Halloween Decorations

I expect to be back in British Columbia for Halloween, so I pulled out my decorations one evening and began to add the witches on brooms sticks to the branches of my celebratory tree, the bird house on top, a bit askew from years of being re-purposed for every holiday event.

“You must have purchased these on a 90% off sale,” Wyona said of other wicker witch decorations that she propped up on the window ledge – 9 of them in a row, the costuming and height only differing enough to keep them interesting. I no longer remember the price, but she is probably right, given the sheer numbers of decorations on the ledge.

This half-arm looks much scarier in real life.
And having it touch your back is even worse.

I sorted through the jack-o-lanterns that have removable lids, and I wondered where an artificial arm came from, since I didn’t recognize it.

That is not an item I would buy – even 90% off.

Bonnie told me, yes, that item was hers, brought home from a family-friendly party thrown by her friend, Marla, a few years ago. Unfortunately the children at the party were horrified by the prosthesis, and some cried. That Halloween party was nightmare worthy and only rescued by the ghost dance Marla taught the children to do. There was a sheet for everyone to use as a ghost covering and then they were to walk around the yard, bumping into each other while eerie music was being played. Nothing like the sound of creaking doors or a ball and chain rolling across the floor to rescue a party.

I couldn’t figure out what the tools were that were housed in an ice-cream bucket and in my Halloween box. Bonnie told me that they were instruments for carving pumpkins. In Kansas she had been invited to a carve-your-own pumpkin party – a party for adults. Everyone got in the same room with a pumpkin of their own, carved it and then went home. That was a party, she said, for people who don’t like to socialize much.

This year I told David that I put out my best decoration of all. “I have been gathering stink bugs and turning them loose in the house so that you will find them all over – in the cracks of windows, in the tracks of the door screens, hiding under chair legs, and they will even land near your food or on your computer key board.”

David asked Bonnie, “Why a grandmother would do this?” She assured him that no woman in the world would gather stink bugs and turn them loose in her own house. But he is positive his grandmotner does it. He heard it from her own lips.

Arta