More Hallowe'en

Halloween is a big deal for a lot of people . This morning as I sat at Peet's drinking coffee with my friend of many lunches (35 years' worth) I had lots of opportunities for blips. There was a woman dressed neck to toe in white fur with a mad hatter's hat with bunny ears. She told me that she is a middle school teacher. There were several small witches and pirates and there was a man with a cockatoo on his shoulder. Guess which ones were actually in costume.

Walking home down Russell Street, which is closed from 4:30 to 8:30 for a giant street party, I saw a man struggling to set up a large spider-like structure with a big barrel on top. (I'll have to check tomorrow to see what it finally became), a yard with "binders full of women" (a reference that only American voters will get) , a full size "haunted house", a volcano, numerous tombstones, skeletons, ghosts, and, of course pumpkins. The winning choice was the green monster, two stories high and strung on wires from the balcony of a house, spanning the front yard and the sidewalk.

The fun house atmosphere extends to my life right now (with none of the fun!) I will, as Lady Findhorn would say, "draw a veil" over the details, and concentrate on the Trick or Treaters who I can hear approaching as I write...