This is the October post I've really been wanting to put together.
It's also the last October post.
I can hardly believe we're a third of the way through November already!
I can hardly believe we're a third of the way through November already!
Mr & Me began a FUN and SPOOKY tradition back in October 2013,
We like to call it
“HAUNTED WOODS NIGHT”
*cue the spooky ghost sounds*
It's as simple as simmering a pot of homemade Red Toad Stew (chili) for a few hours.
Baking a batch of homemade corn muffins
made from real corns from real witch's corny toes
(thank you, Jossimo),
(for baking the muffins, not the corns!)
(root-beer, of course)
(thank you, Mr & Mrs Brunty).
Throw in a glut of delicious cookies and
peanut butter fudge shaped like tiny pumpkins
(thank you, Mrs Mossi-the-youngest and Mrs Sadler)
and
POOF!
Oh.
Wait!
I nearly forgot to mention inviting our
SPOOKY FRIENDS!
After all, it just wouldn't be
HAUNTED WOODS
NIGHT
without them.
Cautiously, I retrieved their
the staircase where the spiders live and,
even more cautiously,
opened the lids that had kept
them imprisoned since their last haunting adventure.
Without so much as a "thank you, ma'am", off they flew to their posts in the
HAUNTED WOODS.
(If only it were really that easy)
Soon after all the eerie bit players were in their places
(with my iHome hidden in the tall grass among the trees, looping haunted woods sound effects)
our guests of honor arrived...
We were charmed beyond words by our clever
ROBOT,
beautiful cowgirl-boot-wearin'
BUTTERFLY,
adorable
SCARECROW,
pretty little
PIRATE
(wearing her daddy's costume from his little-boy days),
and precious
LION!
And I thought Halloween was fun when their mommas and daddies were little!
Before anyone was allowed to hike up and brave the treacherous hauntings,
Poppo took all our special guests for a 'redneck hayride' 'round and 'round the back yards
in the lawn tractor wagon...
or on his lap because our adorable scarecrow insisted on driving.
And then Nonna,
who has a particular talent for pulling off the perfect witch impersonation,
obliged the costumed little darlings to
EAT DINNER
before trekking up and into peril.
A body's gotta have some sustenance to survive
the kind of terror they were about to bravely embark upon!
When bellies were full and the dark of night had come,
all entered in, masked with confidence and courage
despite their unspoken tremulous fear.
They crossed the little footbridge, climbed the grassy trail and navigated through
ghosts and graveyards, a cackling witch on her broom, bats and giant spiders,
glowing eyes, a screeching black cat and demented pumpkin-headed beasts.
There was even a werewolf skulking around and
a masked chain-saw creeper
(that couldn't get his chainless chainsaw to start up)
who sprang from behind some trees groaning and growling!
I was relieved and am happy to report that
the Robot, the Butterfly, the Scarecrow, the Pirate and the Lion
all survived, mostly unscathed, the frightfully spooky experience.
Makes a Poppo and Nonna so very proud!
We were also pleased as punch that the whole effort was such a hit that
those sweet grandchildren ran in and through our
HAUNTED WOODS
several more times
until they were all plumb tuckered out.
Cowboy and Cupcake coaxed me up once with just the two of them
and, oddly, Cowboy disappeared shortly after
Cupcake and I passed the witch on her broom.
Suddenly I see something aweful coming t'ward me!
It was the big blow-up cat with the angry eyes!
It was marching right onto me and I was sure
I was going to be eaten alive right then and there.
Surprise, surprise...
It was just Cowboy pulling a prank on his Strega Nonna!
When I'd recovered,
we went back to join the rest of the family
in the telling of not-too-scary ghost stories while we sat around the bonfire.
The Robot, the Butterfly and the Scarecrow's momma
soon informed them that it was getting late and time to go home.
Cupcake approached Aunt Jossi and asked if she would
go through the
HAUNTED WOODS
with her once last time.
Aunt Jossi took her by the hand as they headed off to cross the
little footbridge at the entrance.
Later that night, Aunt Jossi reported that when she and Cupcake were
alone, walking toward the footbridge,
Cupcake confided in her, saying...
"Jossi, I think Poppo and Nonna set this whole thing up."
"And I think that chainsaw guy was Uncle Joe."
We still crack up laughing when we talk about that!
And we probably will for a lot of years to come.
