Halloween Dreams and Memories

I’ve been spending these early-August evenings sewing wonky felt Halloween ornaments while listening to The Fellowship of the Ring on Audible. It’s been so much fun. I sit on the dining room floor surrounded by cats and drink hot Country Peach Passion tea and dream of throwing an elaborate Halloween party for my family come fall.

When I was a kid, my sister Kris and I would host a Halloween party every year, although the only attendees were ourselves, our little brother and sister, and all our dolls and teddy bears. We’d spend months planning and preparing for the party. On the floor in the hall, we’d draw pictures in crayon of witches, pumpkins, black cats, and full moons, and these would serve as our party decorations. We’d also invent very complicated (and sometimes dangerous) party games, such as the Goblin Cross Country, a race that you ran with both your hands and feet tied and an apple in your mouth, and the Ghost Run, which you ran with a pillowcase over your head. The party began with an Opening Speech, delivered by me, and ended with a Closing Speech, delivered by Kris. Both speeches were painstakingly drafted in longhand and then typed on an ancient typewriter and memorized.

We’d save up our money and go to the Tallahassee Mall, to Walgreens, to buy prizes to be handed out at the end of all the games and races. We’d stay at the mall for hours, carefully choosing, picking out festive little items like party horns and trick-or-treat bags. Each human guest (and host) received a prize.

“Supper,” as we called it back then, was always served at the party, and it was supplied by our mother, who never got involved directly in the party but was always there in the background facilitating things. Here is how I described the party meal in my journal in 1978, when I was 12: “We were then ready for the supper part of the party. The table was decorated with our glowing orange jack-‘o-lantern and was filled with good food: golden French fries, hot hamburgers, sparkling Orange Crush, and lots of candy.”

Lol. How I’d love to go back to that year’s party, which was attended by at least 20 dolls and even more stuffed animals. I’d love to see the crayon-drawing decorations and hear the speeches. Oh, yes, I’m sure the speeches were priceless.