Very cool. So what kind of treats did you hand out, hmmm?

The usual kid friendly ones! Candy, candy, candy! I do up treat bags every year and save the big chocolate bars for the big kids later in the evening. Had 94+ kids this year! Many have been coming for years to see the decoratiuons and see the dogs. 2 years I have had puppies but didn't put them in the treat bags! :) I think I am going to need a couple of coffins to store my ghosties in! :)

Ginny

I love Hallowe'en too - my theme is spiders and I have a LOT of them. And like you, I make up goodie bags with different kinds of candy and chocolates. We get about 150 kids here. Because I'm a nurse, it's important to me to also do something "healthy". In the past, I've handed out fun bandaids and mini hand sanitizers. Last year, it was little tubes of toothpaste and this year, colourful flossers. The kids really, really love them. A little surprising, eh?

I hear you about storing off-season decorations. My cold room is stuffed full of not just Hallowe'en but also Christmas, Easter, Canada Day, various wreaths and porch or garden decorations. Potatoes and cuttings? Ha, forget that. I'm worried that if things got fusty, it would ruin my holidays!

Those are just adorable spooks!
What an awesome display!!! Love how you created the bone-fire under the pot. Clever! May I borrow that idea for our Witches Fire?

We had to postpone our "Spooktacular 2011" until this coming Saturday evening. We have this every year, since we live so far out that we never get any kids. My DH and I have a blast scaring the grands and they love it. I set up all the decorations and create the scenes. One of the youngest grandsons loves it so much that he begins asking me about the coming Halloween at our Easter picnic every year...and again on Memorial Day in May and again on Independence Day in July and again on Labor Day in September! He says it is his favorite holiday because of our Fright Night in Hyde Park :)
I change things every year to add to the drama or what might be out there lurking in the dark. There are participatory things they must do in the drama.
This year, because my daughter is here with her two wee ones, we are having a Haunted Wienie Roast around a campfire in the north garden. Very simple. Hay bales for seats and chairs too - and then he and I will away into the house to don our costumes and start the spooktacular events. Bwaahahahahahaaaaaah! (the wee ones will go inside to wash up with their 'Mummy'. Too scary for them. Then everyone back to the fireside for S'Mores and conversation and to warm up. :)

I don't think this is Off Topic at all! It's decorating your Cottage garden, isn't it? Just another form of seasonal decorating or any other garden decor - right? I think it is AWESOME!

~Annie

Well Hello Miss Annie! I was wondering where you were!

I love Halloween and Christmas just for the kids. I'm such a big kid at heart that I fit right in. Every year I dress up in a homemade costume and I make costumes for my grand daughters too. And, of course, I'm married to Santa Claus so I have to dress up as an elf at Christmas too! Trouble is I need a whole house to store everything in!

Of course you can borrow the fire idea, Annie. It looked really cool! I have many other Halloween decorations and such that are packed away in the abyss that is my back bedroom and garage. This year I ran out of time to do the rest of the yard. Now this old house is full of spooks again! I could probably even find the ghost of Christams past in here somewhere!

Adrienne ~ I love the idea of healthy treats and think about it every year. Then I remember how fun it was to go door to door as a kid. That was the only time we got treats of any kind. My daughter is a nurse at a large pediatric practice so she gets all the Halloween High kids the next day! Lol!

On to Christmas decor. This is alwasy a challenge here since it is often very cold and lots of snow. Better get to it. I have puppies due the first week of December. They will be just old enough to vandalize the decorations!:)

Namaste

Ginny

Ginny,
My Papa was hospitalized back in mid-September and passed away this month on the 21st. He fought the good fight but then peacefully surrendered in his sleep the last morning, as he always said he wanted. We got there just moments later. The nurses told me he just sighed and then let go and everything shut down all at once. They were so good to him and so loving. They thought he was the cutest little fart - sweet and cute. He was. Anyway, that is why I suddenly disappeared. I was at the hospital every day and into the evening taking care of him. I took Mama there and wherever she needed to go and helped her with everything. Then my daughter came with her two wee ones about a week later. I was just exhausted. I didn't even know I was that tired until a week later. Things are starting to settle back to more normal now, except that I am checking on Mama more now and helping her when she will let me, that is. :)

Namaste _/\_
~Annie

I'm so sorry Annie! :( I don't know what else to say. Your mom is very lucky to have you there as she will need you much more now. I know you will do your best by her.

I have 5 brothers and sisters but it is usually my husband and I who take care of Dad. He will be 92 in February. All the workers up at the care home just love him too! He is a really warm, funny little guy who probably weighs about 100 lbs soaking wet! They all think he is the best! Wish I could bring him home to stay but I can't teach the dogs to watch him 24/7. :(

My daughter's grandfather in law was killed in a head-on collision with a tree on his quad 10 days ago. The kids were just devastated; all the kids! My daughter and SIL took care of most of the arrangements as it was very sudden, tragic and devastating to his son who was with him at the time. I had the dogs for the week and weekend and the kids for 2 nights. It really brought it close to home for me. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to Dad.......

Sending lots of love, hugs, and good vibrations your way. I know your mom is in good hands. :) Enjoy your Spootacular this weekend!

Namaste

Ginny

Oh, that's so sad for both of you...

Annie, I am so sorry for your loss. Isn't it amazing that we gain physical strength when we have to and then when things come to an end..we gain an extra surge of strength to handle funeral arrangements, and go through the Celebration of one's life to collapse when it is all over. You don't realize how tired you had become. Did your parents live near you?
My deepest condolences to you and your family in this time of need.

That is so neat! Do you mind sharing how you made all of your ghost and what you used?

I hate Halloween! When our kids were little, and my husband was working two jobs Monday-Friday, and we were new homeowners, times were tough financially but you bought the kids a Halloween costume to wear once or maybe twice that year. We were in a young neighborhood where there were so many kids; we'd have as many as 300 kids show up. Our last house, not as many but it was the middle school kids that would show up with king size pillow cases to gather treats, wearing no costumes and being boisterous and rude. You were scared to say anything about their behavior scared of retaliation or that they would damage your car or property. They spoiled it for the small ones. It got to the point where parents with little ones would come along with their kids as soon as it got dark. Probably the parents had just come home from work and the kids probably hadn't had dinner yet. The last two years at our previous residence, we turned out all lights off, even though our car was parked in our driveway, fortunately there was no damage. More schools and churches and shopping centers are providing Halloween festivities that take the place of kids going out in the neighborhoods. Sadly, there is too much bad things happening to kids these days. We used to see kids from other neighborhoods be driven in vans and dropped off to Trick or Treat in our neighborhood, not their own. I was always happy to see it raining on Halloween. I know that is not the right attitude to have but that's the way society has become, even in the best neighborhoods.

Love your pix. I live up in the hills - not many neighbors. I miss the trick or treaters.

Annie, so sorry to hear about your papa....

Ginny, I love your decorations! Halloween is so much fun-every year, I say I am going to get organized and dress up and really decorate. Never get around to it, alas. You are amazing!

Annie, I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy, but it sounds as though your dad was well taken care of by those nurses and you. Sending gentle healing energy your and your mother's way.

Thank you for the comments ladies! I have a lot of fun with decorations. I definately need a bigger house to store everything in though. Spent half the day in the garage looking for all the Christmas bins. The other half running around town looking for pink garland! Yes, I am crazy but it is so much fun! Once I get an idea in my head, I have to see it complete. I found the pink garland and some multi colored too!

Dad was asking about Christmas today. I'd like to make this one special since it may be his last. Or he could be around for another 8 1/2 years to see 100! He's a tough little guy that's for sure. Anyway, working on my outdoor decorations and will post pics when I am done. I may blow the whole electrical cicuit in this old house but it'll be seen from Mars. :)

Hope everyone is feeling healthy and peaceful going into the festive season. I have lots of plans but I don't stress out if they don't get done. That would defeat the purpose. I'd rather enjoy the company and the food!

Namaste

Ginny