I was tagged by my most wonderful friend and sister, Sarah, over at Romantic History. Thank you, Sarah! I have never been tagged before. :) 1. You must post eleven random facts about yourself. 2. You must also answer the eleven questions the awarder has given you and make up eleven questions for your awardees to answer in turn. 3. Tag eleven fellow bloggers. 4. Notify them you've awarded them. 5. No tagging back. 6. The eleven blogs you tag must have less than 200 followers. I can't tag anyone, as I have only one blogging friend and she has been tagged, but I can do the rest! 11 Random Facts about Myself:
1. I require no familial sustenance from my blood family, my friends are more family to me than my blood. The bulk of my family don't care for me and ignore me, so I seek out like minded friends and adopt them. I am always important in their lives, even if I am not as important to my blood family.
2. I can not eat in front of my friends without being self conscious...I'm not sure where it comes from, but I remember my dear friend Jeff had the same issue...Unless it is my family, I can't really eat...I feel like a pig when I eat in front of friends so I tend to eat slowly, and try to eat very quietly.
3. I have never been kissed or been on a real date with anyone. I have only ever dated online as no one ever seems interested in me in real life. I don't fit the perfect woman physically, but when people get to know me, they tend to like me which is why men online have been my choice.
4. I love a clean house, but despise cleaning with every fiber of my being...I would do just about anything to get out of cleaning the house, but since I have been out of work, I clean up daily and do a deep clean weekly.
5. I HATE modern fashion with a passion...I am a total tomboy when it comes to modern fashion, but hand me a big frilly hoopskirt and I squeal like a three year old girl. I love old fancy dresses with lots of accents and jewelry.
6. I love to make up characters for my favorite movies, TV shows, or books, and sometimes I play act them out when I am alone. I have also been known to play act the book I'm writing in my quiet time. I never really outgrew the imaginative stage of life.
7. I will bend over backward for people to make sure they are happy, I usually bend over backward and ignore my own pain. I feel selfish when I let people know I am hurting, and I am loyal to a fault.
8. I would happily traipse back in to the 19th century if I could bring indoor plumbing and modern medicine.
9. I am incredibly talented at hiding my true feelings, you only see of me what I want you to see. I think about every move I make, and every word I speak, I consider what the backlash could be, how it will effect others, etc.
10. I want to be a famous author. I suppose I want this so I can show everyone who was ever mean to me that I made something of myself, which sounds incredibly selfish...Plus I want to be able to have a rather comfortable life for my family.
11. I hate talking about myself. I think everyone else's needs are more important than my own so I tend to not speak about myself unless I have to. I also have no self esteem what so ever.
11 Questions from Sarah!
1. What is your favorite era of fashion and why? (sorry, had to ask this, I always want to know this about everyone I meet!)
Sarah, you are too mean...How on EARTH can I possibly decide between ALL the amazing clothes of the world?! If I had to choose, it would probably be 18th century. I LOVE this period because of how big and beautiful and intricate the women's clothing is of this time period.
2. What is the worst hair cut you have ever received?
Hmm, I haven't cut my hair since at least high school and I'm very particular about my haircut...I have never really had a bad haircut, but I did have a HORRIBLE hair style for my first grade class picture. (I will add the picture later) My Grandma Sorrill pulled ALL of my hair hair to the very back, made it completely flat in front and piled everything right on top of my head in a big pile. She then put a bow nearly as big as my head in my hair...It's a rather comical picture.
3. If you could afford anything, would you have your clothes made or would you prefer to sew them yourself?
Oh I would LOVE to sew them myself! I just wish I knew how to sew. :(
4. What has been the happiest moment of your life?
Now that is tough...There have been so many wonderful moments in my life, but I think I have been happiest when I was with my kiddos. I'd say the happiest was when I met Adam. :) Or when I met Anne. :)
5. What is your greatest inspiration for daily living?
Living in a way that makes God smile. If I can make God happy, then everything will fall in to place.
6. If you could be remembered for one thing, what would that be?
I would LOVE to be remembered for my writing, but I think I would love to be known for my kindness and warmth. A woman who knows my Grandma Staff once said about her, "she treats everyone like a Queen!" I think I would want to be remembered that way as well. :)
7. What is your favorite season and why?
Hmmm. I think I have to choose two again, I have come to love Fall, but I have always loved Winter! Fall and Winter have my two FAVORITE holiday's, Halloween and Christmas. I just love all the decorations and specials that air at those times of year, plus the snow, the lights, the warmth of Christmas, it is just wonderful!
8. What scares you?
A few things, dying scares me, never finding my soul mate, never having a family, and being forgotten scare me the most.
9. What small item do you use on a daily basis and would horribly miss if it were gone? (for me, this is chapstick - I use it all the time!)
My glasses! I would be lost without my glasses, literally! I'm not blind without them, but everything is so blurry without them, I would hate it to lose them!
10. What is your favorite Christmas treat?
Another toughie! Hmm, I LOVE puppy chow! It is absolutely delicious! Puppy chow and peppermint stick ice cream. :)
11. If you had a million dollars plopped in your lap, what would you do with it?
As many things for my family and friends as I could. I would probably put a specific amount in to the bank to collect interest, then use the rest to help family and friends, especially to buy my Grandma Staff a beautiful new house with a servant as that is what she deserves. :)
Thank you for thinking of me, Sarah! This was fun to do. :)
Lately I have begun to take up poem writing again, I did a little many years ago but haven't lately. I know no one will read these, but who cares this is more for me than anyone else. Stormy Soul I feel the clouds rolling in my head Dark black and full of dread When the sun cones in to sight Will I have survived the storms of night Masquerade Life is a masquerade ball You put on the face that is sure to please A smile for all while tears stain your cheeks God help the fool who sees the monster beneath the masks
I want to dedicate this post to my best friend, Jeff Bodeker. He passed away five years ago today, and even though the years have passed, the hurt is still so fresh...This post will drift from my generally sassy, silly posts in to a more serious area. I hope to have some fun stories and wonderful memories to put in to this post. Whether or not this post is even read by anyone doesn't matter, this is more for me than anyone else...
Please forgive the ad before the video starts. I wanted to show the video because it tells a story, the lyrics are below...
Over You
Weather man said it's gonna snow
By now I should be used to the cold
Mid-February shouldn't be so scary
It was only December
I still remember the presents, the tree, you and me
But you went away
How dare you?
I miss you
They say I'll be OK
But I'm not going to ever get over you
Living alone here in this place
I think of you, and I'm not afraid
Your favorite records make me feel better
Cause you sing along
With every song
I know you didn't mean to give them to me
But you went away
How dare you?
I miss you
They say I'll be OK
But I'm not going to ever get over you
It really sinks in, you know, when I see it in stone
Cause you went away
How dare you?
I miss you
They say I'll be OK
But I'm not going to ever get over you
This part of my life started a long, long time ago, when I was about three years old. Twenty years ago, we moved to our current house, and as a toddler with an active imagination, ZERO shyness and a love for dogs, I was bound to make new friends. When the story of how I met my two BEST friends is told in our house, one of my parents utters a, "bless Sheila's heart". You see, I was a VERY imaginative child, and I didn't realize at three that not everyone knew I was telling stories, so when I trotted down the street to the second house from ours to tell a story I thought nothing of it. I'm not sure how the conversation was struck up, but I told my unsuspecting, future surrogate mom, Sheila, that I had ten brothers, we had just moved in, my real mom was dead, I had a step mom and she didn't like me. This is where the "bless her heart" comes in, Sheila believed me, completely and totally thought I was telling the truth. Now being so young when this happened, I'm not sure HOW she realized I was telling a story, but she eventually did and that was my first real encounter with Sheila. Some time later I was drawn to their backyard by the lure of what I wanted the most in the world, a dog, I would toddle over to see their dog Doc, who was a basset hound. This is where the story gets interesting, when I first met Jeff, I was NOT a big fan...I would often ask Sheila if Jeff HAD to be with us when I came over, and she would generally reply, "yes, he's my husband". In time I warmed to Jeff and he became a second father to me as he and Sheila were unable to have children of their own. They told me our arrangement was pretty nice, they had ALL the joys of having a child of their own, the stories from school, the giggling, the playing, without all of the responsibility, schooling, housing, clothing, etc. I loved our arrangement because I got TONS of attention. Now I want to set this straight, I love my parents to death, and I know they love me, but when you are the youngest of two it's harder to fascinate your parents. Mom and dad had already seen all the exciting stuff with Michele, but with Jeff and Sheila, all the things my parents had seen were new and fascinating which made me feel extra special.
Jeff and Doc, Jeff was playing Frito Man
For years life went on like this, I would constantly yell at Jeff to "put a shirt on", and when he stopped smoking Sheila and I were his biggest cheerleaders. I can remember chasing him down the sidewalk with a broom, and my dad seeing him smoking would ask if he needed to tell me and Jeff would reply sincerely, "oh please don't...". We would play "hide the snake" with a Beanie Baby snake, it was a bit like hide the keys or any of those other games, two of us would be in one room and the third would hide the snake somewhere in the house then send the others to look for it. We played "boogernose", a game Jeff and I made up using a circular pool noodle, the object was to toss the noodle and have it land on Jeff like human horseshoes. Jeff and I would ALWAYS quote The Simpsons, our favorite show, and there was the "brain sucker" which was one of Doc's toys. We would pretend to suck each others brains out with it and transfer them to another person. Then there is the story of how I tried to help Jeff and Sheila have a baby, I came over and asked Sheila if she and Jeff were doing it right to have a baby, then I earnestly said, "I'll show you". Sheila was obviously a bit nervous about what this toddler would do, but I got on my knees and put my hands together and prayed. I never wanted for love from them and when the world seemed so dark and ugly, I knew I could depend on them both.
Jeff with he and Sheila's niece, Elizabeth
They took me and my sister to my first professional baseball game, Cubs vs. Cards, and because Jeff was a Cards fan, I HAD to root for the Cubs to be ornery, ;) and can you guess who won? The Cubs! They took me to see the King Tut Exhibit for another birthday, and Jeff and I chatted about how rude Tut was to invite us to visit and not show up! I had been bowling with Tut when he invited me, Jeff had been playing tennis with him. He told me the joke about, "if the log rolls over we'll all be dead!" and why dogs sniff each others butts. We got a HUGE kick out of a random car commercial with a crab that constantly said, "I pinch..." which lead to him buying a scarab hat at the Tut exhibit and telling me, "I pinch". I could always depend on them, and Sheila would even bring hot chocolate over, and sit with me to talk at midnight when I couldn't wake my parents up. Jeff was always there with Kleenexes when my heart was broken with a loving, "men are pigs" and then back to the kitchen. He could always fix things with a funny voice, or some random joke, he was also very proficient at pretending to smack his nose on the cabinet doors to make me laugh. We would joke about Lord of the Rings as we all three are HUGE fans, and how you can't cook with Hobbit feet because it is impossible to get all the hair out...
With Helen and Sprocket after Doc passed away
Whenever I went to their house and stayed during into the evening, even at 14 or 15 years old, Jeff would walk me the hundred feet to my front door, from toddler to teen he ALWAYS made sure I got home, and if he had gone to bed, Sheila ALWAYS watched from the porch to make sure I was safe and sound. I can remember our jokes walking to my house, we would put on old man voices and complain about strange things, the strangest being that we had just had our porch delivered and they put it on backward. Until the day he passed, he fussed at me if I came to their house with a wet head. We went through the loss of Doc together and the loss of his mother not long after. When I started my senior year of high school, they moved about five miles out of town to the country, I was sad to see the old house go but I still had my best friends and I could still drive to see them.
A truly awful picture of me, but a great one of Jeff and Sheila
I never had a date to prom or homecomings, but Jeff and Sheila ALWAYS had me covered. Jeff worked for a florist in high school and was quite skilled at picking out a nice corsage, so every year they would buy me my corsage. My last prom I had no idea how fast time was running out, I was sure I had YEARS and years left of old man voices, head banging in to the cabinet, Simpsons lines, gay hairdresser lines and constant reassuring feedback...
Jeff giving me my corsage for senior prom
The end started like a lot of other ends start, with a simple illness. The illness was something small, a nuisance that was easily treated with a rather high dose of medicine. The dose was so high, he was supposed to have blood tests monthly to make sure it wasn't hurting him, his doctor ordered one blood test...one blood test wasn't enough to catch the fact that another medicine had the same main ingredient as the other...He was being overdosed and we had no idea. This next part is very hard for me to write, even five years later it is still a raw area...
Right after graduation, I had no idea it was coming
The last time I ever saw Jeff alive was a normal enough night, I had gone over to have dinner and just hang out before Jeff and Sheila went on vacation. We had pancakes, my personal favorite and the only thing at the time that Sheila could fix with expertise, ;) and bacon. Jeff wasn't allowed to have bacon because of his illness, we spent the night chatting about my new job and what it would entail, and planning when we would see The Simpsons movie while Jeff and I sang Spider Pig together, one would start and the other would come in without missing a beat. At the end of the night, I gathered my stuff and got ready to head home, Jeff was always an affectionate person and wasn't afraid to give hugs and kisses, I normally didn't hug back. As usual, Jeff pulled me into a hug, gave me a kiss, and then, I hugged back, to this day I thank God that I hugged him and even today I can still feel his stubble on my forehead and think how I would give anything for another hug.
Jeff with he and Sheila's niece, Valerie
When they came home from vacation, Jeff started to get worse and they ended up heading to the hospital. For several weeks his health was unstable and it simply baffled the doctors around him, I worried horribly, but Sheila reassured me that Jeff would be fine because, "he's a tough old bird". I relaxed after hearing these reassurances and the day before he died, we planned on visiting him soon, I even bought him a Lincoln fact book as he love Lincoln history and civil war history. In the middle of the night I woke up in a cold sweat with my stomach in a massive knot...I went to the bathroom and was sick to my stomach. Later in the morning, my mom called my boss and told her I had been ill in the night, I woke up fine on November 9, 2007. I made my way downstairs and sat down in my dads chair to watch TV, the phone rang and I saw it was Sheila and because my mom was home I let her answer it because Sheila had been calling to ask my mom, who is a nurse, different medical questions. I thought nothing of Sheila calling and just went back to my TV show, then my mom came downstairs...she looked visually shaken and walked toward me on the verge of tears and barely breathed out, "Jeff passed away this morning". My stomach felt like it fell out of my body, my reaction was violent I screamed, "NO!" thinking if I denied it, that would mean it wasn't true. When I realized it wasn't a very sick joke, I screamed at God, I remember my words, "Give him back! He doesn't belong to you, he belongs to us! Give him BACK!" then came the numbness...I cried silent tears and just stared...Dad came home before mom went to work to stay with me, we were all shaken up and devastated...I remember going upstairs to be alone and to put everything out of my mind, I couldn't take it, so I did anything I could to forget what I had heard, willing myself to make it not true. There was a Doctor Who marathon on that day, and one episode stuck out at me like a sore thumb and brought the tears afresh to my eyes...I can't find the clip anymore, but I can describe it. In the episode Love and Monsters, Elton remembers his mother, and at one point we see Elton and his mother at a park, she turns to him and kneels near him, whispers something in to his ear and walks away...she turns back once to wave and then continues, it reminded me so much of Jeff and still does...
This reminds me of the clip I described above...
As long as I could pretend it didn't happen, I was all right, but when we went to the visitation and funeral, I couldn't hold it in anymore...I was 18 years old, but I brought the stuffed rabbit he and Sheila had given me to hold on to during the funeral.
Now I don't want to end this on a depressing note, so I'm going to share a really good memory. We all three used to play Hide and Go Seek, and one day Jeff thought he had found the BEST hiding place EVER! The crawlspace in the basement, he crawled in to the dark little hole, pulled the board in behind him and giggled about how good his spot was! Only, it was too good...Sheila and I eventually stopped looking for him, and he sat and waited on us, until he finally crawled out and came up to see what was going on! That was always a favorite memory for all of us.
I will never forget you, Jeff, you may have left this world but you will never leave my heart. I miss you every day and would give just about anything to have one more day on the back porch of the old house, sipping a Hawaiian Punch while you grilled and Doc romped through the yard. Back when we were all young, and we had so many years ahead of us. I hope you're proud of me and I am doing right by you, you always made the world brighter with your unconditional love. Sometimes, I look at the old houses kitchen window, and for just a second I think I can see you working in the kitchen, towel over your shoulder...then I notice that the kitchen is dark, and you are gone and my heart breaks again. When the time is right, I'll see you up there, until then, don't worry about Sheila and the "rats", I'll take care of them until you are all reunited. I love you, Jeff.
Love always,
Christina
PS - This is something I forgot in the post, it is one of my brightest memories and to this day I smile when I think of it. When I was probably 13 or 14, Jeff, Sheila and I started movie night; every Saturday night I would go to their house for a movie and we saw some dandy's! I can remember Jeff being a goofball about getting The Girl With the Pearl Earring, and the time a worker at the video store told Jeff one movie was, "SO SCARY!" that he picked it up; that movie was so lame we started making fun of it saying the hills were made of baloney and the Oscar Meyer people were fighting the Eckrich people for the mountain, the people covered in red goop were the Eckrich people. But the BEST movie night EVER started off so simply, I came over and poor Sheila was feeling sick, so we all set off to picking a movie from Dish. Jeff clicked through several movies reading bits of the plot out loud while I read silently, then he stumbled upon Wrong Turn...he started reading the plot slowly "a group of people are attacked by inbred cannibals in the West Virginia mountains..." he trailed off, I looked behind us, our eyes locked and without a second hesitation we both screamed, "INBRED CANNIBALS!", to which poor Sheila groaned but sadly, she was outnumbered and Jeff and I laughed our way through the movie. Since then, the Wrong Turn movies have always made me smile to think about the "INBRED CANNIBALS!". Another memory I just remembered, happened before they moved to the country, Sheila was out of the living room and I was lying on a pillow with Doc, then I turned to talk to Jeff and this is what blurted out, "you know, dad..."; we looked at each other and then laughed. After that, when I went to Washington D.C., I bought both Jeff and Sheila #1 Mom and Dad mugs. I also have another lovely memory that makes me laugh to this day, whenever I came over Jeff would ask me if I wanted anything and if I said yes he would make a production and bring me my food or drink then say, "would you like me to peel a grape for you?", or quote National Lampoon's Christmas, "Can I get you something to eat? Drink? Take you out in the woods, leave you for dead?", or when Doc would bark at him, he would look at him and ask, "Is Timmy stuck in the well?!". Of course there were the times Doc would beg for a treat and if Jeff ignored him, Doc would nip his knee which always made me giggle. Today all I have are memories, but I am grateful for every single one.
Everywhere you go! From pumpkins to witches, Frankenstein to scary movies, and ghosts to graves, Halloween is AMAZING! As usual, I'm writing this while watching a movie so beware the random twists in this post.
This will be a picture heavy post, I do not own ANY of the pictures unless otherwise stated. If this is a picture that belongs to a reader, please let me know, give me some proof of your ownership and I'll be happy to give credit.
Anyway, we'll see if I can put my thoughts in to order to explain why Halloween is one of the two most AWESOME holiday's in the world!
Halloween is not a modern holiday, on the contrary it is ancient, with roots that stretch back to the ancient Celts. Halloween's original name was Samhain, pronounced sow-in, the name that Wiccans still use to this day. In all of human history, food has been the cornerstone right there with art and music. In ancient times before people became situated to live off the land, the people had to move their herds of animals to better pastures as winter came upon them, then as people began to live on the land and sow their own food harvest became vital! These both played in to the original festival of Samhain which corresponded with the ancient Celctic first day of Winter. This is where costumes and fortune telling came from
The belief of the Celts was that on this night before Winter began, the veil between our world and the world beyond was thinned. As a result, massive bonfires were built to burn offerings to the various Celtic gods in the hopes of a safe Winter, as well as a time to divine the future. Much of the above, and following is from History.com which is a WONDERFUL place for Halloween lore both past and present.
If you have ever been to a Halloween party, chances are you have seen apple bobbing, but one question may arise? Why on EARTH do we bob for apples? Well that goes back to the Celts and Romans; after the Roman conquest of much of the Celts, the festival of Pamona the goddess of fruit trees whose symbol was...you guessed it, an apple! Yes the history of Halloween is something I love about Halloween so it DOES fit in to this post. ;)
Fast forward a bit to the time when Christianity became a BIG thing in Rome, this is where we get most of our Holiday traditions. As Christianity began to sweep through Rome, an idea was formed, instead of persecuting pagans for their beliefs, change their holiday's in to Christian holiday's! That is why we have All Saints Day, the Pope decided to take this pagan festival and consecrate it to the martyrs of Christianity.
Fast forward again to America, celebration was VERY limited for quite some time due to the rigidity of the Protestants who settled here in America. Halloween would not be what we know it to be until the late 19th century, but it was NOT unheard of. Looking at America in general, we see a tapestry of beliefs and traditions to create what we have now, and the Halloween we know today is generally based on the traditions of immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, England, Spain, and Italy. Ireland and Scotland gave us the tradition of costuming, England gave us carving, though originally turnips were carved rather than pumpkins, and England gave us Trick or Treating. In England this was called Souling when people, generally poor people, went from door to door receiving soul cakes in return for praying for souls in purgatory. Spain and Italy gave us a favorite tradition of mine, the masquerade party!
While most Halloween traditions are ancient, one HUGE tradition is rather modern, the idea of gore around Halloween and scaring one another. Dismembered bodies, coffins, ax wielding maniacs are all a much more modern idea, and something I'm personally grateful for. ;)
Now, what else makes Halloween so fascinating to me? The darkness! In the back of all of our minds, we get a thrill from being scared, that rush of adrenaline and the feeling of cheating death is intoxicating. The darkness and unending possibilities it carries is just thrilling to me! There is nothing like curling up in a dark room, watching a horror movie! But make sure it has a REAL plot line...not just a looney bird freaking out on people...I tend to go with ghost movies, which leads me in to my next topic.
GHOSTS! What would Halloween be without ghosts? It would be dull, I tell you, DULL! I've eaten up ghost stories since I was a kid, while everyone else was reading Tales of a Third Grade Nothing, I was scouring the schools library for ghost books. I was addicted, ghost TV shows, ghost stories, ghost pictures, and I still am. What could be more frightening and fascinating at the same time as the thought of life after death, not in Heaven per say, but still physically on Earth in a translucent form. Give me ghosts, lots of ghosts, ghosts everywhere!
Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins! It simply SCREAMS Halloween! From the simple to the intricate, the goofy to the scar, pumpkins are awesome!
I have so many memories of Halloween's of my childhood pouring over the booklets of designs for a pumpkin. I can remember arguing with my sister over a design, but settling on another...
I can remember scrawling my name in the crooked lettering of early childhood on the top of my design. That was the rule in our house, once you found your design you placed your name on top.
I remember watching in fascination as my mom took one of the big carving knives off the holder on the wall and stuck it in to the large orange orb.
I can still see her pulling the top up and seeing all the seeds attached, and her cutting in to the top of the pumpkin to remove the layers of seeds.
Papers were splayed across the kitchen table to catch the droppings as little hands greedily dug in to the dark cold recesses of our chosen pumpkins. Scoop after scoop of pulp and slippery seeds trickled from the middle of our pumpkins...
Then, the big guns came out! Or should I say, the big spoon! Michele and I would take turns dragging the giant gray spoon inside the pumpkin, but having very little success.
Then when the little fingers got tired of scraping and scooping, mom would take up the spoon and dig and scrape in the pumpkin until it was just right. Then our patterns were taped on to the pumpkin and we began to drill our holes slowly. As a youngster, I was less than skilled at cutting the the jumbled up dots in to a good picture and I would often lament over the odd lopsided shapes I was able to scrape out.
Even today I still LOVE carving pumpkins, though my skills have improved quite a bit. ;) I collect pattern books, I buy at least one new one a year. In past years, I carved six or seven pumpkins a season, but that backed up quite a bit this year without a job which is all right with me. Even at 23 I still enjoy the earthy scent of a pumpkin, the feel of the pulp and seeds, painstakingly punching holes, and finally cutting the pieces out, it simply screams Halloween.
Yard decor, need I say more? I ADORE decorating the yard for Halloween, and I add something new every year. Planning, plotting, pulling decorations out, scouring the internet and my mind to find the BEST possible yard scene is just heavenly! I will put pictures up of our yard when the computer stops being rude...it simply refuses to acknowledge our memory card...
Witches
Witches
Witches...
Bet you can't tell I love witches. ;) There is something about magic, real magic that intrigues me. The simple idea that a person could say a few words or make a potion and poof! something appears, I just eat it all up! (My ADD is kicking in and I'm losing steam rapidly so most of the rest will probably just be pictures with short captions.)
Two words, Time Warp! Halloween is NEVER complete without Rocky Horror Picture Show! If you don't Time Warp ONCE during October, you just aren't awesome enough...
Costumes! The above is likely what my future daughter will be wearing. ;) I LOVE costumes, I'm 23 and STILL love to play dress up. I even have a plaque that says, "Clothes make a statement, costumes tell a story" and I fully believe that!
Well, I think the above explains it best as to why I love Halloween so much, and after reading I hope YOU love Halloween a little bit more. Feel the magic in the cool Fall air, let yourself fall in to the age old celebration and remember to DO THE TIME WARP!
I'll leave you with a more modern adaptation of my FAVORITE Disney couple, Jack Skelington and Sally Stitches from The Nightmare Before Christmas. They're simply meant to be together. ;)
Love and Happy Halloween!
Christina
PS - I reserve the right to add as many pictures or comments I wish to this post. ;)
This post is dedicated to my aunt, Sylvia Bradley. She is one of a few who ALWAYS encourage my writing, and the one who was so anxious to read a new post, that she inspired me to finally get this one written! Love you, Aunt Sylvia, and thank you for always being a big fan. :) <3 Yes, I did just use a wildly corny phrase which I try not to do, and in the immortal words of the Tenth Doctor, "hope to never use again". Anyway, it's the most wonderful time of the year! <3 No parents, it isn't the first day of school...that happened about a month ago...No! It's FALL! All right, so I've never been a HUGE Fall person in the past, I've usually been a "any season but Fall" person, but for some reason I'm changing. It could have something to do with the fact that the last two years we have had nearly no Winter, nor Spring but flew straight in to hot, oppressive, sticky, Summer...Days filled with triple digit heat, and humidity so vicious not even a full can of Aqua Net could keep your hair from falling flat! No one can escape the heat, with cold there are layers that can be put on with scarves and knitted hats, boots and fluffy jackets, but with heat...well there is only SO much that anyone can, or in some cases, should take off...of course going to Walmart in hot weather won't save you from seeing someone who REALLY should put another layer of clothes on...but I digress. Life here in the states has gotten kinda crappy, and without going into any massive political diatribe I'll simply state facts. Unemployment is rampant, debt is sky high, gas is unbelievable, we are in an election year (kill me now...) and we have gone through a highly publicized attack based on a disgustingly prejudiced movie made by some crazy person...Who hasn't seen the disturbing photos of the murdered diplomat to Libya on TV or the internet? Somehow, with all of this mess, a good ole fashioned, crisp, cool, American fall is JUST what the doctor ordered for me. Every day I'm reminded of the Falls of my childhood, playing in the leaves, Halloween, yes I'm a Halloween NUT! All the fun projects at school, art in specific, and just everything about it brings me back; of course the crappy parts of school life are still hidden in the back of my mind, but again I digress. In this post I'll simply be musing, I may rant, and I'll admit, I'm watching a movie as I type this so it is VERY likely that I will lapse into some new topic, so bare with me (did I use the proper "bear"?). Luckily for you all, I proofread every post I make because I'm neurotic thorough...<.< I will also be including PICTURES! But I'm no artist, my cousin got that one, so I'll be using Googled images to emphasize my writing. Just as a save my butt option, if you find ANY of your own pictures on here and you can prove to me they are yours, and you don't want them here, I will gladly remove it. Now, onto the goodies!
Secluded paths lined with colorful trees and no sounds of city life to be heard. Crisp leaves underfoot of reds, greens, yellows, or browns crunching to create the sounds of Fall. Trees canopying a lone bicycle rider, walker, or even car rider, surrounding them in Mother Natures gentle grasp. Deer (when not running out in front of a driver...) peeking through the underbrush with their big brown eyes and curious ears, rabbits scurrying in the leaves, a fox stalking its prey. The air itself, the crisp coolness after the oppressive heat (biggest reason why I LOVE living in an area with such polar opposite seasons) that feels like Gods own way of saying, "you survived the troubles, now I give you the joys", the smells! Oh how lovely a wood smells in the Fall! So alive, so clean and crisp; when I'm alone in the woods in the Fall, I feel like a discoverer, almost like I'm the first human to walk this area and see the true beauty of God and Mother Nature striding hand in hand to create such a beautiful picture. Gods palette ALWAYS inspires me, who but the great bringer of life could create such colors, scents and sights.
FOOD! Since time immemorial, Spring has brought the sowing of seeds, Summer has brought the growth of plants, and Fall, Fall has brought the harvest! A bounty of flavors, and colors, textures and scents! Gods gift to the world, the continuing promise of human life, food. I can not lie about this, I've never had Pumpkin Pie, and honestly I'm not keen on trying it...I'm picky and a "super taster" but that's another story...I can however, enjoy the sweet smells of pumpkin pie. Crisp apples, mmm! Can anything be so pleasant to the human experience than biting into a crisp, cool, sweet but still tangy, apple! I'm the granddaughter of a farmer, and some of my BEST experiences were on their farm. The feeling of being secluded enjoying the sights and smells of the country, waking up in the morning to find a cow staring at me from the back fence, Grandma cooking breakfast, playing in the rows of the back garden, I could just go on! You know, I think I will. The woods around the farm and exploring those woods!
Feeding my cow, Susie, petting pigs after dad trailed feed to the fence to lead the pigs to my sister and I, playing with the kittens, there have always been TONS of cats out there, exploring in the barn, crawling into the little twin bed across from my Grandparents bed and snuggling under an old quilt. I suppose I should set the house up a bit, downstairs there was a kitchen and living room with a porch off of them, the living room and kitchen face the driveway and the living room faces the road. Two doors lead to both the kitchen and living room off the porch, there is a pantry off the kitchen, and a stairwell that leads upstairs. The stairwell is enclosed, and is accessed by a door in the kitchen next to a small china cabinet. The stairs are narrow and spiraled, upstairs there are two bedrooms the front bedroom is my Grandparents, with a twin bed on the right as you climb the stairs. The stairs end in my Grandparents room and a half wall separates the room from the stairs. The other room is my moms old room, when I was a baby my parents slept in my moms old room, I was in the playpen, and my sister was in the little twin bed.
As I grew older, dad slept on the pull out bed in the living room, I slept in the twin bed, and my sister and mom slept in the big bed. I remember feeling so cozy and safe in that little bed with my Grandparents just feet away, even if Grandpa does snore like a freight train...and no, I didn't forget the bathroom, it is in the backyard, yes, they have an outhouse! When I was growing up, there was cold running water so if we needed hot water, it was heated on the stove and that meant SPIT BATHS! Now they have no running water, don't ask...told y'all I'd get off track. Anyway, growing up in this type of environment was WONDERFUL! I could truly appreciate the beauty of food in the form of corn and soybeans, traipsing through the rows, picking up spare ears of corn that were missed, or touching the fuzzy soybeans as they ripened in the field. There is nothing that says Fall quite like a farm!
WATER! Now how can ANYONE not love water? I'm a complete water baby, I love the look, I love the smell, I love the taste, I love the feel and I love the sound! There is something magical about water, so gentle but so powerful. Water is the epitome of quiet strength, it carves out valleys, it can get ANYWHERE and everywhere, it is life giving and simply magical. When water is added to the beauty of Fall foliage, magic happens! The reds, yellows, greens, browns they simply make the water sparkle and shine, and what is Fall without thoughts of covered bridges and waterwheels?
Water adds to the beauty and magic of Fall, well it adds to the beauty and magic of EVERY season, but I digress again.
Thanksgiving, yes I'm putting it before Halloween for a reason. I won't lie, Thanksgiving has never been a major favorite in the holiday department, but there are beautiful memories of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving brings families together for feasting and love. Turkey is passed, and yes I do LOVE turkey! Pies are baked in eager anticipation of the feast to come. Casseroles, stuffing, turkey dripping in delicious juices, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, thick gravy, green beans, it all leads to a coming together of families. It is a special time when mothers, fathers, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, children, they all come together to enjoy the fruits of the season. It is a time to remember how blessed we are, and to prepare for the onslaught of Winter!
Last, but not least, HALLOWEEN! Now as my brain is running low on purty or witty things to say, I'll keep Halloween short, and I really want to do a post later on totally devoted to one of my favorite holiday's. Halloween and Christmas are my two FAVORITE holiday's. A short list and run down of why Halloween ROCKS, pumpkin carving, trick or treating, witches, ghosts, horror movies, scary shows, darkness, and just a hint of magic in the air. I'll go MUCH more in depth in to this subject in another post because I feel this is running a bit long.
To close this post, the above is a little bit of what makes me tick, and why I feel so giddy and anxious about this cool, crisp, sweet and chilly season! See you all soon, and as it is October, don't let the spooks get you. ;)
What in the WORLD can I say about April 14? Well, it was one of the BEST days I have had in AGES! So relaxing, and smooth! I hope I can convey everything that happened in this blog post! (Note: I started this post meh, weeks ago, I've just not finished it...)
A few weeks ago, my dear friend and surrogate sister, Sarah asked me if I was going to the Galesburg Candle Lighting Ball. Galesburg being so far away, I wasn't sure, but I wanted to see Sarah HORRIBLY! Thankfully, I have a brave, amazing friend in Heather! We both reenact, I have done so since 2005, Heather more recently, but we both decided we wanted to do more events. I broached the subject with her, expecting a "oh dear...that's far too long a drive!" but I got a simple, "SURE!". I was flabbergasted! Thus, Heather and I began to plot our trip to Galesburg. As the days ticked down, I became more and more anxious, feeling as though my heart would burst from my chest! Sarah and I plotted our attacks, we were both sure that we would get the first tackle hug on the other, and we would simply have to see.
I wish I could say the day started out bright and sunny, but it didn't. The sun fought to scratch through the thick layer of gray murky clouds, eventually giving up for the time. Rain had no trouble finding it's way through, though! I plotted my course carefully, packing a small suitcase in the morning, (I intended to wear a day dress to our first stop, and my beautiful ballgown care of Sarah, to the ball). All of my items were delicately placed in the small suitcase and zipped away. I took a quick shower, and put my hair up. My braids ACTUALLY stayed put ALL day! They didn't flop, or fall until I took them down around 10 PM. Though I had plotted most carefully, Heather was early, and I scrambled to finish a few last minute things. We were off after that!
Our journey to Springfield to the Old State Capitol was quite wet, but sped along by wonderful conversation. We had decided to go to a presentation about a soldier held at the Capitol during the Civil War, and a talk on the Battle of Shiloh, which had just seen it's 150th anniversary. After a few detours and "wait, did we need to turn there?" moments, we arrived at the parking garage. Jumping out, we grabbed our clothes from the backseat! Heather, donning her lovely day dress, sontag, and sortie cap, and me wearing my blue day skirt, new hat, and cloak! We were more than ready to head out into the wet Springfield weather. We had a brisk walk to the Old State capitol, and were greeted at the door with comments on how nice we both looked. The presentation was delightful! It was clear that the gentleman doing the presenting was very knowledgeable in this area, and very passionate. Before taking the tour of the Capitol building, we had our picture taken with the soldier.
Heather and I with the gentleman who did the presentation.
After the presentation, we heard about a free tour of the Capitol building. However this was before a gentleman asked Heather and I if he could take our picture. It's truly incredible how different people behave when one wears such clothing. We descended the beautiful staircase, and I felt so graceful and elegant. The very staircase made me feel as though I were a woman of the 19th century, perhaps visiting my husband and I was leaving to do some shopping downtown. :) I believe there were others snapping our photo as we descended the stairs. Being a woman who never draws much attention in real life, to have people watch, and show such an interest is quite exhilarating! The tour started in the State Library downstairs, forgive me if I don't accurately define each of the rooms, toward the end Heather and I were toward the back and didn't hear all the history of each room.
Inside the State Library, there were several desks and tables, strewn with actual newspapers.
I'm sure it is quite obvious from the pictures, I LOVE old clocks! The ticking always soothes me.
Yes, this is merely a set of scales but there was something odd about them...Heather pointed it out to me. I must say, the ONLY person in the area was the guide as the room was cut off from visitors, and the windows were COMPLETELY covered. I had seen in other rooms that the original windows were covered with a protective plexi glass type window, so no breeze. What was strange is that these scales were moving on their own! They moved for quite some time on their own, without our guide touching them. Quite an odd experience, indeed!
This map had a very fascinating story attached to it. This is a map from the 1840s I believe, and was ordered by the capitol to hang in the capitol, but it never really did...You see, when the map arrived it was deemed outdated as some area's in the west had gone from territories to states. The map was kept in its original packing tube, and was found over 100 years later in a warehouse for unclaimed freight, by antique hunters for the old state capitol! How incredible is that?!
This is a lovely grandfather clock that was in the former supreme court room at the old state capitol.
This is the old Supreme Court at the Old State Capitol. The guide told us a fascinating story about the column in the middle, yes that column IS original! The original layout of the room had the justice tables against one wall, but they decided to move to make more room for spectators, and another justice, I believe. They were quite unhappy with that large column in their way, so they had it removed one evening. Little did the justices know, that column was a support beam for the Supreme Court (thank you, Rose, for correcting my previous error. :) ) directly above! The next morning the representatives demanded the column be replaced as the floor would collapse, and it was put back in place immediately. How funny!
This is a detail shot of the grandfather clock in the supreme court room. Isn't the hunting scene just wonderful?
Do not tell anyone, but I am obsessed with old clocks. ;) Isn't this just beautiful?
Our wonderful guide, he was incredibly knowledgeable, and incredibly passionate about his work.
Our guide informed us that little pigeon hole boxes like the one to the right, were used to store letters at the capitol. They were folded in thirds, and when the holders filled, the papers were removed and tied, like the one to the left. What is most fascinating is that the one on the left is tied with "red tape". You see, regular ties would cut into the papers and cause trouble, so a lovely brick red colored "tape" was made from cotton that wouldn't rip into the papers. Whenever someone needed into the papers, they would, "cut through the red tape" which is EXACTLY where we get the phrase "red tape". Who knew?
Heather and I were both very fascinated by the lovely punched lantern resting on this desk. :)
Heather pointed this out, it is an old barometer, and thermometer.
This is a painting of George Washington and their small family. Try as I might, I couldn't get a picture that wasn't flashy or hard to see. Some may not know that though George and Martha had no children of their own, Martha had two surviving children from a previous marriage. Her daughter died of a seizure at sixteen, and I am not sure what happened to her son.
This is without flash, the lighting was simply against me!
A portrait of Lafayette. He was a Frenchman who aided in the Revolutionary War. If I am remembering correctly, he was the gentleman who took a rag tag group of farmers, and turned them into a proper militia. I shudder to think of where we would be today without this incredible man.
This was incredible! This was Lincoln's office headquarters when he ran for President! From a picture of the original room, the Old State Capitol worked to return the room to its original state. Through scouring records and order forms from the time, they found the company that made the original carpet! Not only did they find them, but the company was STILL in business! They made an EXACT replica of the carpet, and offered the three original colors, a representative of the Old State Capitol chose blue for the carpet.
I chose this picture because of what I saw near the desk. After remembering what happened with the scales, and seeing this, I was a bit shocked! If you look at the left side of the desk you can see a purple ball of light, how strange!
This flag had an incredibly interesting history. If I remember correctly, this flag was made for a group of VERY young soldiers, likely no older than 18, who left from Sangamon County. It is just incredible that this piece of Illinois history has survived so many years! For more information (thank you, Rose!) please visit, http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1639219099/Civil-War-battlefield-flag-goes-on-display-at-Old-Capitol
Heather and I on the steps inside The Old State Capitol. I have this strange Queen Victoria look going on, haha!
After the Old State Capitol, we ventured out again into weather that had cleared nicely. We had a brief walk back to the parking garage in the lovely spring weather, and once there we stripped down again. We were back in our traveling clothes, and ready to hit the road! Unfortunately, there was a MASSIVE traffic jam leaving the parking garage, that seemed to last forever! After a brief stop for drinks, we were on the road again. We passed the time chatting, looking at scenery, and just enjoying each others company. Once Galesburg came along, we stopped for Heather to get a bite to eat, when I'm anxious I am a food camel! I don't need much, hehe! I couldn't wait! I knew that in the same town was a wonderful friend I hadn't seen in nearly two years! I fidgeted in the car, waiting to get to the Knights of Columbus hall. Of course, when we arrived we barreled out and dressed once again. I couldn't WAIT to see my dear friend, especially since she had changed the waist in my ballgown, and made my bertha, the dress had been hers but being a wonderful person she offered it to me earlier this winter.
I can remember walking it, looking at the nice decor, a small wagon with supplies scattered about. We then entered the dance hall and waited to buy tickets, I spotted my lovely friend Sarah first, but she was eating, and as I hadn't bought my ticket I hesitated to approach. The gentleman came along, took our money, and then, Sarah caught me! She spotted me, climbed from her chair and began to run across the dance floor! She squealed my name and ran to me, and I squealed hers and ran to her! We must have been a sight! Everyone was eating, the hall was dead silent, and here are two women screaming each others names and running to one another! I left Heather in the dust, and slammed into a wonderful hug with one of my best friends! We laughed, and nearly fell over after impact! In time, my manners returned and I introduced my two friends, though we were still giggly!
Upon arriving at the table, we were introduced to two new people, the lovely Becky Wahls, and her fabulous gentlemanly husband Blake. Our conversation that evening was varied, and hilarious! I had gotten Sarah laughing with adult conversation between Blake and myself, and everytime I laughed, new peals of laughter spilled from Sarah. Eventually, between laughter and tears she jokingly said, "stop!". It was simply delightful! I still feel though, that even if I had a week of uninterrupted time with her, we would STILL not be caught up! Time with friends ALWAYS flies far too fast!
My lovely friend, Sarah from Romantic History preparing to dance with her husband.
I could not get enough photos of my dear friend. We had NO pictures together until that night!
Sarah, looking lovely!
David, her husband looking dashing. I have to say probably one of the best couples, that and Sarah with little Judah, hehe.
The beautiful Becky Wahls, I love candid shots. Here she was playing with Judah, but he had dashed from the scene.
Judah and Becky. :)
Sarah swishing around on the dance floor.
Muhahaha! I love this candid shot! Sarah thinks it terribly farby, but I think she looks awesome! Even with a digital camera, she still looks like a lady of the time!
The dance. Our FANTASTIC dance mistress for the evening was Mrs. Masicale, accompanied by her very talented husband! After going to the Grierson Dance in February, I have to say this small, warm, well put together dance is my FAVORITE! Everyone was so sweet, so warm, and EVERY dance was called! In Jacksonville, a handful of dances were called. Not only was every dance called, but Elaine but GREAT thought into her presentation, taught the beginners, laughed with our mistakes, and had amazing historical backgrounds for each dance. I have only ever known her from online, so she was THE first person I have met from online! I even got a HUGE hug!
The beautiful Becky, she looked so elegant!
My beautiful friend, Sarah and I! We were determined to get pictures together. :)
My totally amazing, reenacting, driving, knitting, best friend, Heather and I!
Before leaving Galesburg at the end of the night, and peeling off everything in the parking lot while it rained horribly, we got gas. That was a hoot! I wore black shorts, my knee high striped socks, reenacting shoes, and tank top under my dresses, they were my traveling clothes. We went into the gas station for goodies, and the looks I got were a crack up! After scurrying back into the car with drinks, and food for each of us, we were off on our way home! We talked, and listened to Heather's book on CD about ebola, we also spoke about how every disease is my fault because, "someone touched me in my no no place!". We cracked up! Then the GPS led us to an interesting place...A one lane country road, with no signs, and no lights...We decided since inbred cannibals would probably be the fate we'd meet if we went down that road, we decided against it. We then decided the deer, that were out in droves, were working for the cannibals and the GPS trying to get us down that road! We told the GPS no, we will not go down the dark creepy road where the cannibals are! We made it safely back to Jacksonville, and non too soon! I stumbled through the front door, giggly and exhausted! I just wish every day could be as amazing as that day was! Good people, good dancing, good fun, it made me VERY happy!
