Pumpkins, Black Cats, and Ghosts, oh my!

          My mama has always had a gift for turning the ordinary into something extraordinary. My childhood was a time of magical possibilities, thanks to Daddy and his storytelling, D&D adventures, George (the family ghost), and Mama’s creative energy.

          Recently, I watched an episode of The Carol Burnett Show (thanks to Amazon Prime) in which Carol talked about Halloween. I adore Carol Burnett (always have), but I especially enjoyed this episode since I absolutely could relate to her. During her Q&A with the audience, someone asked her what she had done for Halloween. Carol replied that she and her husband had dressed up in costumes, along with Harvey Korman and his wife, and treated the kids who rang her doorbell to some extra spooky vibes. She talked about the costumes—she and Donna dressed up as Vampira while both husbands donned Igor costumes—and how she had decorated the house: a mummy in a coffin, eerie green lights, and organ music.

          She goes on to relate how each time the doorbell rang, they would invite two kids in at a time (remember, this was the 1970s) to look around and get a little scare, but how two little boys refused to cross the threshold with a polite by terrified “No thank you.”

          My youthful Halloween experiences were just as charming and full of nightly, frightly fun, thanks to Mama. She had a flair for turning our regular house into a spooky yet welcoming haunt for little trick-or-treaters. Besides the traditional carved pumpkin with burning candle inside, Mama would erect a ghost in our front yard every year. In truth, it was nothing more than a mop with a sheet draped over it. But when she placed a floodlight underneath the sheet, the ghost came to life with an eerie “glow.”

          Genius is my mama’s middle name.

          She would also place her ceramic black cat in the largest window, and the front door would be decorated with a cardboard pumpkin cutout and two corn cobs. The mantle would have two cloth pumpkins sitting on either end, and Mama would drape cutouts of “Happy Halloween” across the front of the mantle. Original Halloween artwork by the three of us kids hung on one of the interior doors.

          But the very best part of the night came when Mama donned her witch’s costume. The dress was black with gold leaves, and she had a small, plastic, pointed hat she wore. Keeping her broomstick in hand, Mama would cackle gleefully whenever she passed out candy. The parents always got a kick out of it even if their children were, if not frightened, at least a little cautious.

          It was always great fun to head off into the night in one of our super-awesome plastic costumes with the face masks securely in place (guaranteed to leave us with chapped lips by the end of the night’s adventures). We circled the block with Daddy, filling our plastic bags or pumpkin heads with as much candy as we could. Our ghost could be seen from several houses away, and I always loved making my way back to that warm, inviting atmosphere. Mama greeted us the same as she greeted any other child—with her witchy cackle—before she let us in.

          Perhaps that is why I’ve never thought of Halloween as “frightening.” For me, the night is about fun–dressing up (no more plastic costumes!) and wondering if we’ll see a mummy or a ghoul wandering the streets as the clock nears the bewitching hour. Mama made Halloween special and memorable. Alas, we all grew up, and the neighborhood aged out of trick-or-treating (not to mention it’s just not safe anymore, which is a shame). The ghost no longer haunts Mama’s yard, although the ceramic black cat remains by the fireplace, and Mama’s witch dress now resides with my sister (or did at one time).

As awesome as Carol Burnett is, there is still a greater force at work in this corner of the world. Mama has not changed her genius or her enthusiasm one bit. Even though Halloween is no longer a thing at her house, she rocks Christmastime for both her grown children and her grandchildren. But that is for another blog. 😊