Halloween Spirit

A Boston Terrier Halloween by d70focus

Do you love Halloween as much as I do? For years I’ve been enthralled with the imagination, creativity, and excitement that surround the holiday. Not to mention the idea of free chocolate and a chance for a party. What’s not to like?

Inspiration comes to life in the many unique and colorful costumes created by visionary people everywhere. Fairies, Egyptian kings, and disco queens from decades past mingle with nurses and sheriffs, aliens and even Mickey Mouse. Go to any Halloween party where they’re awarding gifts for the most original, funniest or scariest costumes and see for yourself.

Some of the most inventive and cute ideas in recent years include the “cereal killer,” “smarty-pants,” the ½ angel ½ devil costumes, an early snowman, a milk carton missing kid and more. I’m always impressed with the attention to detail and innovative ideas that go into costumes. Plus it’s just fun.

Thrills have their place too. Jack o’lanterns glow with an otherworldly light, flickering in the darkness. Like gargoyles of old, they are sentinels, guarding our homes from harm. Their fearsome faces terrorize anyone who wanders near. Skeletal scarecrows watch from their post, silent sentries to trick-or-treaters young and old.

From candy corn lights to cackling witches, to motorized hands that grab as you take a treat, the unexpected lurks in every corner. Open a creaking door and walk across squeaking floors into a dimly lit room of shadowy figures. Suddenly all those household repairs you didn’t get around to are now part of the ambiance. How cool is that?

The colors of Halloween are diabolically clever. Midnight black, pumpkin orange, blood red, and gruesome green grab your attention with their vivid colors. There is something compelling and somewhat forbidden about eating food colored in such strange and unusual combinations.

We get a chance to reinvent ourselves on this playful and fun-filled holiday. Always wanted to be an astronaut? Now’s your chance! Want to be an elegant ballerina or a hard-core rock star? You can. Now is the time. You can be a lawyer, nurse or sheriff, or an alien space explorer. The only limit is your imagination.

No matter witch way you slice it, Halloween is a fun, light-hearted and creative holiday wrapped in a unique and mysterious package. So get out there and celebrate. Give in to your fear of looking silly and have a little fun. Use the excuse to let go of your problems and worries for a night. You’ll be glad you did.

Halloween night: Parade of kids poem.

Pitter-patter go little feet
Rushing eagerly down the street
Here a witch, there a ghost
Costumed children from coast to coast

With happy hearts they rush to your door
And although you haven’t seen them before
You hand out candy, and laugh out loud
At this silly, funny little crowd

The hatless cowboy with boots too big
The fairy princess who’s loosing her wig
A round orange pumpkin, cheery and bright
A glowing new bride, all dressed in white

“Trick or Treat!” they cry, opening their arms wide
They stand on tiptoe, peering inside
You drop in their goodies; they’re off like a flash
With a mumbled “Thank You”, to the next house they dash

Why it’s no fun to be a zombie.

In honor of Halloween, here's a short poem by yours truly. (I have to get back into the habit, this is an oldie. Be gentle.)

Your knees knock together and you shuffle your feet
As you prowl in search of a tasty treat

Branches like fingers, claw and grab
Like some freakish experiment from a madman’s lab

Shrieks and moans fill the air
Venture closer if you dare

It’s Halloween and the moon is bright
What strange things lurk in its eerie light?

Happy Halloween my little monsters! Don’t forget, this is for one night only. Read why that’s important in this great little article “Why Zombies Don’t Smile,” by Greg Kuhn. There’s a good reason we don’t want to be like zombies every day of the year.

Freaky Friday Fun - Why evil is so gosh-darned fun!

Thanos by Corvusonline.

Halloween is almost here, and with the temperatures dropping and darkness creeping in earlier each night, one is drawn into the web of mystery and terror that is evil. Not evil as in real-life bad guys out to get you (think IRS agents and the cable company), but those deliciously naughty men who revel in telling it like it is, with no B/S or politically correct nonsense.

Movie and book villains are so wonderfully appalling because they are so utterly different from anything we know in our daily lives (thank goodness). They break numerous laws without getting caught, and wear the most bizarre clothing and accessories ever seen. These guys plot and plan with such intensity they could have been millionaires ten times over if only they had applied their genius to another field.

Bad guys attract us with their superior confidence and then keep us captive with ropes, chains or laser-tracking guns aimed at our heads. They show us the extreme opposite of good and by doing so allow us to forgive our own blunders and mistakes and those of others. What’s a forgotten birthday card compared to destroying the planet with a plague of zombies intent on eating our brains?

So You’ve Decided to be Evil is a hilarious romp through the minds of madmen of every type and variety. Based on Neil Zawacki’s great book (which I own); How to be a Villain: Evil Laughs, Secret Lairs, Master Plans, and More! With its eye-opening sections such as “The Forces of Darkness,” where you quiz yourself on your evil tendencies and find out how to choose your own nefarious nickname, this site is a must-read.

If you’ve ever wondered how ruthless criminal masterminds get there start, you’ll find this site to be very revealing. Don’t miss “Fashion for the Evil Doer,” and of course “Careers for the Evil Doer,” will get you started with job opportunities. This enlightening guide to the odd and bizarre world of evil masterminds and dark overlords will have you guffawing and grinning in minutes. Check it out today!

Villains rule on Halloween.

Vader and Fett Uploaded on September 4, 2006 by Olaf

Am I the only one who has a soft side for those crazy, deranged, poorly-dressed bad guys? You know the fiendishly clever gals and guys whose dearest wish in life is to have complete domination over the world and lots of minions to order around. Villains are so fun to me because they get to do all the “no-no” things the good guys can’t.

They can say what they want without worrying about hurting people’s feelings and they get to wear leather and lots of black. They have really cool names too like The Black Widow or Lord Chaos. Plus they don’t get ignored or taken for granted because they’ll just burn down their house or be cursed with a bad luck spell.

The best villains are the ones who are totally confident in their ability to take down their enemies and rule the world. It’s not all egos either; these people work hard to get the money and army of undead to fight their way to victory.

I’m reminded of a great book I read once, "How to be a villain; evil laughs, secret lairs, master plans, and more." All you ever needed to know about being a super villain. What to wear, how to choose a name, where to put your secret headquarters and how to choose your henchmen.

Of course choosing your favorite villain is hard. There are movie villains, cartoon villains, book villains and of course comic book villains are in a class by themselves. Here are a few sites for some more fun:

Top 25 Greatest Movie Villains (from Time)

Top 10 Comic Villains

Some of my favorite cartoon villains:

• Dick Dastardly from Wacky Races
• The ghouls and zombies on Scooby Doo
• Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam and Marvin the Martian from Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes
• Plankton on Spongebob Squarepants
• Slade on Teen Titans

Who are your favorites?

Freaky Friday Fun!

Pumpkin 012 Uploaded on January 29, 2007 by Uriah Welcome

Since Halloween is soon to arrive and I find it hilarious fun, I thought I’d include some freaky fun every Friday for the month of October. What is your favorite part of Halloween? Being scared? Getting candy? Pumpkin carving? Costumes?

Halloween has been attacked and maligned in the last decade or so by well-meaning but misguided adults. One night of make-believe and dressing up like a witch will not turn your child to the dark side. In my estimate, at least 90% of the people who participate in Halloween do it solely for the atmosphere of fun! It’s a chance to be different – learning how a pirate talks, putting on the fancy dress and jewelry of a princess, or dreaming up a silly outfit like “Smarty Pants.”

The parties and candy are part of the allure. To get together with friends, eating, playing games and having a good time are ingrained into the Halloweens I remember from my youth. Trick-or-treating door to door in the dark of night, held a slightly fearful fascination for me. Although I knew I was perfectly safe as my mom or dad waited on the sidewalk with a flashlight, the anticipation of visiting a stranger’s door was tinged with fear of the unknown.

Since I’m currently living nowhere near any children to entertain this Halloween, I hope some of you reading this will share your Halloween fun with me! Send me pictures of your children’s costume, and share your funniest moments here. I’d love to hear from you.

To get your Halloween planning started off right, here are a few spooktacular links:

Costume Ideas

Halloween Party Ideas

Frightfully Good Recipes

Pumpkin Carving Tips