A Scary Story

I have started my official Halloween countdown. It is now 6 days away. I have a costume that can't be beat. I have Yvette's annual Halloween party (a complete success). And I have carved jack-o-lanterns for the front porch.

But my favorite of all Halloween activities this year, I have successfully spooked The Hoefler Twins on three different occasions. The first time I hid behind the couch in their living room and waited (nearly an hour) for them to return home. After they entered the room, but before they turned on the lights, I jumped up with a loud, "Boo!!!!" They nearly fell over with fright.

Since hiding worked well, for my second scare I waited outside the yoga studio where The Twins were attending a class with Stilts. When the three came out I jumped out with a scream "AHHHAAHAHA!" The Hoeflers turned white. Stilts (of course) remained perfectly calm.

The third and final of my tricks was unfortunately much less intentional. We planned to go to a haunted house over the weekend and The Twins went first to stand in line. When I go there and made my way to them, I tapped them on their backs to let them know I was there. To my surprise, they jumped in the air with a shriek. I guess The Hoeflers have been put on edge this season...

I so enjoy Halloween.

I hope you so enjoy Halloween, too.

-rfb

New MiniCards, Part 2

We're getting ready for a Halloween Carnival so we needed to get more mini cards from Moo. We like Moo. Do you?

October Craft: Jack-O-Lanterns

We tried to be like Martha this year and set out to make ourselves into Jack-O-Lanterns!

Supplies:

- at least one adult and one kid (you can use more of both, if you want)

- pumpkins

- newspaper (for covering surfaces and easier clean-up)

- scissors

- tape

- cheap, disposable automatic pencil

- patterns (download from the blog)

- cutting device (we used a combo

- something to scrape the innards out

- candles

IMPORTANT: Kids, you really should let the adults handle the knives. We don't want to lose any fingers right before trick-or-treat, do we?

We carved pumpkins 4 different ways and we liked them all: traditionally (like YvetteWitch); silhouette (Red Fred); traditional + a cut-out (Black Jack Bat); and relief-carving (PennySkeleton). You should do all of them!

Lay out your newspaper on a flat surface. Pick out the perfect pumpkins and match them with one of the patterns you printed from the Jolly Blog.

Carve the BOTTOM out of the pumpkin instead of the top - that way you have a handle to lift it around. This will also allow you to place the pumpkin OVER the candles.

Clean out the pumpkin by scraping out the sides. This is the MOST ENJOYABLE part! (Whatever you do, don't hide the innards in your papa's slippers!)

Cut the following patterns: Red Fred and Black Jack Bat. Then, tape the patterns to the appropriate pumpkin. Using the pencil (you won't need to click the lead out), trace the areas where you will want to cut. This will an easy-to-see line on the pumpkin and its a lot easier than poking holes in the skin.

Then carefully being to cut the image out.

Penny-Skeleton was a bit more complicated. We didn't carve her out, but we did trace her. We did her as a relief-pumpkin (that means you cut down into the outer part without going all the way through) so you won't need a light for her. You need patience.

Have fun, good luck, and let us know how you did!

The Swell Season

There is a local farmer's market near me. It starts in the summer when it's full of hot sun and fresh fruit. But now it's full of cool mornings and harvest vegetables. I went by myself over the weekend to observe the last market of the year. Because regardless of the particular spoils, there is so much to see and touch.

I looked quite a bit at the different shapes and sizes of squash and gourds. I like a group of pumpkins sitting up straight, occasionally lean this way or that way. I like the twisty-turvey necks of squash and their many colors and patterns. I like when I find witch-like warts or smooth, dull surfaces.

I tasted all of the sweets I could find (brownies, especially) and the last of the season's fruits. I got a bear full of honey to go with the fresh scones Algernon makes on Sunday mornings.

I listened to musicians, some playing loud music and some playing quiet music. I remembered that I tried the accordion once (though it proved unsuccessful without fingers). This musician —Keith Lewis — has proved it very successful (and I'm sure the fingers help).

I smelled the fresh flowers taking in deep breaths of their rich autumn scents. I left with two bunches to give to Penny and Yvette.

I noticed the colorful leaves above me and the friendly beasts below me and decided I will miss the farmer's market through the winter. But it will be back. And in the meantime, there will be holidays and sledding and snow. I like all the seasons in their time.

I'm going to eat a carrot.

You should eat a carrot, too.

-rfb

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