Peterman's Choice*
Ghostlusters

Morning All!  New Topic!

We'll be passing out candy to the little ones and waiting to see what the nieces and nephews are dressed as...  It's going to be a cold rainy night.

I missed Halloween in our neighborhood this year. It was last weekend.  It's a really big deal with hundreds of kiddies.  We have candy ready though--we'll get some city kids checking out the neighborhood tonight.  I just love watching those little kids in their costumes--so cute!

Happy Halloween mbailey.  I live way back from the road, so no one comes for trick-or-treat. When my kids were little, all the school buddies would come, but  they have all grown up now. My daughter loves this holiday, so she and her hubby will dress up and give candy out. My life is a scary movie, so it will be things that bump in the night, like my elderly dad whom I rescued from the storm, he is living here til his apt. gets the lights back on.

I remember as a kid, my siblings and I would dress up as hobo's, yeow!, these days the world is full of them, really scary.

The ghost of the infamous Ash Wednesday storm of '62 has competition
from the new spook in town, Sandy. High water marks decorating the old wooden
planks of oyster houses (the ones still standing) from that storm are several
feet below where new ones that will be painted on and labeled "Sandy".

We have more than a few houses of horror here in my neck of
the woods. Ole Mother Nature has filled them with wrack and marsh mud; water
lines 4 -5 feet up the interior walls; insulation and sidling streaming from
trees and shrubs.

We just got our lights back on; don't think we'll be turning
them off too soon.

Miss Blue, in the 62 storm, I lived in a seashore town, we all stayed at my mom's and got out to walk in hip deep water. This I think is worse than '62, nonetheless, we are blessed in that the trees that line the yard here are still standing, otherwise they would have landed on the house.

Miss Blue, Magic Angel:  Don't forget the 1962 New York Mets

Hurray for the Pagans and the Irish.......they sure know how to celebrate.

Halloween brings out the creative side of all ages. When I was a kid, it was the children that ruled the dark hours and the neighborhood looked out and protected them......but from a distance.

It is sad that fear rules snd so much of Halloween has become a staged event, usually in broad daylight with plenty of visable protection....which is needed in tiday's world.

The kids still have fun which is as it should be...... But the excitement of owning the night and going door-to-door with your friends in your neighborhood has been diminished.

Anyroads, Happy Halloween everyone, and blessings to those under Sandy's powerful spell. They have had enough scare to kast a long time.

Peace out

Bert, you are a funny man.Peter Lake,you know it is a sad thing that the kids no longer own the night, to dress up and get goodies in the dark. We did not have parents coming with us then, it was safer then, a different world. Perhaps through a miracle, life can get back to the way it was, maybe.

Did the Irish call Halloween "Samhain"?  The spelling may be incorrect. 

Good to see you out and about magic angel.

In our little town, Halloween is a big deal.  Everyone
dresses up, young and old, the streets are mostly closed off and the youngest
tour the neighborhood with their parents while the older ones go it alone.  A police officer positioned here and there helps
tone down the criminal element.  No
pickpockets, vandals or dark creatures roam the streets. But then this is a
genteel southern town where all the children have good manners and all the
adults are as refined and cultured as fresh water
pearls, processed buttermilk and the “good” bacteria. It is nothing like the
Old Country.

http://www.petermanseye.com/photos/617231

SPRING:My search revealed Samhain means summer's end.Halloween in Gaelic is O che Shamhna.

Halloween is a time of sharing the fall harvest by inviting neighbors, accepting and caring the individual creative fun dress-up foray of mythical costumes, bringing light of smiles in wait of anticipated offerings of candy treats, dunking for fresh apples, all incoming Halloweens' greetings arrive to the front porch door in the surround glow of happy faced jack o' lantern carvings. The children left with a heavier weighted "Trick or Treat," bag and howled, "Happy Halloween!" On the dawn of the evening the neighborhood children met @ precise hour and marched with "Trick or Treat," bags to collect candy booty that was offered by neighbor house by neighbor house, if you knew Tabby the owner of the penny candy store, it was "rich!" Tabby gave out pennies, not candy! Time upon a once, Halloween was a traditional luxury to parade not just a scarey, non-existent character, but a pleasant smile adorned costume of good ole fashion dress-up: Pirate, Raggedy Ann, Red Skeleton, Hobo with your fathers old patched clothes, Wizard or Witch, Spaceman or man out of Tin, Mummy, or and lastly, the one child, the engineered minded 12 year old Menza neighbor student, who on late nights, 10 days before Halloween, fabricated a complete unusual idea for unused giant recycle furniture cardboard boxes into an actual walking pair of dice! Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, will be so costly, that recovery will be difficult over a lengthily period of time, lots of goodwill will be distributed,too. This is why self sustainable crafts,ie. sewing pillows, making afghans, building wood shelters of unused construction materials and clothes; and art,ie., local plays, singing, and painted canvas works, morals on walls in homes depicting Hurricane Sandy History, darn it, build a community center as a museum, could help community come together on a project....a boys and girls club initiate, on the double! Community art participation can play a role in safeguarding a quicker recovery in making money to fund local helpful projects and creative ways for trade and help the community uplift from tragedy. Peter your eye identity picture is sure sinister looking, scarin me, too! Happy Halloween!

Halloween has been postponed in NYC.  I was looking forward to an event at One IF By Land Two If By Sea  resturant in the  West Village.  According to what Mr. Peterman published last year , their is a rumor that the place is haunted.    

It's good to see you out and about, too, Miss Julia.

I'm working all day and then plan on handing out candy to the kiddies.  No big plans.  I am currently at my day job and baking donuts in our office kitchen at the same time.  It is a slow day and hot food always helps the coworkers feel appreciated. 
 
I'm wearing a grey tshirt with a white fabric strip pinned down the middle and a pair of rabbit ears on my head.  My coworker Andrea (she sits next to me) is wearing a black shirt with and a black hat with Daffy Duck eyes and beak on it.  I have a sign that says Duck Season on my desk, she has one that says Rabbit Season, and our coworker charlot dressed as a hunter.  So far only 2 people have understood the costumes, what is this world coming to?!?
 

I've never been a big fan of Halloween--ever.  And while normally I enjoy a walk in the dark, on this night I really don't.  It can't be ghost or spook stories I've read, 'cuz I just don't read that stuff.  I don't do fright movies, either.   As a kid I didn't like dragging that pillowcase around to get filled up with candy---and I've always loved candy. The masks you couldn't see out of (they never fit properly over glasses, did they?), some unidentifiable kid knocking you down in their haste, grown-ups in costume...surely that wasn't right--they should have been inside or standing there with their regular face on  to say hi! (even if their regular visage was grim, at least it was recognizable!).  Our city hosts trick or treat to all the downtown merchants and it begins around 5 when it's still a wee bit light out.  But then the kids go home and roam not just their neighborhoods, but all over with their parents driving them and parking down the street.  We are usually dark on Halloween now......no kids in the neighborhood, so why bother for the ones bussed in?  Yikes!!!  If it was a different holiday I'd say I sounded like Scrooge!!!!

Here is a photo of me and my 2 coworkers 
 
http://nachista.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-halloween.html
 
We've also got a powderpuff football girl, a cheerleader, Jafar from Aladdin, a Witch, a couple pumpkins (lots of pregnant ladies), and a nurse.  I think one of the best costumes is a girl who dressed up as our regional manager, she hit the nail on the head but no one outside of our company would have any idea what she was supposed to be.  One customer asked if she was a secret service agent, that made us all laugh.

Paolos your daughter has the gift of creativity, just like her dad!     Nachista--cute picture!

Normally, we buy "bad" candy (the kinds that the bigger kids don't really want) and then when I see them pushing their way by the little ones, I give it to them, and when the little ones make it up to me, they get a big handful of "good" candy.

I know I'm terrible, but if you're old enough to have a job, you're too old to go trick or treating.  Plus, if you are going to use your size against the little ones that are trying not to fall down, then you're lucky to get anything besides a good swift kick in the rear off my porch.

Sorry, I am done venting for the day.

BOO!

Some might think this is overkill.

http://www.petermanseye.com/photos/617281

Miss mbailey,  How
exactly do you define “bad” candy? Are you certain you aren't harboring a little resentment toward former or current students?  I'm just asking, there is no prosecutor in the Village today and nothing you say will be handed over to any of the authorities or made the subject of a local newspaper's investigative report.

paoloas,Is this your home?  It's lovely!  I love the porch.

My little man is going as the Grim Reaper...I am probably more excited than he is...I haven't dressed up in a few years, but I used to, just for fun. My best costume, I think, was Cruella Deville...I rocked Cruella...My son was small enough to dress as a dalmation and I carried him door to door. Now, I like being the chaperon to a truck load of little monsters...Our small town really gets into Halloween and the streets look just like a scene from E.T.
I am a little concerned for my two college boys. They are both incredibly ornery. I pray that I don't get any late night phone calls from the police or the ER. Yes, I DO remember being that age once...

Miss Springrain, No it is a house in the neighborhood. 
I should have asked the ghoul’s permission before uploading the shot.

Miss Graygoose, I almost misread "ornery" however,
that said, if you think your boys are ornery you should get hold of a copy of
Jim Hall's (ummgawa) "Train Ride"… I'll bet you will think your lads
are angels once you've read it.  Better yet, give them a copy, they can probably use some pointers.

Boo, Peters' "eye" identity picture looks sooo sinister, scarin me...really good make-up.on that photo-graph....does anyone see a resemblance in this picture to a old -time 50's actor portraying a Frankenstein Scientists or a Ghost House Butler .Tommy T you must have some Halloween get-up ..Halloween is big in the movie biz? Frankly, am freckin and trippin out over the whole Haloween Scary theme; Boooo back to you Roadyacht; Just saw the movie, "Cloud Atlas," , an exploration of how the actions of individuals affect one another in the past, present, and future; it was a little confusing; a little for every age 21-30;30-45;45-60;60-105. I liked it, very inventive, and shows alot of miscues, red flags of warning on how tragic our human populus could conjure up a slave-like, "Silent Green," society in the "bad neck of the woods!" It was a warning on human trafficking!  I am going to a classy night club, as the usual, a biker chick, I love my blue jeans and high top black leather boots! The only dancing club in Pittsburgh is the Rennington; there it is country dancing that I love..but a classy club with Halloween rock hits is in the works for me tonite...just sayin....Exits to the ready-set-go-mode...for Halloween Dress Up Nite.....

One year I was Cruella DeVil, and a friend of mine (6'4 and 250 lbs) was a dalmatian! Lots of fun."From Ghoulies and Ghosties, and long legged Beasties and things that go Bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us."

I found it! The candy jar that if greedy hand goes into, the candy makes your hand too big to come out of the jar. I answer the door in my wicked witch hat and have a bessom on my porch. I also have a loaded pump-gun water pistol. 

magicangel, we also live w-a-a-y off the road but half the fun for the kiddies is walking the driveway through the dark (we make sure to have the path well lit). I think I have as much fun as they do. My only problems are keeping the dogs and the husband out of the candy for the evening.

It is kind of out f hand, but so are all the other holidays. Chanukah, for instance, was never meant to be an exchange of gifts. And it takes most people all year to pay off Christmas.

Of course, though a really fun holiday, I'm sure there will be a hue and cry somewhere about it being a pagan holiday and how dare we celebrate it.

Remember......dibs on the kids' candy just readies them for real life.....it's a candy tax.

Smilesforever I had to post this after reading your post:
 
http://www.petermanseye.com/photos/617531
 

Did I read that right? A holiday for Penguins?

Burgundy, my photo ID is Boris Karloff from the movie The Mummy.

My sister just called and is frazzled because her little boys won't stop fighting over the Captain America shield, one is Captain American and the other is Ironman.  Apparently to end the arguing she is getting another shield so that Ironman can get in on the action too.  Ah the joys of being a parent on Halloween.

A Halloween Tale

Once upon a time, in the Land of Employment (you do remember employment, don’t you? ) my wife took a new job shortly before Halloween.

One of her fellow staffers – her new boss, actually -- threw a Halloween party at her home. We were invited.

We hurriedly put together costumes and went to the party.

Few at the party knew my wife, since she had only worked at her new job for a few days.

And no one there except my wife knew me.

I dressed in all black, including a sinister looking black mask. Black shoes, black pants, black belt, black shirt. Black everything. I even had black hair – then.

I also carried a large, black, plastic garbage bag.

We entered the home. But I let my wife go in first; I waited several seconds before going into the home. I wanted to give the impression I was there alone. Those in the filled room greeted us warmly. They had already started to imbibe, so they were of obvious good cheer.

My wife cheerfully returned their warm greeting.

I said nothing.

I slowly moved about the room, picking up small item after small item, carefully placing each item in my plastic garbage bag. A clock here, a candle holder there. And on and on.

Initially, those at the party paid me little attention.

As I added items to my plastic bag, there began to be a muted chuckle here, a muted murmur there.

I remained silent.

I continued gathering items, placing them in my plastic bag.

Finally, still having said nothing, I walked out the front door, carrying my now mostly filled black garbage bag with me and quietly closing the door behind me.

I could hear laughter on the inside.

The laughter grew louder.

But suddenly those inside at the Halloween party grew quieter.

Then they were hushed.

I waited outside the front door. I could sense the growing concern of those inside.

Then I heard someone inside ask:

“Does anyone know who that was?”

No one answered -- not even my wife.

Finally, someone wondered aloud whether they had been burglarized -- right before their very eyes. Watch me just take things, unchallenged, and then simply walk out the door with them.

Suddenly, someone jerked the front door open.

Several of the party goers rushed outside to check on the burglar, to give chase.

I took off my mask, laughed and introduced myself. The burglar chasers were relieved. I handed over my loot

It got the party off to a rip-roarin’ start, even if I do say so myself.

Best Halloween party I have ever been to.

Except that there was one remaining not-so-tiny detail.

When she went back to work the following Monday, my wife had to return her new boss’s bathroom scales.

Somehow, I had overlooked returning that item.

Oops.

BOO! Yes,I  DO live in CapeFear, NC and I'm dressed as a pirate (go figure), Monkey #2 is a Taco and Monkey #1 is that BOX dude from the band LMFAO  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=ALHTd1VmZQRNq262qs8m7Bs5sA3nXGu-GA ; Happy Halloween!

Dammit!....... The li'l rascals took all of the Mr. Goodbars and keft the Peppermint Patties. Guess I'll have to order puzza for dinner..... Heavy sigh.

Nachista..... Shields? That would have been garbage can lids in my neighborhood. ........ % )

Lotlot, great story, even better telling it...

Peter Lake, in my childhood that's what we would have used too, but these days that garbage cans are all those black plastic rolling bins with the hinged lids.

I am doing a new project with a man who was on death row and one time was supposed to be put in the electric chair the next day. He later got a reprieve on a legal technicality and then paroled after 20+ years. The pic above reminds me of the little slit in his cell door he described where he could see out, a world he thought he would never see again. That scared me to think of it. Then I saw/read this on Flipboard and I thought 1day 4 months to live. Imagine... http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/imagine-you-had-four-months-to-live/

And they hardly make any noise..........they are taking all of the fun out of Halloween....... i gotta see if The Shining is playing tonight.

Peace out....

Andy, I love it! Candy tax...INGENIOUS!!
Boy, did we ever hit the jackpot! We started about 6:30 and finally trick-or-treated at the very last "porch light" around 9 and the kids each had to dump their candy bucket twice...not just the "bad candy" either! Wow, it's so very nice to live in a town where you know your kids are safe to eat the popcorn balls and rice crispy treats and chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, to know the people behind every door, is a blessing that only a tight community can bestow.

So, anyway, little man and I did a research study before bed and then drew a bar graph depicting the most popular choices of candy. Chocolate beat out hard candy by a landslide! (oh, the irony)(Roady, did you catch that?)

I also appreciate that some people chose crackers, apples, quarters, toothbrushes, juice boxes and other non-candy items to pass out.

Paolos, my high school english teacher insisted the spelling actually started with an "h"...I google it every time I use the word, just to be sure! All it would take would be one little slip of the pen to have everyone in an uproar...

I am headed back to the office job this morning after a year's leave of absence. Family businesses sometimes require that as an alternative to the strangulation of siblings. Wish me luck! I've always believed that a person who tries to straddle the fence gets a sore crotch but this time, I ain't takin' sides!

I never got this Peterman yesterday. I thought PE had closed down for 11/31.

We live so far in the woods on such a quiet street there are no TTrs's. When we lived in a subdivision north of Atlanta for 26 yrs., we got hundreds of kids at the door. Some parents drove a van full of kids to the entrance and let them out, and came back an hour later, so they were not all our neighbors. My kids loved the fun of being ghosts, Dracula, devils, and cowboys....under the age of 12.

For myself, I never got to Trick or Treat except once when I was 9 in my Grandmother's town with cousins and aunts as chaperones. No fond memories.

I agree the teenagers have no business at the door grabbing candy, but should be escorting the tots like bodyguards or guardians. Now, too many older kids use the night as an excuse to do mischief...not good. Many neighborhoods and churches have gone tot he Trunk or Treat event for safety.

BThompson, we don't have lights up our driveway, I should get some!! Thanks Paolos, I have been so occupied with dad. We took him back home tonight after work, he was soooo happy to be back in his own environment.