The world these days is a weary place. If you’re intent on approaching life with a sense of curiosity and wonder, and finding the good things to breathe in and appreciate, they’re almost always there, and they’re usually simple, abundant, and don’t cost too much either: nature, wildlife, weather, scenic views, stories, games, jokes, books, movies, companionship, conversations, warm beverages, a hot meal, pleasant aromas, a bonfire, pets to snuggle, cozy blankets, comfy pajamas, pictures and memories, a short walk, etc.
But then there’s (especially lately) political and social unrest, a country divided, countless people suffering unspeakable injustice and poverty, a new strain of a virus even more contagious than what we’ve previously known and been experiencing for almost a year now, and a hundred other devastating, terrifying, and extremely valid concerns that I don’t have the time, mental or emotional energy, or frankly desire to tackle here. As much as one can choose to focus on the good, reality is…well, real…and you can’t always push it to the side and pretend it isn’t happening. The best we can do is aim for perspective and a healthy balance of the two.
And maybe that’s why I leaned so heavily into Halloween this year – a holiday that always brings me so much simple and uncomplicated joy. And maybe that’s why – on the eve of an Inauguration that I am eagerly and excitedly awaiting for the hope and opportunity it brings, but am also very much dreading for the inexcusable unrest and violence that it is sure to accompany it; on the eve of yet again wondering if our double-layered and filter included face masks are actually adequately protective or if I should try ordering something more akin to medical-grade masks, or switch to ordering groceries online for curbside pickup, or just continue bi-weekly grocery runs as quickly as possible and with as much distance as possible as we patiently await vaccines we won’t likely get for another 6+ months at least – I find myself revisiting photos of simple, happy, uncomplicated moments from this past year (like Halloween)…as a way of preparing, as a way of coping, as a way of remembering what is good in the world instead of fixating on what is looming…on what that may or may not be okay, but only time will tell.
So, while it’s on my mind, providing some distraction and some comfort – a silly reminder of the good life outside of what concerns us – I thought I’d share our 2020 Halloween, perhaps as a welcome break for you as well. A Halloween I wasn’t even sure we’d be able to safely pull off, but with a little creativity and a real desire to make it happen, did. A Halloween that allowed me to live for a night as my favorite weirdo Disney princess – a slinky animal whose world is wholly concerned with sneakily acquiring eggs and unbridled curiosity, and NOT coronavirus or politics. A Halloween that felt more nostalgic and childlike, and full of spooky wonder and joyful connection with our neighbors than any other Halloween in recent years. Today this memory gives me a much needed reprieve from “the real world.” And that is worthy of breathing in and appreciating.
Let’s start with the costume! Ever since moving to a upstate New York from a childhood spent growing up in Texas, where I never had to worry the potential for snow, extreme cold, wind, or even rain on Halloween night, I now keep to a very specific set of criteria for all of my Halloween costumes: homemade (not store-bought), warm and comfortable (usually this means constructed from sweats), weather-resistant (wind, rain, snow, etc. without having to cover up my great costume with a boring coat), built from clothing capable of being incorporated back into my normal wardrobe post-Halloween (so I’m only purchasing base-layer items that I like and will actually wear again), and unique or original ideas that are truly “me.” The past several years, for example, I have been a lobster, a jellyfish (complete with light-up umbrella!), a cactus, and a hissing booth (hissing – as in cat – a play on the old fashioned 5 cent kissing booth). This year, I finally brought to fruition my brainchild of 7 months of anticipation and planning – Joanna the Goanna from the 1990 Disney classic, “The Rescuers Down Under.” If you need a quick refresher of her greatest hits, you can check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_i9n1_NpnY
Although the nails were beyond amazing for bringing together the iconic Joanna look, they were also atrocious to function in, but it was well worth it because this costume was clearly perfection, met all of my Halloween-in-cold-climate-for-adults requirements, and brought me and every child of the 80s/90s that I know pure, unadulterated nostalgia, laughter, and delight. I was warm and cozy all night, and the whole thing just weird and wicked enough to satisfy my theatrical side.
Now, the food. Themed food is clearly very important to Halloween enthusiasts. I had a hundred excellent ideas all lined up and just waiting to be executed, but I ultimately decided to save most of them for another year when a contagious virus isn’t ravaging the world and the treats and eats can be shared more freely with family and friends (next year, friends!). But I did bake and decorate over 100 cookies from scratch, along with a sweet & salty Halloween popcorn-candy concoction, monster donuts with glow-in-the-dark fangs, special trick-or-treat baggies for a few super special kids of friends who I knew would be stopping by to trick-or-treat, and – obviously – the necessary and quintessential Halloween night menu of stuffed crust pizza, cheesy garlic bread, and hot mulled cider with plenty of strong bourbon to keep the chill away for multiple hours outside in the dark.
The setup: It was really important to us to provide a safe and healthy way for families to trick-or-treat, have some fun in an otherwise strange and difficult year, and to keep ourselves safe too. To that end, we obviously wore our face masks, had hand sanitizer at convenient disposal, and kept our distance. We set up a physical barrier around our section of the driveway where we were hanging out for the night so distance measures were fully enforced. For candy giving, we strung over 100 bags of candy (and toy bags for kiddos with food allergies) to yard twine with clothes pins so kids could have a no-contact method of trick-or-treating by choosing their own bag to pick off the line. All of that was fun and worked really well! For entertainment we had a small fire pit in the driveway with a roaring fire to keep us warm and toasty all night long, set up lot of fun stage and house lighting to enhance the mood and atmosphere, and we pulled out our projector, projector screen, and sound system and played classic Halloween episodes of Garfield, Charlie Brown, and Scooby Doo on the garage from sunset until about 9:30pm so families could stand or sit at the end of the driveway and watch some Halloween movies for a little break from trick-or-treating.
Our neighbors really seemed to enjoy both the entertainment and the safe setup, and we really enjoyed one shining, perfect night (a Saturday night, full moon, and with daylight savings the next day – what an absolute Halloween trifecta!) that felt like a totally “normal” holiday during a year where everything was decidedly far from normal.
I hope you, too, have had moments of delight this year in your own way and fond memories to look back on when the world seems like too much.
