We're also ready with a full contingent of outdoor decorations for the trick-or-treat crowd, including inflatables, video projectors, creepy music, and psychedelic lighting. Unfortunately, rain and wind are predicted tonight (damn you, global climate change!) so we may just end up watching storms with our noses pressed against the window while eating tiny candy bars instead of greeting costumed kids.
But hope springs eternal, and we'll be ready to make the outside of stately Jarlsberg manor suitably creepy if there's a break in the weather.
And speaking of hope springing eternally, we'd like to share the graphic below from our good friend Johnny Optimism. Every year on that site, we post a collage of decorated Halloween wheelchairs as a reminder that when Life gives you lemons, you should kick Life in the ass and throw your lemons at it, then do something totally awesome.
Considering the all-too-spooky news lately, we think it's a timely bit of advice. So enjoy Halloween, and take optimism and inspiration from these kids (and their wonderful parents)!
38 comments:
I love it! What great chair decorations and attitudes! Keep on keepin' on!
Change.org has a petition out to have the President change the date of Halloween to the last Saturday of the month. It alredy has over 30,000 signatures.
I think it is a good idea for several reasons including safety, school night trouble, and giving kids and grownups an extra day to recover from digesting massive amounts of treats and/or liquor.
Here is the link:
https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-join-the-saturday-halloween-movement?recruiter=893165808
Wow. Just checked back on that petition, and in the last 15 minutes it has jumped to almost 40K signatures. They state a goal of 50K. Should have that many and more in around an hour from now.
@Geoff King -- nope nope nope nope.
Hallowe'en is the evening before All Saints' Day. Also, Veterans' Day is November 11th, Memorial Day is May 30th, and so forth.
Next thing they'll be moving Thanksgiving to a Friday or a Monday.
Actually, Samhain, the original Pagan festival that Halloween is derived from was celebrated for one week prior to the full moon closest to November 1st, which obviously varies year to year. They believed that on that day this world and the afterworld were closest aligned (hence all the spooks and skeletons in today's version). Other than that it was basically a very rowdy harvest festival and was the most major celebration of the year. The Catholic Church, knowing they could not ban such a popular thing, later added the All Saints Day connotation to it and fixed the date on Oct 31st. Real Druids (yes, they still exist) prefer the original week long drunken orgy.
We lightly decorate now. Our neighborhood that use to have gobs of children now only has a few. Stuff happens in 40 years in the same house. I too have been tapping the extortion bowl. I seem to recall one year they did move the date and some seem not to have gotten the word, a real mess. Don't pilfer all the goodies too soon.
Side note: on the final day of Samhain (pronounced saw-win, for some unknown reason) a huge feast occurred including a pig roast. Unfortunately, after drinking heavily for a week, it sometimes was difficult to catch a slippery pig so they would roast a goat instead. It is believed this is where the expression "scapegoat" originated.
Another sidenote: The original full moon night of Samhain when the Afterworld was supposedly closest was not intended to be the scary night that Halloween has devolved into, but a time to attempt to contact your own ancestors to gain knowledge and wisdom from them.
We have a big bowl coins by the door. They can have all they can grab with one hand.
The little ones get to use my hand.
If we ever got trick or treaters out here we'd be more scared than they are !!!
Finally stopped wife from spending 300 dollars on candy we have to eat all year .....I am gonna miss it ......
Oh, God bless those parents, their creativity, and optimism! That will do waaay more for their kids than any wringing of hands.
..."eating tiny candy bars" ...that made me literally LOL, Stilton! :D
Have heard that the most money is spent on Halloween than any other holiday of the year. Personally, I don't get it. Dressing up is something I did as a kid to beg for candy. As an adult, I have less than zero inclination to wear a costume of any sort. Seems to me that all this does is teach kids the entitlement mentality - knock on doors, expect to be given something for nothing. Bernie Sanders doesn't need a costume!
As a Lutheran, Oct. 31st has special meaning for us. But I do decorate with black cats and pumpkins. I love black cats and have about 40 black cat things so it takes awhile. Also, as I usually have no kids coming to my apartment, I buy one bag of tiny candy bars that I like because I have to eat them.
Happy Halloween everyone!
A very blessed Samhain to everyone here, and most especially to the lord of Jarlsberg Manor. Thank you for your insight, and today for the pics of the snazzy costumes. So much awesome.
Mike in Canada
D'awww! Those kids are great, bless 'em!
Can't help but wonder what Busty Ross does for Halloween?
hallowed does seem to have surpassed all other holidays for decorations. In our household, Christmas still gets more than Halloween.
Sorry, I forgot. Johnny Optimism pictures are absolutely fantastic. They honestly make me want to cry seeing those children living a life off confinement. I can say that those in the pictures have wonderful, outstanding parents and may God Bless them all.
@Judy King- Completely off topic...I am a Lutheran as well, but am having a really, really hard time with what is happening in the name of Lutheranism in this country. The ELCA seems to be morphing into just another SJW institution, with donated funds being directed to not just helping souls lost in the Sonoran Desert, but actually encouraging the invasion from south of the border. We sat down with our pastor, who said "what else can we do? They are all humans and we have to help them come here." Do a web search and see high ranking female officials of the ELCA proudly posting photos of their participation in the "Womyn's March" after the Trump election victory, pussy hats and all. I don't want to leave the Lutheran church, but find it increasingly tough to stay.
Stilton, what an incredible Halloween decorating extravaganza! It is so refreshing to see the enthusiasm for the day flourish amongst those our age, without young kids in the house. Well done! Is that the Wicked Witch of the West I see? Wizard of Oz used to scare the hell out of me as a child.
@Sortahwitte- I love the wheelchair costumes because they are such a bold statement of positivity (is that even a word?) in the face of challenges. Looking at those pictures is, for me, the perfect antidote to the moral morass of the news.
@Geoff King- I suppose changing the date of Halloween for pragmatic reasons makes sense, but I find myself resistant to it. And thanks for all of the genuinely interesting information about Samhain. Personally, I think we should all take the time to be more observant of holidays celebrated with week long drunken orgies.
@Dan- I'm with you. Let the days themselves have meaning rather than being shuffled around. Although that's easy for me to say since I don't have an outside job to go to, nor kids who have to be ready for school the next day.
@James Daily- We still get a nice number of kids coming to our door, which lifts my spirits every year. Seeing kids do ANYthing which doesn't involve a smartphone is nice.
@Geoff King- I'm not sure how much wisdom I'd get from contacting my deceased relatives, but it would be an interesting group for sure.
@Skip- Wow, that's a great idea!
@REM1875- I don't care how remote you are, you need to be prepared if anyone comes to your door. Granted, it might be an ax murderer instead of a kid - but maybe your life will be spared because you're giving out Snickers.
@Liz Wecker- Just looking at the work that goes into those wheelchair costumes, you know so much about the parents and what they're teaching their kids (and us) about life.
@Jim Irre- I don't think trick-or-treating really reinforces the entitlement mentality. At least the kids are dressing up and coming to our doors, which takes a bit of effort. If the Left was running Halloween, you'd just be required to buy a bunch of candy and turn it over to authorities who would then deliver it to the kids' homes...after taking 50% of the candy for their bureaucratic efforts.
@Judi King- I, too, buy the little candy bars that I like best. Which is a bad idea, since I don't need the extra calories. I ought to buy candy that I don't personally find appealing...but that will never happen (grin).
@Bailey and/or Mike in Canada- And Samhain blessings to you, assuming that I'm not accidentally invoking demons.
@M. Mitchell Marmel- The kids mean a lot to me. The Human Spirit is an amazing thing.
@Anonymous- You just know that Busty enjoys Halloween. This year, she's dressing as Elizabeth Warren by wearing 1/1024th of an Indian maiden costume. Specifically, 3 feathers.
And we do a lot of interior decoration for Christmas, too. The Halloween decorations are fun, but the Christmas decorations resonate more deeply.
@James Daily- I read a wonderful editorial written by a wheelchair user in the days following Stephen Hawkings' death. Many cartoons and commentators had declared that he was now "free" of his wheelchair; this writer took exception to that, saying that his wheelchair (and her own) was what allowed freedom and ongoing involvement in life. A nice perspective.
@TrickyRicky- Regarding your church, it's not always easy to tell the difference between compassion and political activism. And while not qualified to speak on theological matters, I do know which road is paved with good intentions.
And yes, that's a lifesized Margaret Hamilton "Wicked Witch of the West." She even speaks lines from the movie. Hamilton was the greatest witch ever, and The Wizard of Oz scared the poo out of me as a kid. Even as an adult, I don't know of a film scene that scares me more than the approach of that tornado!
@Judy King. I'm a Southern Baptist, not the most endearing thing to profess during these times and travails of pc lockstep. However, I find great value for the things that happened at the end of October 501 years ago. Luther was God's man at God's perfect time. He was an imperfect man to re-state God's perfect plan and point to the Holy Scripture to back it up.
Glad to see the good Halloween cheer here. Enjoy it while you can before the joyless left destroys what is left of it.
@TrickyRicky, we're at the same place. Solidly within the Obama era, "intersectionality" has ensnared the ELCA to the point to where they are now indistinguishable from the rest of the far-left. I've actually seen fellow ELCA members vocally supporting UnPlanned UnParenthood, because ostensibly that's what Jesus would have done. BDS, trans-agenda, abortion, open borders, global warming, you name it.
I have a friend who was once a pastor, and later become a bishop. There must be some sort of brain-scrambling circuitry in that funny hat. Although before becoming a bishop he clearly had Progressive tendencies, he was clearly apolitical publicly. After 2016, he went full TDS. I can only imagine the peer pressure to do that in his new bubble is immense.
Here's some reading for you, if you can stomach it: https://www.exposingtheelca.com/
I keep reminding people that if thg church is going to abandon the Gospel for Progressivism, then there's really no point to there being a church at all. I'm already forced to pay for Progressivism through taxation. I'm no longer seeing any reason to give more than that for more Progressivsm that I've already paid too much for.
We're at our current church largely for legacy reasons; long time friends and relatives that have been there for generations. As soon as the older generation has passed, we're out of there. Don't know to where. Probably underground, just like under the Romans.
@ Tricky Ricky: I belong to the MO Synod Lutheran Church, much more conservative. I gave up on the ELCA (which keeps changing it's name) a long time ago. Too liberal for me.
@All: Off the door for my disability hearing! Wish me luck! :)
I owe an apology for a math error as we have only lived in this house 36 years. Yea, I know but I wanted to correct that error. Since I am here, I will use one of my favorite quotes from 1642.
"Stone walls do not a prison make,
nor iron bars a cage."
An eloquent and insightful young lady.
@Stilton- Granted, the tornado scene is very scary. In fact, I had recurring tornado nightmares for years in my childhood because of that scene. But seriously, what about the flying monkeys? Even scooping up little Toto away to the castle? Flying Monkeys!! Terrifying.
@James:
"Stone walls do not a prison make,
nor iron bars a cage."
An eloquent and insightful young lady.
"But dey sure help!"
A smart-ass bunny
@All: Won my case! Yaaaaaaay! :D
As a conservative Lutheran, I celebrate Oct 31 as the start of the Reformation. I belong to the WELS - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, a very conservative Synod. We are small, about 375,000 members. We have churches in all 50 states and some in Canada. We have about 20 Synods in the world that are in confessional agreement with us. The first mission of the WELS is to preach the gospel as it is told in the Bible, which we believe was inspired by the Holy Spirit through many human authors. Our second mission is to help our fellow man. We have sent many volunteers to help areas hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. We do NOT get involved in social justice issues. We preach and teach the same things that Martin Luther did 500 years ago. And yes, we hand out candy to the Trick or Treaters. I encourage my wife to buy plenty because we have very few Trick or Treaters. That way I get what’s left, until our grandchildren visit. To read an indictment of 2018 America, go to II Timothy 3:1-5.
Your elephant man has been out of the fridge too long.
@TrickyRicky -- I haven't liked monkeys since I first saw those flying terrors.
Stilton, those Halloween pics of the kids always bring a tear to my eye.
Not so much because of the kids but because of the parents that put so much into making their children just a bit happier. This is the Real Hope not the hope-less change that we've been fed for the past eight previous years.
I believe, or at least hope there's a special place in Heaven for parents like these.
Just wrote this and posted it on FaceBook to see how long before it is blocked and how many Dem heads blow up first:
Senator Barack Obama: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: You are so wise Senator Obama!
Bill Clinton: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: You are so right, President Clinton!
Hillary Clinton: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: Yea! I'm with her!
President Trump: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: You racist, xenophobic pile of orange crap! You should be assassinated!;
@Geoff:
Swiped. :D
Damn. Didn't think anyone would share it. Here's the proof read version then:
Senator Barack Obama: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: You are so wise, Senator Obama!
President Bill Clinton: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: Could not agree with you more, Mr. President!
Hillary Clinton: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: Yeah! I'm with her!
President Trump: We need to strengthen our borders and get tough on illegal immigration.
Dems: You racist, xenophobic pile of orange crap! You should be assassinated!
@Geoff! Thankee kindly! And I know good material when I steal it! :D
@Geoff King, one of the primary benefits of being a Progressive means never having to apologize for anything you've done or said in the past, even if it's 15 minutes ago.
If you're a conservative, they'll can you for something your father said.
You see, Progressivism means that you are a better person just for being a Progressive. It's cheap and easy. That's why it's so popular.
I wish someone would ask a big-name progressive if "progressive" is still a code word for "communist".
Yeah Stilt you got it right. I used to really dislike time zone changes in my primary career especially when they were 8 to 12 hour changes. Just about when one got themselves all lined up at the destination.. SOB, it was time to go home. Now I don't travel East-West so much; and when we do it's slow. Screw the jets, the airlines, and the TSA.
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