This is Halloween

"This is Halloween, This is Halloween." Do you recognize the tune? Of course you do! It's a favorite song from one of my favorite movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas. I'm overjoyed that it's almost time to bust out my well loved copy. It's an event for me. I like to watch with my friends and family around me and of course there must be awesomely spooky snacks to share. It's pretty safe to say that I love Halloween.

  

  Some of my happiest memories from childhood center on this holiday. My parents had me very late in life, so by the time I was old enough to really enjoy trick-or-treating, the job of escorting me all over town was passed on to my older sister, Melba. I'm not sure that she even knows just how much I loved it. I would go along with her and my only slightly younger niece and nephew every year.`It was also Melba who always made sure I had a wicked awesome costume. I remember one year she got us all these fantastic blow-up headpiece things and painted our faces to match. I was a pumpkin. We loved them because that year we could actually breathe! Weren't those plastic, sweat inducing masks terrible? Although, now when I see them in an antique or craft store, I always feel a rush of nostalgia.

  

 The three of us would dash around our little home town starting around dusk. I can still smell the autumn leaves and hear them crackle under our feet. I close my eyes and see the porch lights come on one by one to light our way .The glow from the candle-lit pumpkins that welcomed us at so many steps is etched in my memory. It was magical. We would bring our loot home at the end of the night, spread it out on the floor between us and let the trading commence.

 Those beautiful family memories are what lie at the heart of my love for Halloween. I admit that as an adult I haven't always given it the attention it deserved. Some years there wasn't even a nod in it's general direction. But I missed it. I missed the pure joy of imagination and creativity, A day when you can be anything your mind can dream up? Come on, that's just too wonderful to ignore! 

  So, imagine my delight when I made a friend whose love for Halloween might even surpass my own. My partner in mystery and mayhem, Noelle, is a true devotee. The fun we've had over the years is probably illegal, or at least frowned upon by polite society. And did I mention the shared love for throwing out-of-this world parties? There have been mad scientist lairs, Dia De Los Muertos grave yards and many a dry ice cocktail. But this year folks, will top the charts. It's an all out Poe party. Think Victorian goth and heart stopping stories read by firelight. I don't want to give too much away, but believe me, it will be the best yet.

  

  More fun had. More memories made. That sums up the heart of Halloween for us. And truly, the heart of all we do at 73-Productions. We want to share our love of life and celebration with everyone around us. So from our front porch  to yours, Happy Halloween! And if anyone knows where I can find one of those blow up pumpkin heads, please drop me a line!