Celebrating Halloween

[CellarDweller]

A Harvest Home theme is always very nice.

It might sound a bit cheesy, and maybe it is, but one thing I like to see this time of year is the garlands of fake fall leaves that some people use to decorate. Here in the city there isn't much opportunity to see fall foliage, so I like to see the garlands, even if they are fake. It's just like I put out my fake fall flowers and foliage.

I used to be able to get lots of nice fake flowers and greenery at a craft store near my place, but it closed several years ago, and I think the company went out of business. 

But speaking of Harvest Home, here's a lovely "harvest hymn." Growing up, I knew it with a slight variation in the lyrics. I used to know it by heart. We used to sing it at Thanksgiving. We never seem to sing it anymore. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come,_Ye_Thankful_People,_Come

My home church still has an annual "Harvest Home" service. It's actually a collection of nonperishables for a local food bank.

Just this Sunday we had a service dedicating quilts made by a sewing circle in the church for donation to Lutheran World Relief. Over the past year, members of the sewing circle made 80 (!) quilts. Some of them were beautiful!

All the years I spent going to church, I never heard this song before.

[Front-Ranger]

It is never sung in my current church but when I was growing up it was sung a lot. I still know the words and melody by heart. It's from the Puritan Era isn't it?

[Jeff Wrangler]

It is never sung in my current church but when I was growing up it was sung a lot. I still know the words and melody by heart. It's from the Puritan Era isn't it?

No, it's Victorian.

Puritans just sang metrical paraphrases of the Psalms. Think: "Old Hundredth" ("All people that on earth do dwell"), a paraphrase of Psalm 100.

Henry Alford, who wrote the words to "Come, Ye Thankful, People Come," was a Church of England clergyman. George Job Elvey, who composed the tune, was organist of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (hence the name of the tune, "St. George's Windsor").

[CellarDweller]

It's Halloween, so here is what I'm watching tonight.







On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith's Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.





After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and taking 6 bullets from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Michael Myers (Jonathan Prince) has followed Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she's been admitted for Myers' attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs and slashes his way through hospital staff to reach his intended victim.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Well, I'm afraid my Halloween was limited to a couple of handfuls of candy corn and an old plastic pumpkin set on an end table. 

[Front-Ranger]

I did something new for Halloween. I went to my first "Trunk or Treat." Everyone in Colorado seems to have a hatchback and when you decorate it, it makes a nice place to showcase bowls and bags of candy. My son decorated his Subaru as a circus tent, dressed up as a bearded lady, and handed out bags of animal crackers. The event was held in the parking lot of his daughter's preschool.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I did something new for Halloween. I went to my first "Trunk or Treat." Everyone in Colorado seems to have a hatchback and when you decorate it, it makes a nice place to showcase bowls and bags of candy. My son decorated his Subaru as a circus tent, dressed up as a bearded lady, and handed out bags of animal crackers. The event was held in the parking lot of his daughter's preschool.

That sounds like lots of fun. Trunk or Treat seems to be a popular new Halloween custom. I know of two of them that took place in these parts.

[CellarDweller]

Decorated my apartment today for Halloween.   It's basically the same as last year, so I'm just bumping up last years pics.   

The shot of the sofa is different, as three candles are added, so that is new.


Kitchen

[CellarDweller]

Living room

[CellarDweller]

one end table