About Me

My photo
Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Halloween is coming - BOO!


This is one of my favourite shots of the girls at Halloween. They had been black cats for ballet school, so wanted to be the same for Oct. 31st. Jaclyn was 3 1/2 and Jamie had just turned 7 on Oct. 29.


Here is Dad and the girls preparing their jack-o-lanterns on Oct 30/87 when we lived in Ottawa. Jamie had just turned 11 and Jaclyn was 7 1/2 that year.






This was the year Jaclyn had been "seaweed" for the skating concert in the spring and she wanted to be something else for Halloween. But she finally gave in and I made up her face to look SO sparkly, she just had to smile.











Jamie had just turned 11 two days before Halloween and felt she was getting "a bit too old" for the silliness! Well, she decided to go out as a punk! She put so many scrunchies in her ponytail, she managed to get it to stand straight up! AND she made up her face to be really punk. Note the skating tights, boots, and oversized jeans jacket.











Since Peg has been getting into the mood for Halloween, I was wondering if they celebrate it in Italy (since that's where I'll be this year). Apparently, it's more of a religious ceremony where the Catholics light candles for the dearly departed. When my girls were small, Daddy would take them out trick or treating while Mommy would stay home to hand out treats to all the neighbourhood kids. We would spend weeks planning the costumes and decorating the house. Jack-o-lanterns were carved the night before and we'd drink hot chocolate or mulled cider. For a few years, we even had spooky sounds and music playing into the street outside for the visitors. The neighbours down the street always set off fireworks and served hot chocolate and coffee. It was such a fun time. So what are your memories of Hallowe'en?

12 comments:

Jo said...

Omigosh, what fabulous pictures. You must miss your husband so much when you look back at times like that.

My favorite Halloween was the year it snowed and we all went trick or treating in the snow and then back to my place. My mom had made caramel apples and hot chocolate. And we always had a jack-o-lantern. My dad would count how many kids came to the door. He was always waayy to generous with the treats.

My daughter goes all out with decorations and spooky sounds. It's too funny.

Leslie: said...

Halloween is Jamie's favourite holiday in the whole year, even surpassing Christmas. She was born Oct. 29 so she makes a BIG deal out of the whole month. My birthday and husband's birthday are the same day (Oct 6), we have Thanksgiving, her birthday, and Halloween. Jamie decorates her house indoors and out and it's very festive!

Jo said...

I like the music.

Josie

Leslie: said...

Thx, Josie. I thought it was better than "Monster Mash." cackle cackle

vxpiyo = vixen princess I am - yo!

Leslie: said...

Omigosh! You set up a blog! Good on ya. If you need any help posting a photo or putting music, etc. on, just let me know. Love ya. Oh, join in on our little word game - the verification code.

xsonpzqt = ex-soninlaw drinks pints and quarts.

Anonymous said...

Leslie This is toooooo Cute!! Great pictures and what wonderful costumes and memories!! and HEY..It looks like we have a Trick-or-Treater Already!!! Hey "Daughter #1"...cute AKA!! LOL.

My memories of Halloween, well it was in the days when you could get cookies and not have to have them X-rayed, Kids could just go out and about with their older siblings....costumes were ALL completely hand made....AND...come May Basket Day you went back to the homes you "trick-or-treated" and suprised them with a May basket...popcorn and candy all wrapped up neatly in a napkin...by knocking on their door and running before they seen you..AND YES, you knew they ate the treat too without wondering who brought it, how it was made and with what.

My, how times have changed.

I did win a contest once as a small child...I just ran across that picture the other day...not sure where I put it...but if I find it I will scan it in and post it.......I had to of been only 4 or 5??

So, what is in your "Trick or Treat Bowl"???!!!! I think Bun-Bun and I are handing out glo in the dark skeletons and pencils this year........

OK...Trick or Treat!!!!!

Anonymous said...

CREEEEKKK Rattle....rattle....
ewwwwwwwwww scuff scuff....

Hope all are having a Bewitching Day........

I just love Halloween

*POOF*

Sara's Varolo Village said...

I wanted to go trick or treating when I was a teenager. So, I cut a whole in a pillowcase and put it on my head and went as the elephant man. No one could see who I was. I'm not proud of it - just addicted to chocolate.

Sara

Leslie: said...

That's hilarious, 'chief!' When we were kids, we used the pillow case to haul the candy home. I still have photos of my Mom going through all the loot on the living room floor.

willemina said...

I love reading everyone's Halloween stories...
We used to take a pillow case for our loot also Leslie. I'd bring it home, dump it and go back out again 2 or 3 more times. We always knew which homes had the best candy and best decorations (haunted houses) We would go in and not be afraid of being molested or poisoned...maybe we were too trusting back then?
My mom had a sweet tooth and would go through our stash (there were 4 of us) and we had lots of candy...mom still has that sweet tooth to this day :)
Our elementary school would always have a Halloween carnival with games and lots of delicious foods. I used to love the cake walk because the cakes were always homemade and decorated really neat for the holiday.
I'll have to dig up some photos of my grandaughters in their Halloween costumes and put them on my blog soon.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures...
PS Hi Jamie...good for you!

izxjet...does izzie get to fly on the jets too Carol?

heiresschild said...

willy, that's a good word verification. i hope carol comes over here and sees it.

i don't think we were too trusting back then. i think we were dealing with a different caliber of people. a lot of the people today just seem to be so devious and evil-minded. i'm glad we came up back then where we got to experience certain things, and now we have those memories to always cherish.

ghjyg - go hide joyfully in your garden

sylvia

Leslie: said...

Hi Willy and Sylvia, I guess I have three great memories of Halloween when I was a child.
First, when I was in grade 2, my Mom did me all up as a hobo complete with soot on my face. I was so humiliated it's the only time I thought about skipping school. I was crying the whole time my Mom was doing me up, and the tears made streaks in the soot and my Mom and Nana just thought I was adorable! But I wanted to be a princess and a hobo was the furthest thing from that you can imagine. But when I got to school no one said anything bad so I had a great time bobbing for apples!
Second, when I was about grade 4 I think, my Mom bought costumes for my younger sister and me. We went as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and went to our first Halloween party (outside of school). It was great 'cuz they had all sorts of weird games like sticking your hand in jellow and cold spaghetti - stuff like that.
Finally, I remember the year my younger sister went as an Alcatraz inmate (photos were posted before, you might remember). I wasn't jealous of the attention she got because I was happy being a gypsy. But I'll never forget that year. It was so much fun.
Yes, we are lucky to have been kids at a "safer" time. But my Mom still went through all the candy to make sure there were no pins or needles stuck in apples or whatever. Ah, the memories. :D

gdrjka = good doctors joke around