On 8-foot ghosts and October shivers
- Melissa Herrera: Not Waiting for Friday
- October 6, 2024
- 810
It’s October, my favorite month of the year. My heart is full of anticipation for spooky season, birthday month, and the return of shivery winds and falling leaves. I thrifted a gorgeous red cardigan the other day and can’t wait for the temps to drop. I need a chilly morning and gloomy day to fill my tank.
Yesterday I put on jeans (hold back the shock and awe) because it was actually in the 60s. I went to a few of my favorite thrifting spots, scouring for a few trinkets to decorate. I found a delicate haunted house replete with pumpkins and a glittery bat and knew it would be perfect on my mantle. To go with it, I found some swirly porcelain ghosts with devilish smiles. You don’t always find figurines like that as it’s usually the weird ones people give away. I love weird, but these were amazing. I rearranged the mantle and admired the scene.
My porch is adorned with pumpkins thanks to my son’s neighbor who had a pumpkin patch picking party. Lots of good food and convo was had, and we hauled away enough pumpkins for the season, enough to make cutesy stacks. I love a good stack of pumpkins. It was fun walking through the patch with my grandkids as they ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the glorious orbs. Their little arms were full.
I’m not a placer of cornstalks, though. I’d rather get some vibrant mums and put them in mom’s concrete planters I have at the end of my sidewalk. Mums were one of Dad’s favorites. I always think of him when I tuck one into the soil.
George has some plastic skeletons he wants to hang from the porch. They are still waiting in their plastic box to come alive for the season. He is busy doing work and finishing up cardiac rehab. He is feeling so much better and is happy to get his hands on tools once again. His creative drive always astounds me.
Several weeks ago we came home to our neighbors to the right having strung orange lights around their house. I was thrilled to see this because I never lived where there was much Halloween decor. Last night our neighbors across the street put up a huge blow-up ghost and various other ghoulies. I think Dracula is in his coffin over there too. I can look out my front window and take part in the spirit of the season. My neighbor to the left has been supplying me with tomatoes and cucumbers. She and I have had some excellent convos.
I have to say I’m really feeling part of the neighborhood.
What I do miss is driving back roads to do my errands. When I lived in Berlin, I’d always take the back way to Millersburg just to enjoy the scenery. Each week the leaves would get brighter and more full of color. The canopy of trees dropped leaves as my car sped over the gravel, and I would sigh in contentment. Now when I head down to Holmes County (hair cut, grandkids visit, dentist), I make time to do at least four things: buy cream sticks, visit Walnut Creek Cheese, go to Save & Serve and drive on some back roads.
During October I will make sure to come down at least once a week to take in the changing hills and valleys. We’ve been exploring areas around Stark County and have discovered some towns and burgs that have been unknown to me — little shops and thrift stores and cute downtowns. I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since we purchased this house. So much has happened inside the minutes of that year.
My cat is lazing in front of me, oblivious to what month of the year it is. Her internal clock tells her when it’s time to eat and sleep. I’m on my second cup of coffee and pondering how it can already be fall. Maybe I’ll take myself out on the porch to sit and listen to the quiet of the street. It’s quieter here than it was at our old address. The squirrels are prolific, gathering nuts from the tree in our side yard. Across the way, twinkling lights from the eyes of an 8-foot ghost blink back at me. It’s cool enough I may need my freshly thrifted cardigan to sit here.