I hope you had a lovely Halloween (Samhain for those who celebrate it), and a blessed All Souls Day.
Here, the weather was amazing. It was clear, and bright and warm all day, and was still warm enough that no trick-or-treaters needed jackets through the evening hours. There was no rain. I can't remember a Halloween in my adult life that wasn't either cold or rainy or both. There was one during college (for which I actually dressed up) that was jacket but not coat chilly.... but for the past at least fifteen years they've been cold and/or rainy. I made costumes for the kids that were either truly warm in their own right, or were designed so that longies could fit under them.
Not this time. Whee!
And this time, J went off with her friends to trick-or-treat and then sleep over. And C had her friends here for trick-or-treat and it evolved (devolved?) into a sleepover here.
And it was all good.
This means that I do have a picture of C in her full costume...
(Note the claws (and the fangs, but they're not quite as visible here))
but no pictures of J. She also got sheer sleeves -- and horns instead of fangs.
Another thing I did to celebrate the holiday was to join some friends for a Dumb Supper. A Dumb Supper is a meal, in our case pot-luck, for which you set an extra place at the table for your Honored Dead. As dishes are passed, a designated person serves a small amount of each food on the extra plate, a token for the honored dead. But the main thing is that you sit in silence through the whole meal
I've sat through a few silent dinners in my day. Most of them were because everyone was too angry at one or more of the other diners to speak to them. This was so incredibly different! It was peaceful, and comforting. I found myself thinking of the people in my family who have died... remembering each one, as though they'd come to sit with us for a moment. It is a good thing to do, I think, to pause and remember our dead.
In some traditions, as in the Spanish/Mexican holiday of Dia de Los Muertos, yesterday and today (November 1 and 2) are days when you're supposed to go tend the graves of your dead -- and on those days you honor them. (Strictly, Nov 1 is for children and infants and Nov 2 is for adults). Alas, the graves of my dead are all hundreds of miles away. The nearest, I think, is in New Orleans. And though most of them are in mausoleums, and not underground, I've no idea how the oldest of them faired in the recent hurricaines. I should find out. But I'm not likely to be able to go tend their monoliths on All Souls Day any year soon.
On this/these day(s) one also makes the favorite foods of the deceased. I'll have to ponder if I even KNOW that about mine. My grandmothers, for example, were always so into making MY favorite foods (or those of my parents) when I visited, that I'm not sure I know what theirs were. Too bad it doesn't mean I should eat, say, chocolate....
Anyway. However you celebrate this season, I hope that the last day of October was a happy fun time for you, and that this weekend is good.
I'm afraid to tell you about Spongy, lest I jinx myself, but I think.... perhaps.... she has two sleeves, and 95% of a neckband done. In theory, this means two more rows and a bind off, followed by weaving ends, bathing and blocking. ....
And since I have not much to SHOW you.... I'll let this meme/quizlet thing show something that surprised me, but might actually be true.
Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...
Traditional, Vibrant, and Tasteful
Islamic art is developed from many sources: Roman, Early Christian, and Byzantine styles were taken over in early Islamic architecture; the architecture and decorative art of pre-Islamic Persia was of paramount significance; Central Asian styles were brought in with various nomadic incursions; and Chinese influences . Islamic art uses many geometical floral or vegetable designs in a repetitive pattern known as arabesque. It is used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of Allah.
People that like Islamic art tend to be more traditional people that appreciate keeping patterns that they learned and experienced from their past. It is not to say that they are not innovative personalities, they just do not like to let go of their roots. They like to put new ideas into details and make certain that they will work before sharing them with others. Failure is not something they like to think about because they are more interested in being successful and appreciated for their intelligence. These people can also be or like elaborate things in their life as long as they are tasteful. They tend to prefer geometric patterns and vibrant colors.
Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy
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Traditional vibrant and tasteful sounds quite descriptive of you.
Spongy done?
Oh! Cute costume!
Posted by: Carrie K | November 03, 2008 at 11:33 PM