirits, it is the correct time of year for things that go bump in the night.

I love sugar skulls, but I really adore these sugar skull cookies.
Don't they look almost too good to eat? 

Sunday is Dia de los Muertos - the celebration of the dead that is celebrated throughout Latin America and beyond. Having picnics at the cemetery up here can be a very cold experience, but people up here still decorate the graves of their loved ones with sugar skulls and pop-up dioramas, still invite the dead to join their celebrations, and still remember those who have passed ahead of them. There will be music and dancing throughout the Latin American communities up here and the cemeteries will be busy with visitors.

It's been nice, but I'll be glad to get back to 'normal'
time once more. Of course, 'normal' is relative. Why do
we play with everything - even time? 

Topping it all off will be the semi-annual changing of the clocks - Spring Ahead and Fall Back. We'll get an extra hour of sleep over the weekend and our clocks will be set back, leaving Daylight Saving Time behind until next spring. By solstice it will be full dark at 4:00 pm. Oh joy! Happy weekend to all of you. Walk carefully and think of those who are no longer with us. I'll be back on Monday.

Halloween is Coming - Thoughts About Worship

We're past Labor Day in the United States, and that means that our media is full of commercials for things occurring in the fall. Primary among these are the new television season beginning next week (new shows - yawn, continuations of older shows - some are OK) and the next holiday - Halloween.

It's almost time for kids to go "Trick or Treat" at your doorway. Sure, there's
still more than a month before Halloween, but if you're making their
costumes, it's time to pull out the fabric and sewing machine. 

For those who are Pagan, Halloween is a seminal holiday - a holiday that is not an equinox or a solstice such as we will celebrate next week when we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox. Most of the mid-seasonal celebrations go on with a wave, a smile, an extra offering on the altar if one is kept, and sometimes a small gathering. But for Halloween the world seems to celebrate.

Carved pumpkins are indicative of Halloween throughout the USA. Why
carve a pumpkin? Well, I suppose it's better than the turnip or
rutabaga of historical records. 

As I was seeing yet another commercial for costumes this morning as I was catching up on my emails and watching the 4:00 am repeat of "Law and Order", it occurred to me that without children embracing Halloween as a nation-wide costume ball, we might be more aware of the longer-held beliefs in the thinning curtain between good and evil that take place at the turning of October into November. After all, All Hallow's Eve is followed by All Souls's Day - the ghosts are driven out by the choral voices at the closest cathedral.

Castles had their gibbets, crossroads had their hanging
trees or frameworks. 

In ancient times, Halloween was a time to avoid places of danger - crossroads, confluences of water, and intersections of ley lines. Criminals were executed at crossroads and, sometimes, their bodies were placed in gibbets or left hanging by the noose to warn others that retribution was swift and harsh in the area. It was a simple "No Trespassing" sign that communicated a message graphically.

The great cathedrals, this one in Lincolnshire, England, were built to
inspire the people to cast their eyes upward towards God. The architecture
draws the eyes upward as well as toward the central altar. 

There were also signs for the other side - the godly side. These were the stained glass windows and arched vaults of the cathedral - raising the eyes of the congregation towards heaven. The liturgy was performed in Latin, a language foreign to most of the peasants in the pews or standing in the wings. It almost placed an aura of magic over the familiar ceremony and also led to a social gap between the priest performing the Mass and those listening to the strange words and not allowed to stand at the altar.

The Pharaoh would walk through the temple columns to
offer his gifts to the god - hoping it would be well received.
When the god turned away from him, the floods wouldn't
come or would be too strong, either way causing famine
in the realm.  

Ceremonies separating those performing religious rites and those attending them seems to have always been present, even back in Egyptian times when Pharaoh brought his offerings to the priests of Amun and the sun entered the Chamber of the God.  I believe worship and the trappings thereof are your personal choice. I choose to keep my celebrations private and personal. If there is a deity, they understand, if there isn't, what do I lose?

Many pagans or individual worshipers following personal pathways will set
up altars. This one is quite nice with the female to the left and the
horned male on the right. Don't look for any altars in my house - I don't have one
of my own. 

So start shopping for that Halloween candy, start dressing the kiddies up as ladybugs, princesses, pirates or their latest superhero fixation, and don't forget to stay away from crossroads in a little more than a month. Such a rambling post, today is. That's what happens when I have a bit of time. Now to find some quick pictures and get going to the gym. Happy weekend to all and don't forget to clean your house to prepare for the Equinox and the Jewish holiday next week.

Good Samhain to All

It's Halloween! Late last night while watching Project Runway All Stars, I decided I would dress up for work today. So I'm sitting here wearing my old Minnesota North Stars jersey and I'll grab my hockey hat that has pins from all of the old pro teams as well as lots of minor league teams. I'll be a hockey fan for the day. It's an easy costume for me to wear and one that I wore for every home game for years and years. My heart was broken when the North Stars were moved to Texas in 1993. *sigh*

My jersey is exactly like this one. I also have a dark sweater that I wear
on occasion. I miss my team. They left in 1993 and the Wild, although
I enjoy watching them, just aren't the same. 

I'll have trick-or-treaters coming by tonight, I always do. Usually I just get college kids from the nearby Christian university, but we have had some younger families move into the area over the past year and many of them have young kids who may also be going door to door. I suspect I won't get a lot of beading done tonight, but I have to try, deadlines wait for no holiday. But at 9:00 pm my lights will be turned off and the door will be shut to the masses.

Here's a great bunch of trick-or-treaters. I love seeing the kids. Today's cold,
though, so coats will be worn and my number of treaters will be down. 

Of course, Samhain also reminds me that NaNo begins tomorrow and I'll be hip deep in writing once again. My laptop will get a workout and, hopefully, will survive the process. I'll be posting my blog, but it will be a more hurried affair. I'll try to keep up with friend's LJ posts via my smartphone app because I miss reading all of your posts. It's a bit harder for me to comment that way, but I'll try.

I read on my phone all the time. It's my main e-reader these days. But
responding to LJ posts with it does take a bit more time than sitting
at a keyboard. Still, carrying all of this in a single hand-held device
is the closest thing to heaven I can think of. My entire library of e-books,
more than 650 of them, at my fingertips, literally. HAPPY! 

I'll just have to remind myself that the sooner I get my 50,000 words down, the sooner my life can return to 'normal'. Of course 'normal' is a relative term. I'm not sure I've truly hit that definition from day one of my life, but I never stop trying to fit in. Square hole, round peg - that's me.

A square peg in a round hole - that's me. I never quite fit in, but
I'm always willing to try. Then I give up and walk my own road
once more. That's my life...LOL. 

So as you celebrate Samhain in your own way, share goodies with kids and varied adults, and watch carefully for ghosts and ghouls, I wish you a Blessed Day and Night and a safe passage through the next 24 hours and year of your lives.

Have a Blessed Samhain as the year continues its cycle. 

Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween to all!

Happy Halloween/Blessed Samhain

Today is Halloween. I'm dressed in my long black velvet dress, wearing my spider earrings and will put on my long red-haired wig before I leave for the day. Add in a staff of pussy willows, spider pins, and mismatched socks and I think I'll make a convincing "fun" witch. I wish I was skinnier - this dress shows every overweight curve, but I am as I am. I considered wearing my hockey jersey and carrying a hockey stick with my hat of pins - I can make a very good fangirl. But...my "Morticia" is what I originally wanted to wear and I decided to go ahead with it, overweight or not.

I loved the original "Addams Family". They were just perfect. Gomez and
the tango, speaking French, Lurch and Thing, and Cousin It. I loved them all.

It is the time of the year when the veil between our modern world and the spirit world becomes translucent. Whether you believe in ghosts or just lost a friend or loved one over this past year, it is a good time to sit down and think about those who have passed. I'll be thinking about my parents and my in-laws today, especially my father-by-marriage who only passed a few months ago. Don't forget those who have gone before, but acknowledge and honor them by remembering them. As long as they are remembered, they have never truly died.

I adore cemeteries and statuary. This weeping angel is
quite lovely.

And for those of you who do believe in ghosts, I hope you have an opportunity to indulge in some ghost hunting over the next day or two. You never know what you may find around the next corner.

Do you believe in ghosts?

We're in the middle of a foggy morning and a relatively (for Minnesota) mild day, so I'm quite sure I'll have trick-or-treaters at my door tonight. Although I do have a family with young children who moved in next door to me, my costumed revelers are usually from the nearby Christian college and they are fun, happy, and very sweet. I hope they like spiders - the spiders who live in my house siding have been very busy building nice webs near my front door lately.

Spider webs can be wonderfully spooky.

Just a reminder - NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow, so this is my last morning blog post for most of the next month.

Have a fun Halloween and a Blessed Samhain.

Have a joy-filled Halloween and a Blessed Samhain.

Good Samhain

This is my final morning blog post until December, and today is Samhain (also known as Halloween to many of you). It is a time when the boundaries thin and communication between living and dead is opened. It is a time to reflect on those who have passed on and think about the year ahead. Continue to finalize your harvest, celebrate your friends and push those things that were negative in your past year underneath the earth, to be cleansed by the Mother.

Trick or treat is a time-honored tradition in the US and I usually get college kids from the local Christian college. I love my trick-or-treaters and always get candy to give to them. Seeing their inventive and thrown-together costumes always makes me smile. It will be colder tonight, although we don't have snow yet, so I won't have the 50+ that I had last year when it was very mild and warm, but I know I'll have some coming to my porch and I welcome them. I hope that your celebration of the holiday, however you choose to honor it, brings you joy.