Ohhhh I am missing fall. Fall in Texas is when the first cool front sends you running to throw open your windows and breathe in that fantastic reminder that summer doesn't last forever, that football and trick or treating and turkey and Santa will give you something else to think about besides how damned hot and humid it is. Sometimes fall comes late and sometimes early...we check the Texas weather here and see that it was in the 40's this morning. Sigh.
On a brighter note, it's 82 here this morning, and that feels really nice.
We have a special love for Halloween in our house. Besides being the day that John Freeland Small made his appearance and changed the course of history forever, it is a holiday that hasn't yet succumbed to the monetary and performance pressures associated with Christmas. Christmas is not my favorite because I feel like no matter how hard I work, cook, or shop, someone is always disappointed and it's all over in the blink of any eye with nothing left for me to do but clean up the kitchen, take down the decorations, and deal with the financial aftermath. Then there's the childhood disease I call "Christmas Crack Addiction Disorder" which, in America, starts around Halloween. We haven't gotten that yet here, but yesterday I saw the first of the Christmas decorations in the Japanese dollar store, so who knows how we'll fare this first time around of Christmas in the Middle East.
So when I was feeling a little blue over the fall and Halloween and as I was refusing to chase around town to find the odd decoration here or the insanely over-priced pie-sized pumpkin there, John had a vision: why not make our own pumpkins out of beach balls and paper mache?
As they say at the Hogwarts of the Middle East: BRILLIANT!
So here's a slide show. First, we must start with some reminiscing of Halloweens past, then we go through the project.
This is dedicated to my sweet friend Joyce, who wins "best yard in Franklin" every. single. Halloween. And she so totally deserves it. I love (and miss) Joyce. :)
Now to the slides--mouse over the bottom part of the slideshow to find the "play" button. You can also pause to read the captions if inspired.
Happy Halloween, Y'all!
Nancy I can't remember if we've talked about this before or not (I've got this vague sense we might have), but I met my husband on Halloween too!
ReplyDeleteAnd those are some damn fine jack o' lanterns!
Happy Halloween!
Best. Pumpkins. In. Qatar. What a great family activity! I can't wait until Amelia "The Beast" Nester is old enough to participate without desruction in such bonding experiences. You guys are what I would call expert expats :D
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking we have a Nester-Beggs-Small paper mache fest but on a much smaller scale...I'm thinking balloon bodies that could then be painted brown, plastered with feathers, and turned into some sort of turkey centerpiece... Now we just need to get Raina to fly up from Australia to join us... :)
ReplyDelete