SIX: WORKING FOR THE MAN

Halloween's Past

I have mixed feelings about Halloween, but it can be fun as long as one keeps it in perspective as just dressing up and going boo.


I enjoyed it as a child, wearing costumes we generally made from things about the house, except the masks. I use to win one of the prizes at grade school often. I still have a little book on birds I won one year as the ugliest. (Did I dress up that year?)


Yeah I did. I was either a witch or a bum.

I won a prize in the annual West Chester Halloween Parade in 1951 when I was 10. I went as Mr. Peanut.  My grandmother sewed the body using a large potato sack. The top hat was just formed out of cardboard and the cane was one I had won at the town carnival. She dyed a pair of my granddad's long johns black to make the leggings and sleeves. The monocle was cardboard and string sewed on and a pair of white cloves completed it.


Here I am on the Judge's Stand at the end of the parade getting my award. I think it was five dollars.


It was really difficult seeing out of the thing.

In 1957 we all got into the act and went out to friends and neighbors. I'm in the middle and I admit my outfit would not be politically correct today. My mother is on the right and my grandmother is the witch on the left.


Dress up for us kind of went by the wayside after marriage. Maybe just the way we dressed in the 1960s made it Halloween everyday.


Eventually we had kids and made costumes for them although some were purchased.

I guess Noelle carried on the tradition of my grandmother's witch.


Laurel wanted to be a Fluppy Dog, I think that was what those characters were.

Getting a little more homemade here. Darryl's was bought, a vampire ghost. Laurel made her own, I'm not sure what she was anymore. I can't tell from this picture.


My wife helped Noelle become a gumball machine, but it was noelle's idea.

This year the girls came up with their own outfits. Noelle is a bee and Laurel is a Zebra.


Hmmm, where's darryl?


Perhaps he was afraid of bees.










I got back in the swing of things in the 1990s. We always dressed up at work.

The first time I did, I kind of borrowed Laurel's homemade costume and went as an M&M. From Mr. Peanut to a piece of candy. What progress.

The next year I was very sexy in my sheer black lingerie at the World's ugliest Playboy Bunny.

The final year I was the Phantom of the Opera.

The hat was actually an Amish Hat I had bough in Dutch Country years before.

I was suffering from my hyperthyroidism at the time and being treated with steroids. This had swollen my face and neck, which kind of added to the look.

One of my fellow managers, Phyllis, was actually terrified by the costume. She couldn't stay in the area with me.

Masked.

Unmasked (but still masked.

(

Noelle carries on. This year she made herself and her friends "Nuns with Bad Habits". One was "Bar Nun", one was "Nun With a Bun" and the black fellow in her group was "Sister brother".  Noelle was "Nun on the Run".

I didn't get the ball and chain around her ankle in the shot.

She carved her Rosary from soap.

Her prison number is Acts 20:23

"I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me."

Enjoy the holiday if you practice it. be careful out there of all the trick and treaters. And BOOO!

Christmas 2008

Our Christmas Day is a bit split up by schedules anymore. Since the kids have all reached adulthood there is none of those up at the crack of dawn ready-or-not Christmas Mornings.

My son, pictured to the left playing Santa, works nights, so He prefers a late start.

He is the only one of the kids still living here with us.

With both girls working at animal shelters and both volunteering to work on Christmas, we get a late start anyway. Laurel worked at the SPCA until noon, so we didn't pass out gifts and open them until after 12:00 PM.

Here she takes her turn at being Santa.

Noelle had to leave after we opened to go give medications to animals at the Delaware Humane Shelter. Here she doesn't notice I am taking a picture, but Darryl was quick to get a foot between himself and the camera.

She went into the shelter at 2:00 and got back home a little after 4:00, then we sat down and had a nice turkey dinner.

After dinner we headed north into Pennsylvania and made the hour trip to my parents. We used to get together at our place, but my parents don't want to make the drive anymore and although we took Thanksgiving Dinner up, it just got complicated with the schedules on Christmas, so we ate separate dinners this year.

Here is my dad (age 90) and mom (age 88) in their living room.

My wife and my dad watch as Noelle opens a gift from her grandparents.

My mom puts out all kinds of creatures about the room on Christmas. I don't know what all is on the coffee table.

My wife opens a sweater she received.

My dad is contemplating what he will open next.

Noelle hides again as my wife watches what my mom is doing.

If you wonder where Darryl and I are hiding, well I'm taking the pictures and Darryl is fast asleep in an easy chair.

He works nights as I said, and this was just too long a day for him. Plus my mother always has the temperature so high you kind of drowse off from the heat.

Anyway, I didn't take a lot of pictures. here is one I did manage with no one hiding from me.

Laurel, Noelle and my wife.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year all!