Mornin’ Elliott.

As best as my memory is working, I think the best Halloween for me might have been the one in college when my fave bar had a Halloween party. I had a fairly standard (for me) costume of old pants suitable for beach wear, my trusty saber from military school days and the bandana for the head. All I needed was the eye patch to complete the pirate ensemble but since I’m blind without the glasses, I took a pass on that part

Well, Well, It’s Pull Up A Chair with Elliott!
Woo Hoo.
The halloween costume that won me the top award in the costume parade at school was the one I wore in 6th grade. I was The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe. My dad helped me attach cardboard to my baby sister’s stroller to fashion a high topped shoe. I painted it with the aquarmarine paint that was already in the garage (house paint from the actually house) and we used tv anntenae wire for the laces and I placed the largest stuffed animals and dolls on the top and out the windows we had cut in the cardboard. I dressed like an old lady and the best part was that my sister who was 2 sat in the stroller seat while I pushed the “shoe” around.

lol

the saber was a nice touch

that’s a great one, I hope lil sis enjoyed the promenade

Of course! People were astounded that there was a real child in the shoe and were giving her a lot of attention. And, then, because I was ten years older than she, I played with her a lot at home and all. We were quite close when she was younger.

Good morning, everyone. Great topic, Elliott! Can you believe I cannot recall even one Halloween costume, although I’m sure I had some good ones over the years. But I will never forget one of the best ones from an adult Halloween party my (now ex) husband and I attended back in the 60s. I don’t remember what he or I wore, but the host couple had a great idea.

He was sorta small and slender, and she was bigger and buxom. So she dressed up as the Pope, complete with full papal regalia and a ring to kiss, and he dressed as a nun in the full black habit. I think the costumes were rented, but the overall effect was hilarious!!

so cute.

I know some years we had the boxed costumes from Collegeville, but I can’t actually remember any particular ones we got, maybe colonial lady. Nowadays there’s great stuff available in seasonal costume shops.

that’s funny!

It was hilarious! Partly, of course, because SHE was the Pope and HE was the nun. I have no idea what I wore, so it must not have been memorable.

Good Morning Molly
That sounds like fun!
Once in college, I went to a party that was given by a guy who was in the same department as I. We had been flirting quite a bit. I took a friend from work and he and I dressed alike, as clowns. Full white face and red noses. He had a longish cury hair, so I curled my hair in tight curls too. I ended up spending the night. (ahem, it was the 70′s after all). In the morning, I got up to use the facilities and when I got a look at my face in the mirror I was horrified! I guess the beer and all made me forget that I was in costume.

OK, inquiring minds want to know: whom did you spend the night with, the friend from work or the host of the party? LOL. I can just imagine your shock when you looked in the mirror in the morning.

oh lordy!

a brutal awakening – but one of those “it was fun a the time”

Ellie!
My dad made us all mummies one year by wrapping us head to toe in gauze. Then we found out why mummies are dead before you wrap them because live mummies come unraveled pretty quickly through movement. It was still lots of fun and we got a lot of comments and parents kept asking my dad where he got those costumes. The last time I personally wore a costume was a few years ago on Easter, not Halloween. Several of us dressed as flesh eating zombies and invaded a Catholic church. Nearly got arrested for that one! I love it when fundies’ heads explode.

Good morning!

Swopa covered the costumes all the R’s picked out. Ex:

Michele Bachmann took the easiest route, deciding to go as Bat Boy.

Good morning!

That was a lot of gauze, clever!

This has to be the worst Dad-made-it costumes ever!

This is funny. I slept with the party host. The friend from work, Dave, was gay and had just moved to LA from back east. He was trying to make new friends, but didn’t want to go hang in a gay bar, so I took him to my college one day to some kind of Gay Club. While there, I ran into the room mate of the party host. We were in drama together, but until I went to that meeting, I hadn’t realized he was gay. We just cracked up when we saw each other. And, he assured me that his roommate was not gay.

Troublemakers start early. Your friends are probably on their way to occupy someplace this morning as we speak. Occupy Galveston has evolved over the past few weeks from the main drag, to downtown to, today, at 28th and Seawall Blvd by the beach. If you are going to occupy with visibility, why not choose where the crowds already are. Just a reminder for later today where you are. I don’t want to talk about my most memorable halloween. /s

I dunno. I kinda like it. Very creative!

Too funny. That’s a great site! I’m going to pass it along to my daughter and my daughter in law.

Two fun memories, Peggy.
Do people in your complex decorate their porches?
We have one string of little orange lites, some cobweb stuff stretched over the bushes, and three pumpkins. It’s a nice little display.

Hmmm. I don’t think anybody’s gonna be on the beach at Galveston today, except maybe a few die hard surfers hoping…what? That the geology will suddenly change so Galveston has good, surfable waves?

Actually, this was in the late 60s and the party was for my husband’s work colleagues. We were in our 20s and the host couple was considerably older (I vaguely remember gray hair). So I don’t think they’re occupying anything except…well, you get the picture.

The daughter doesn’t appear too happy. Poor thing. She would have made a cute princess.
Gee, thanks dad.

There’s actually a porch decoration contest here but I’ve never participated. Before I didn’t have the money and now I don’t have the time.

It would be even more fun if under the lid were a bunch of baby ruth bars.

Hard to tell from the photo. She is pretty young but may have enjoyed the reaction when she went to the doors and lifted the potty “lid” to get her treats. I think an older child might also have thought it was funny. But maybe I’m looking at it with adult eyes.

So what are you saying? That zombie costumes would be really easy for them this year? ;)

ROTFLMAO!

She doesn’t look happy in that pic but the dad says that she enjoyed wearing it. I have nothing to base her true reaction on though so I’ll take his word for it.

I’ll take his word, too, but we can say that in that photo, she does not have a shit eatin’ grin. :)

This just in: Saif Gaddafi says he’s innocent of crimes against humanity. I don’t know about that but he’s certainly guilty of crimes against art.

Yup. Any costume with a coffin. Of course many years have elapsed, so I only have vague memories, but they would be long gone, I’m sure.

But I do recall that they had a great sense of humor, so they probably would enjoy this discussion… ;-D

OMG that is UGLY.

Among the things my navy sister brought back from the Philippines was a sleeveless 60′s-style pink slutty dress weighted with a million sequins. I’m a non-lipstick dyke but this thing was AWESOME, who could resist it? All it needed for Halloween was a platinum fright wig and sneakers. I won bar contests wherever I took it. Calling myself “Diana Princess of Wales” or “Chelsea Clinton If She’d Gone To Public School” or whatever.

Somebody on FB posted a pic of “father of the year halloween costume” – dad dressed as big bottle of Jack Daniels, little kid in tow dressed as a pack of Marlboros lol

that was my reaction, prolly scarred for life :)

Good morning all.

Halloween cake for all. Dinner at friends last night. Neighbor who’s been baking cakes since she was 13 made my bday cake in Halloween theme. Chocolate, with espresso in the batter, orange colored & flavored frosting with Grand Marnier, with a chocolate ganache drizzled over it. Really really delicious.

I bet your were gorgeous in that get up

Hey, I guess art really is in the eye of the beholder.
I went over to MEND yesterday to drop off a big box of books and to meet with the new Director of Volunteer Services. He’s a super nice and very gentle man who has taken over for the woman who used to (try) to run the department. He needs mucho help so I’m going to work with him one day a week. Anyway, I was looking for him and several people told me he came to work dressed as Gadaffi. When I found him, he was dressed as a Saudi prince. Gorgeous outfit. They thought he was Gadaffi. Not even close.

Brad used to wear a really tacky dress that had lime green sequins and hot pink faux fur. God it was awful! Topped off with five o’clock shadow and a really bad silver wig, he made the perfect drag queen parody.

Happy Birthday what a grand party! thanks for sharing the cake, scrumptious!

It’s the almost birthday girl. Tomorrow?

The thing is that Saif seems to have some technical expertise in painting but it looks as though it bores him to death so it winds up being crap in the end.

Oooh! That sounds both yummy and eye opening.

Today it is. But I don’t mind celebrating over several days. I’m much too old to care anymore. :-)

Physical art, painting, like other art forms such as music and poetry is nice for a cathartic experience while your making it, but not all of it is successful for mass consumption.
Some poetry needs to be written, and then stuffed in a drawer.
Might sound snobbish, but that’s just the way I see it.

Hmmm… Maybe this movie should be called “The Geriatrics” instead….

Ah ha! That’s right, you said the 28th.
There was someone else who is having a birthday today, do you remember who?
And, I think several days, if not the entire week, of celebrating is in order.
I’ll go get your honey cake and be right back.

Happy Birthday to you…eCahn.

Hey, I’m a graphic artist. I do drawing and painting myself and yep! One of my favorite phrases is everybody’s a critic but this guy displayed his art and even took it on tour, (he must have paid for with Libyans’ money), so the criticism, deserved or otherwise, is fair game.

I have a vague memory of some one else’s bday too. Celebrating is a good thing.

Good morning, all. I too have a great memory of a sixth grade halloween. I was in the sixth grade and my brother was just one year old. I dressed him up with a cape and mask to take him out. We just went door to door and his littleness got extra goodies. Of course, he doesn’t remember it, but I do and I remember how much fun we had.

Yummy.

Gotta hop as suddenly a couple of people have shown up to do some work.

We’re supposed to get X” of snow (up to 10 according to weather reports; weather has been such a bummer).

BBL.

Happy birthday, eCAHN.

Happy Birthday, eCAHN, or as Suzanne would say, “Hippo Birdie to Ewe!” I think you and I are about the same age, and I think when we make it this far, we deserve a birth-week and not just a birth-day.

Happy birthday eCAHN! Hope you and CAHNstance have a good day!

Agreed. And, since I’m the class clown, Everything’s fair game to me.
*
When it comes to decorative displays (like for Halloween or Xmas) I prefer a more simple and classy style. My neighbors all have every schlocky item from the past 10 or 15 years from Big Lots cluttering up their front lawns.
They must enjoy it though or they wouldn’t do it every year.

Demi, I asked on another thread and either you had gone or I left and didn’t go back to check. Did you get to meet with the owner of that coffee shop about helping out there?

It’s usually very rewarding when we do something for someone else’s enjoyment, I’ve found. *g*

Good Morning pups
happy birthday eCHAN.

I never liked Halloween as a kid or now. Never could wear contact lenses so it really put a damper on costuming the head, but I worked several summers at an amusement attraction, the haunted house. I could easily find my way around, mad scientist, mummy, zombie and learned to apply theatrical make-up pretty well. The best costume I ever made was taking a couple of kitchen strainers, fastening them together and sewing them to a full face ski mask black fuzzy stocking cap, black neoprene gloves, turtlemeck, and could wear my eye wear underneath, the human fly.

There’s a house along one of my regular bike routes that has every imaginable piece of schlocky decoration up for whatever holiday is coming, and it’s usually up WEEKS in advance. The front of the house and the front yard are crammed with this stuff. It looks to be a smallish house, so I can’t imagine where they store the decorations when they’re not displayed.

I pity their neighbors.

You must not have come back, ’cause I mentioned that it’s a teeny tiny place that doesn’t do much business. I don’t think she’s in a position to Hire anyone. She had me make a big pot of soup that she liked very much and she told me she’d give me a portion of the profits from her sales of same. Things are so tough out there. Bartering. I ain’t taking no chicken to the doctors office, though. Heh.
But, I am adding one day a week of volunteering at MEND, so that’ll help keep me out of trouble.

Neato. Very creative.
I had the same situation with costumes, as I wear glasses too.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but the ex was a perfect witch.

Have a Happy B D…

Was your little brother Diaper Man?

If you need soup recipes, I have several I really like — some simpler than others. I keep threatening to start a soup thread one of these weekends. Do we still have Food Sunday threads?

I may not have come back to the thread. I think I hung around a bit and then left and promptly forgot to check back.

No offense taken. There’s a reason they are our ex’s.

Good morning! I had lots of fun as a kid, in college, and at company parties. But, what I want to recount is the story of handing out candy a few years ago.

A dad accompanies his two little girls about 5 and 8 years old. They had wispy dresses and tiara type head adornments. Typical. But, I noticed that the older girl’s crown had a crescent moon on it and she was carrying a bow with a quiver of arrows. I asked her if she was Diana – goddess of the hunt. She was surprised I got it and it seemed that she really was aiming for something obscure that would be her own little inside joke.

I gave her quiet little sister a few pieces of candy and started to give her the same. She stopped me in a very theatrical way. She got down on one knee and proceeded to plead for a slice of bread instead of candy. She was positively over the top adamant about wanting a slice of bread. Pretty sure it was simply to do a performance, The dad just looked supportive of this little character and just there to attend the spectacle. I looked to him to make sure he was OK if I humored her and then went to get a piece of bread. I let her take a piece out of the bread bag and that was that. She bowed and moved on. She was astoundingly entertaining.

There’s a lot of bartering going on these days, even my boss does some bartering in exchange for printed materials. I’ll bet the money changers will want to outlaw it soon though as they don’t get “their cut” from barters.

Good morning all, and Happy Birt’day eCAHN! Around here we try to angle for a b’day week, so that’s my advice :)

I used to love making Halloween costumes for my son. Trying to remember… when he was 2 I made a leopard costume complete with mitts and booties with felt claws. It was so big he could wear it the next year, also. One year was a dragon with scales and a long spiked tail (don’t think dragons have spikes, but they looked very impressive). I found one of the red pompom-shakers that he could shake and blow to look like flames. When he was taking riding lessons the barn had a costume party and I did a Viking warrior deal with trappings for Flicka – when you have a pony instead of a dragon ship you do what you must.

My favorite was being a tube of Crest toothpaste. Sewed a long white sheath and wore a white turtleneck. Small round styrofoam ice bucket as a ‘cap’. Stenciled “Crest” down the front and on the back “for best results start squeezing at bottom of tube”.

No real decorations on the house this year, but my profile photo is the Halloween door on our Tulsa house.

At 13 or 14 I attended a church league Halloween dance in the basement of the Methodist Church. As anyone who has ever been to such an party knows, it was lame.

About halfway through the party I was dancing with the minister’s daughter. During a break she took me by the hand and led me through the darkness upstairs to the choir loft. Where we proceeded to swap spit and such. Compared to her I was damn green. It was an eye opening experience.

Walking home that night I felt wonderfully exhilerated and yet very uneasy about having frolicked in the choir loft. That next Sunday sitting with my extended family listening to the minister’s sermon, I looked up at the choir loft and shuddered.

I make all kinds of soups. Never use a recipe.
I asked the chef the other day if he had a recipe for pumpkin soup and he told me that I don’t need any sticking recipe. He told me, You know how to cook. Just do it. He said the only time you need a recipe is if you are a professional at a restaurant where they want the food to always taste the same.
But, we’re all different, so if you use recipes, that’s just fine. And, I do still see Food Sunday diaries.

I am a bit put off by the callousness of a lot of people on the all hollows eve. A summer job in high school, looking ominous for people who paid good money to scare themselves was a different story.

good costume, sorry you hated Halloween

“Help me. Help me.”

Tough titties for them. They have to find us first.

what fun for both of you, really

I think that even though he was only one year old, he would have strenuously objected to putting on a diaper.

I was looking for non-sugar treats to hand out and found individual packets of pretzels.

He said the only time you need a recipe is if you are a professional at a restaurant where they want the food to always taste the same.

To a certain extent, I think that’s true but this is a great recipe for glowing Halloween candy.

Congrats to eCahn for surviving another go round the old sun!

Halloween is a strange celebration in america… For kids it’s fine.. they love costumes and make believe. Adults seem to be weird about Halloween… I prefer the carnival approach to it… sexy.. dancing everyone at one huge parade.

Any occasion where adults use as an excuse to get drunk and high in public I don’t care for… Same with St Pat’s day.

That was a great story about the little girl. Wonder how her life turned out. What a creative little mind.

I love Halloween because it is (or, like lots of holidays, used to be) about the children. It is magical for so many of them, being able to let their imaginations take over, and I love it when parents walk the little ones just to where our sidewalk begins and let the the child approach the house alone. They are such complex little bundles of anticipation, excitement, shyness… you see it on their faces and in their eyes. Love it.

Well, that’s different. Thanks.

Elliott, I forgot my manners in all the excitement. Thank you for hosting, this is a great thread!

You’d enjoy Hollywood or Westwood then. Don’t really know how it is these days, but back when, it was a big street party.

Oh, I just remembered a funny story from handing out goodies. I have a rubber alligator head (appropriate for a UF alumnus). I and my son would wait at the door and when a knock came (we already saw them coming up the stairs) I would duck down and put up the gator head. One little boy, dressed as Superman, got scared and almost cried. I had to apologize to him and give him a little extra. Later that night some boys from middle school came to the door. When I showed the head, the boys laughed and one said “didn’t I tell you he has this great gator head.”

lol, perhaps we’ll see her in the movies someday

What I really don’t like is the emphasis on chain saw murders and saws and all that twisted brutality.

You’ve described it perfectly.
Instead of jumping up and answering the door every few minutes (and the doorbell getting the dog all going), we sit on the front porch. So does my across the street neighbors and when there’s a lull, we meet in the middle of the street to share a beer and chat.

Cute story.

I have some favorites I make from recipes, sometimes altered a bit, and others I just throw together. But if I didn’t follow recipes for my faves, I wouldn’t make them properly. I’d leave out an ingredient or something. But that’s just the way I make soup. Nobody else has to follow that.

I make soup from leftover rotisserie chicken that is yum — the broth sorta loosely follows an ingredients list, but the rest is just my own. I also make soup from beef tongue, which I grew up eating, that uses no recipe at all.

However, one of my faves is Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup and I follow the recipe, except I use turkey sausage.

have some candy corn!

My niece used to have really odd costumes when she was young. One year she was a rock, once a mold spore. I can’t remember much about that one except she wore a sign around her neck “Do you need a good sneeze?”

ahh, the simple pleasures of making out ;)

So she tricked you, and then treated you.

I have heard so many people rave about this soup

Good on ya!

Gotta go. Happy Saturday, everyone! Fun thread this morning, Elliott!

Morning msmolly,

I baked enough squash last night to have a bit for dinner and enough to start a soup for tomorrow and the upcoming week. I usually have a thermos full of some home-made soup when I have to work outdoors this time of year.

Putting a ladle of soup in the trick-or-treat bags was not such a good idea. ;^) Pretending to be about to do it, while in costume, with the mom’s looking on was delicious. “Oh my sweeties, you would prefer candy???”

dressing up is always a blast

That looks really nummy.

Thanks you!. Don’t mind if I do, and here is some spiced cider for everyone. Cheers to this beautiful season!

LOL

It really is wonderful. Makes a LOT so I usually cut it in half, and then I still have plenty left over to freeze.

it’s snowing here

LOL.

aww, the poor little guy.

You’re cracking me up.

A little shudder is good for us once in a while. You’d think we would learn from it………..but…. :)

Great rite of passage story.

Morning Omy, Agreed.

No way! Where are you?

Yes, but, damn, that next Sunday, I felt like the path to hell had been greased for me.

in PA – we’re having a noreaster today

Speaking of which. Do you remember getting the littles all dressed up in a nice fancy costume and then they have to put a jacket on over it? Here in So Cal, you never know what the weather is going to be, so sometimes we had to make a different costume to wear to go trick or treating at night.

I wonder how she grew up, as well.

Whereabouts did you grow up? I grew up going to a Methodist church too, but it was always fairly progressive. No hell or sin lectures, er, sermons.
I know that the Methodist church’s attitudes really vary from congregation to congregation.
It is a great rites of passage story even so.

yeah, always a drag to cover up the costume

((nonqui))

I keep thinking about you telling us of taking your canoe out and poling it on the water. We used to have a clothesline art show up on one of the mountains here. It was called Plum Nelly (plum out of Tennessee, nelly out of Georgia). Back in the 70s there was hand weaving, candle making, puppetry, hand thrown pots…. all sorts of beautiful handwork. It was just about this weekend every year. On the property where it was held there was a beautiful pond, ringed with cattails. A little boat was moored next to a willow tree. When I think of you and your canoe, this is where and when I see you.

Getting on with my day. Thanks Elliott and all! Laters.

Sending you some sunshine and blue skies. Those are some nasty storms.

Did it just once, crock pot with an aromatic steaming witches brew disguised in a real cast-iron cauldron on a tri-pod. A pile of eye of newt-like ingredients to drop in for special effects. Maybe I did like this weird celebration more than I first remembered.

Bye Margaret.

I’ve got to go, too. What great stories. Have fun, y’all.

((Elliott))

ohmmmm

If you can’t be good, at least have fun, dear.

(((OmAli))

Thanks so much for the topic, Elliot. “Diana” really did have quite the comic flare. I’m a slow typer and have trouble keeping up with these threads. Arg!

The Catholic Church I grew up in was very progressive, even down to the building. Well, except for the whole “Catholic” and “religion” thing that is. I never experienced any advances from the clergy or their offspring, (they were Catholic after all), but I had given up religion long before I was ready to experiment with kissing, etc. I just went through the motions because my parents made me go. Still, not all of the memories associated with that time are bad ones.

We will get a couple of ideal days here during November for going out on some quiet water, then on the absolutely still nights the ice will start creeping across the ponds.

Off to work on fixing a very frightful situation. Recall Walker. Wow, now I have a costume idea!!!

Be good and be well. Peace and Resolve.

Thanks so much Elliot!

I’m glad to hear that. :)

You’re doing great works, Non! Keep up the good fight.

I grew up in Iowa. Our minister, the father of my frisky friend, was a firebreather.

That’s too bad.
But, I’ve always heard that Preacher’s Kids were rebels. From wiki:

Some writers suggest that there is a “preacher’s kid syndrome”, in which children of clergy reject religion and the church.

I’d heard that too but until oldgold shared his anecdote, I’d assumed it was a stereotype.

“mold spore” That’s really a very scary costume to me, given all the sneezing I’ve done. Your niece sounds like a very clever minimalist.

Happy Halloween!

And to you, too :)

2010. I went to a party dressed up as myself. Scared the hell out of everybody, including me. Booga-booga.

LOL. I’m enjoying the mental spectacle of two clowns going at it. Forgive me.

Happiest of Happy Birthdays to you, eCAHN. Today is also my lady’s birthday, and I sure you hope you don’t find yours as depressing as she finds hers. OR, for that matter, I find each of mine since 25 lol.

Happy Birt’day to your lady, rc. I hope to meet her one day and find out how she manages to stay sane around you! Please give her my very best wishes, ohmmm

Halloween, 1970, II Corp in Vietnam. The dudes burned up at least 5 million dollars in star shells and hand held flares. There was a shortage of hand held flares for two weeks until they flew in a plane load of replacements.