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Yes... it is October.




The month that the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest...



When Autumns silence and darkness begins to shroud us with it's cold,dead touch.



When the demons of the earth rise and dance in celebration of the earths yearly decent into death.



The month of Halloween.



BoooOOoooOOooo...... Scary.....




About the only thing truly scary about this month is that it brings out some peoples denial and need to push their fear-filled religious beliefs on others.



"Halloween! Devil Worship! Evil! Some people cry. It's turning kids into satanists and making them pawns of the devil!"

Fools!



So people ban their kids from Halloween activities and many schools no longer have those cute Halloween parties I remember as a kid.

Why does this annoy me enough that I decided to blog about it?

Because while these people are out trying to spoil this fun,simple holiday,they are ignoring the true evil in this world.

It is NOT supernatural,it is NOT caused by jack o lanterns or scary movies or video games,raunchy music nor books about magical kids named Harry.



It's human, WE create the true monsters in this world and the only ones that are real.



True evil does NOT come in the form of red guys with horns on their heads and cloven feet. The true face of evil looks like this picture below...






Most people know who Casey Anthony is nowadays. A so-called "mother" who's little girl disappeared back in June (Note NOT "scary" October...) and she couldn't have cared less.
She's just been arrested and charged with her murder. That  sweet baby  will never have her first real trick or treat. Or even just have the chance to grow up.

 THAT is the true horror,the true evil that menaces our society. NOT carved pumpkins and plastic  skeletons. Nor is it  candy with cartoon bats and ghosts on it.



So... I will end this by saying let's keep our priorities strait shall we? Evil is not the petty stuff,it is NOT people that love halloween or don't believe in your religion or lifestyle.... it's the total lack of value humanity puts on its members,that WE put on each other. 

So let's stop putting the blame on imaginary monsters and maybe someday we'll find a way to stop the real ones.

Happy Halloween!

Since I can't be the only person on Hauntspace that is struggling to make some good stuff for halloween,I thought I'd share a couple of ideas I came across on the web...

Best Pumpkin Carvers on the Web

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20228383,00.html?xid=cnn-1008-pumpkin-carvers&partner=yes

I love this link! It's got some great ideas,I especially liked the pumpkin with the body made of clothes and holding the pumkin carving knife,lol!

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Another thing I saw a while ago,I lost the url,was stuffed pants legs with sneakers attached,hanging out of a trashcan.

And somewhere on hauntspace I had seen a snowman-like pumkin setup,complete with arms and a knife in hand. It also had a chopped up pumkin "head" on the ground in front of it and pumpkin "guts" hanging off it's other hand,lol!

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I'll try to add more as I find it,but if anyone reads this has some things they can add,ideas,urls,etc... by all means please do. 

Some real life stuff interupted my halloween preparations and most importantly,my dolling up of old Gertrude. I'll upload pics of what I've done so far later,to add to the original pics of her that are still in my photo section.

 Ok,so I have the water colors that Haunt Master suggested in comments in my previous Gertie blog (many thanks for the comments!) and have just finished the first layer.

 While trying to clean up her colors I suddenly noticed what a festive and sassy smile she has on her skeletal face!

I suddenly realized what Gertie is deep down in her styrofoam heart...not just any old dead gal.

I envision her to be an fun loving, eccentric elderly lady that died but has no intentions of passing over,she has too many Halloween partying to do to simply head off to Heaven. Life on both this side and the other is a blast and she intends to enjoy it!

So... I am cleaning up her colors a bit,then work on her hair style. I was thinking of getting her a new wig but then I realized that whats left of her hair is actually spun into a sassy swirl bun on top of her head. I think I like it and will work from that angle now.

Hmm,being a lady she will need trinkets,blood red fake nails purhaps and maybe some jewelry. And a nice yet dark death shroud,fresh and tidy,I don't think she would appreciate anything tattered or dirty.

 I'm hoping to create a scary yet fun. Nothing cartoony of course,just a chilling yet elegant look for her...

Anybody know of a way to fill in the crackes in her face that she was manufactured with? Not all of them of course,but mainly the forehead.

Also,anybody have any suggestions as to how to present her? What other props to add to her scene?  She'll be indoors except for an occasional outing when there's no rain. She has no legs,she didn't come with any.

Ok now off to put her to bed to dry,then I can maybe look up old hairstyles. Can hairspray be used on fake plastic hair?

Or crazy glue on her hands to hold on some fake nails? The hands are a soft,hollow plastic while the rest of her is styrofoam.

Anyhoo...thanks to anybody that reads my blog on Gertrudes restoration saga.

A lot of people don't understand why I'm focusing on an old,cheap halloween prop my late mother gave me,but it's special because of that. This is the first halloween after my mothers passing that I can feel the old excitement of our favorite holiday again and in some small way I want to have a part of her here sharing it with me again...

. And nobody could ever beat my mother at Halloween scare and fun. No matter how old she got,she was still in the spooky trenches with the best of them,lol! But my daughter Chaosborders (hauntspace nick) is outdoing me with spectacular displays at her home already! She is even building her own Corpsed Bucky.

Mom would have loved it but  this cannot be allowed... Gertie must be MORE spectacular than her wonderfully gruesome Bucky corpse...

Gertrudes head has finally been found. Oddly enough,it was found sitting where we'd searched a million times before,hmm.

Anyway,she's obviously not in great shape. My mother gave her to me during our last halloween shopping trip together before she passed away. So I am determined to restore her to even better than new!

 My daughter (chaosborders) and I are scouting out new wigs for her and I have some black gauzy material for her new shrouds... But what can be used to repaint her features?

She's styrofoam mainly so I'm hoping for some ideas there.

So far,I have her head stuck back on with "mighty putty" and she's curing right now,hopefully it'll work.

I'll put up pics of her progress as we go along ....to make her the Belle of the Ball for Halloween night!

This summer has been busy with real hauntings,NOT as fun as Halloween! Not nearly. We (my team) just handled a badly haunted condominium,which was a suprise,it's our first condo case.

Home owner was pushed down the stairs so we went in fast. Heh,with my ugly mug,it didn't stand a chance...lol!

Alls quiet there now so unless the place starts getting active again,we should now be ready to focus on our Halloween displays,yay!

Firstly,I want to focus on making a spooky "ghost" to hang in the low hanging trees outside.

I'd like to use my mothers masks,but what material for the hanging "body"??? Biggest problem will be the weather,rain would mildew a cloth,like gauze or muslim. And I want it to be sheer,so it'll be hard to see at night,to add to the creep factor of course.

Hmm,time to get busy and plan now,only a couple of months left!

(I added a few actual paranormal investigation photos, for anyone interested in real hauntings, to my photo section. I don't yet have my Halloween prop pics done of course so I didn't want to leave an empty album)

My all-time favorite poem and poet...



The Raven
by Edgar Allan Poe


Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed
he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no
craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown
before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and
door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or
devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or
devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked,
upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my
door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the
floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!



by Edgar Allan Poe

It's late and a cold wind is blowing through my graveyard. Leaves decaying under the naked and twisted branches of the tree.... I gaze lovingly out my door,admiring my spooky yard....then I spy it....gasp....choke.... a flash of white...styrofoam! One of my tombstones is broken in half! How did this atrocity happen?!?!

WHO WOULD DARE....

Must think and act quickly....well..ok, in the morning anyway,too cold to go outside tonight...
I guess I can glue it back together? Will that work? Maybe stick a skewer or toothpicks in between the sections? I have no clue how to fix styrofoam but I must try.

Then figure out what happened and prepare for the Battle of the Styrofoam Graveyard....

Hmm,maybe I can place my motion detector screaming black cat out there,to scare off vandals. Or what about one of those doormats that scream when stepped on? Covered with leaves so it will blend in with the graveyard...Hmm...

Yasou! Tonight I'm just thinking about how different this Halloween will be. Every previous year we'd trek to my mothers home for our festivities,it was her favorite holiday as well.

But mom died back on March 15 of lung cancer so things will be not be the same.

My daughter now lives in moms huge mobile home and moms spirit is still there with her so we'll still be heading over for Halloween...but what to do? We want to remember mom on her favorite holiday so this year must be special.

My daughter is already starting to decorate the place and mom seems to be enjoying it. My youngest daughter was over visiting the other night when two of the hanging ghosts turned to face her everywhere she went...on their own,lol! They were moms favorite decorations so I'm sure she's having a ball freaking my kids out with them....

We knew she'd hang around once she passed over,mom is where our family's interest in the paranormal began,sort of. My great grandmother (yiayia)was a spiritual medium after she came over from Greece and helped raise mom as a kid so that's sort of the beginning of it all technically.

This Halloween will be sad without moms physical presence but I have a feeling mom is going to be partying with us anyway and will be trying to make up for it....

Greetings! I have no clue as to what I am doing yet so.......

Ok! That worked,now on to some tweakings! Must have the proper creepy colors.....




Now, off to find some Halloween ideas. I'm hoping to create a bigger,more realistic graveyard this year.

But first I must repair Gertrude the Cadaver! She's a wonderfully gruesome 3D skeleton....complete with paper mache, decomposed flesh webbing on her rib cage and donning a sultry,decayed and tattered-looking black fishnet grave wrap!
And her tangled mass of grey hair just adds to her beauty...


Somehow her head managed to pop off while moving things around in my closet earlier this year and this simply won't do!


My concern is finding a glue or something that will stick to the metal post where her head once was. Shouldn't be too hard though,but Gerties re-heading is a top priority!


I guess, if worse comes to worse, I can put an axe next to her and lay her head on the ground,hmm....