Aunt Ruth has always been a bit strange . . . but you have to love her.
Yes, she is a lovely woman . . . and she has some interesting friends . . . and pets.
The neighborhood children come around on Halloween . . . but I’m afraid the word is going to get out . . . .unless they realize Aunt Ruth and her friends are just having fun celebrating All Hollow’s Eve.
I do love this picture and have been wondering how to make it three dimensional. I could print out several pictures of this and cut out all the pieces and layer them . . .
I do wonder what the main focal point is of this picture . . . the children or those within the open door?
At least Aunt Ruth gave her pet frog Homer as a treat instead of an apple . . .
This is one of those vintage pictures I’m so fond of sharing. You can click the image to the right and print it out. I would be curious to see how you use this picture.
I may focus on popping up the children and maybe the pumpkins and allowing Aunt Ruth and her friends to remain in the background. Homer, the frog, may need to be a bit dimensional, too . . .
This may be one of those images that belong in a mini-album or maybe I could make it into a Card-In-A-Box. I believe that would work out perfectly.
Everything would be dimensional . . .
I do believe this would be a great way for me to share this images with my friends and family . . . and a way for them to keep it and display it every Halloween . . . or when Aunt Ruth comes to visit.
I do like the Card-In-A-Box concept because it folds flat to put in an envelope for mailing and is easily popped up to display on a table top, mantel or shelf.
Here’s a YouTube Video Tutorial in case you aren’t familiar with this.
Yes, they are easy to make . . . and fun, too.
I thought this video would give you the basics of what you need to know in order to create your own Card-In-A-Box. I know some people like to see the whole thing put together step-by-step, but for the purpose of this post I thought the basics was all you needed.
Feel free to check out other YouTube Videos on the subject.
Ray O’Bannon has been busy at RavensBlight creating new papercraft toys for his visitors.
One caught my eye . . . an eye catcher . . . Which is actually catching an eye on a strong . . . A fun hand-eye-coordination thing you may enjoy making for your family . . .
Click the image on the right to be taken to the PDF to print out. Click Here for the assembly instructions.
I do like the eye and may use it in other projects . . . Be sure to check out Ray’s other toys . . . He has a fun golf game that may get you right into the Halloween spirit . . .
To me it seems more like a variation to croquet, but Ray can name his game whatever he prefers. There are so great eyes again . . . Can you imagine terrifying your friends and family by bringing out this Cleaver Golf game?
These may be a great hit at your Halloween party. I think I may make up a bunch of those eyes and put them in a big bowl . . . I wonder about a friendly game of pool . . . or perhaps put little treats inside . . . A little jingle bell may be a nice touch . . . For the eye-catcher, too.
I believe Ray O’Bannon is a clever artist . . . His games and images go to the mysteries of the paranormal . . . His does give a colorful history of how this golf game was created . . . yet it does play a bit more like croquet with the hoops . . . and the cleavers . . . but I’m not going to argue with the creator of this game, I just delighted he has these free to print out and make.
Although I may be feeling a bit creeped out at the moment, I do hope these Ray O’Bannon games will find a place in your home in which to play . . . I did want to give you something fun to have for the official opening of this fall season.
This pre-fall overcast day is quite welcome with the smell of rain in the air.
The forecast is 50% chance of rain . . . and the temperature was at 78° F. It may get a bit warmer . . . and maybe not.
The pre-fall weather and the early fall weather has been a bit stubborn for several years. I always have hope that fall will come and stay. I do seem to be surprised . . . but there is nothing we can do about the weather except enjoy it.
It’s always good to get out and enjoy the morning. Everything is relatively quiet in my neighborhood. At one time I thought it a bit eerie . . . like a sci fi movie — remember the pod people? I wondered if pods were behind the closed gates and garage doors . . .
Yes, I have an overactive imagination at times.
It does seem like the perfect day to dig out a jigsaw puzzle. Since my brother moved to Alaska, I’ve been thinking of nature and the wildlife he sees. This 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle by SunsOut is a beautiful Forest Collage you and your family may enjoy putting together.
The artist, Jim Hansel is a premier wildlife, nature and landscape artist.
The completed dimensions of this 1000 piece masterpiece is 20 inches by 27 inches.
This seems like a sensible way of kicking off the pre-fall season.
This jigsaw puzzle is challenging enough for adults and not too discouraging for children. I think it’s a great family project.
You may also enjoy:
I could go on and on with the selection of jigsaw puzzles I’d love to put together with my family and friends . . . This is enough to get you started selecting the jigsaw puzzles you and your family would enjoy.
This cute book will have your child counting through a haunted house. What could be more fun than that!!
This is a delightful Golden Book by Kristen L. Depken and illustrated by Claudine Gevry. It’s excellent for preschoolers and maybe a bit older, too.
It is the perfect size for toddler’s little hands and is especially entertaining with the flip up flaps revealing all kinds of surprises.
The concept is excellent. The problem is with the flaps. Many people have complained that the flaps have been ripped off by their children. I’m wondering if this is a manufacturing problem or a problem with parents not teaching their children to be gentle with the book.
I was thinking this book would be excellent to read with your child and have an interactive story time. And an excellent opportunity to teach a child how to care for books.
As always, it’s up to you whether you want to purchase this book or not. I have some links below you may find helpful.
I could go on and on and on with my Halloween book selection, but it is better for you to enjoy finding the perfect Halloween book for your child.
I’m not talking about self-help books . . . I’m referring to a novel.
I would think many of you are remembering how the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling got your children interested in reading. Maybe you were one of those children.
That series captured more than a generation of fans, All age groups were affected. Parents and grandparents right along with their children and grandchildren. It gave them something to read together and discuss. Then there were the movies . . . and I would venture to say hundreds of thousands of households throughout the United States have the books and the DVDs. It may be more like millions, but I don’t want to exaggerate.
Well, I’m of a different generation . . . I’m not denying my interest in the Harry Potter books and DVDs. I have shared on several occasions my interest in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Yes, it is an old short story that was originally published in 1820.
My brother had an illustrated version of it. I continuously asked to borrow that book to read over and over again. Usually at this time of year. There was something about it that captured my imagination. And, to this day, I read it every Halloween after handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to my door.
It has become a tradition for me.
I was talking to my brother the other day and the topic of Ichabod Crane and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow came up. I told him about a previous post I wrote about Ichabod Crane and what really happened to him that fateful Halloween night. It is something I think about. There can be thousands of explanations. I didn’t draw any conclusions, but I did ask my blog visitors what they thought . . .
Yes, this book from my childhood had an impact on me and perhaps my life. I always go back to reading it year after year. It did capture my imagination and it helped me become a better reader and to dig into the meaning behind the words.
The fact that it was published in 1820 gives an indication that the vocabulary wasn’t streamlined for a child . . . I did struggle to get through the beginning:
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. FOUND AMONG THE PAPERS OF THE LATE DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER. “A pleasing land of drowsy head it was, Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye; And of gay castles in the clouds that pass, Forever flushing round a summer sky.” CASTLE OF INDOLENCE. N the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently shortened sail, and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they crossed, there lies a small market-town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town. This name was given, we are told, in former days, by the good housewives of the adjacent country, from the inveterate propensity of their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market-days. Be that as it may, I do not vouch for the fact, but merely advert to it, for the sake of being precise and authentic. Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, there is a little valley, or rather lap of land, among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail, or tapping of a woodpecker, is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquillity. I recollect that, when a stripling, my first exploit in squirrel-shooting was in a grove of tall walnut-trees that shades one side of the valley. I had wandered into it at noon-time, when all nature is peculiarly quiet, and was startled by the roar of my own gun, as it broke the Sabbath stillness around, and was prolonged and reverberated by the angry echoes. If ever I should wish for a retreat, whither I might steal from the world and its distractions, and dream quietly away the remnant of a troubled life, I know of none more promising than this little valley. From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a high German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions; and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions: stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole nine fold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols. The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the revolutionary war; and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk, hurrying along in the gloom of night, as if on the wings of the wind. His haunts are not confined to the valley, but extend at times to the adjacent roads, and especially to the vicinity of a church at no great distance. Indeed, certain of the most authentic historians of those parts, who have been careful in collecting and collating the floating facts concerning this spectre, allege that the body of the trooper having been buried in the churchyard, the ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head; and that the rushing speed with which he sometimes passes along the Hollow, like a midnight blast, is owing to his being belated, and in a hurry to get back to the churchyard before daybreak. Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition, which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that region of shadows; and the spectre is known, at all the country firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. It is remarkable that the visionary propensity I have mentioned is not confined to the native inhabitants of the valley, but is unconsciously imbibed by every one who resides there for a time. However wide awake they may have been before they entered that sleepy region, they are sure, in a little while, to inhale the witching influence of the air, and begin to grow imaginative—to dream dreams, and see apparitions. I mention this peaceful spot with all possible laud; for it is in such little retired Dutch valleys, found here and there embosomed in the great State of New York, that population, manners, and customs, remain fixed; while the great torrent of migration and improvement, which is making such incessant changes in other parts of this restless country, sweeps by them unobserved. They are like those little nooks of still water which border a rapid stream; where we may see the straw and bubble riding quietly at anchor, or slowly revolving in their mimic harbor, undisturbed by the rush of the passing current. Though many years have elapsed since I trod the drowsy shades of Sleepy Hollow, yet I question whether I should not still find the same trees and the same families vegetating in its sheltered bosom.
I knew this story was to give me rewards at the end . . . a great chase . . . a heart pounding life or death race . . . Every year I return . . . with a hot cup of cocoa to savor Washington Irving’s prose and revisit Sleepy Hollow.
Here are some links in case you want to get into this legend and see if it captures you or your children in the same way it captured me. It is a legend and I believe Washington Irving did visit Sleepy Hollow and he did find something special about the place that captured his imagination . . .
I am disappointed there is no DVD of this wonderful classic. But, it is available in VHS.
Yes, I agree this was rather long, but I do hope you enjoyed it and will seek out the books to share with your family and friends.
You can always find a PDF of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on-line.
Fall is on the horizon . . . even though the weather is a bit warm.
I like going out early wearing a sweater. It allows me to pretend that fall is here. Yes, some of the trees are turning and the leaves are falling. Nature is getting ready for fall.
I’m looking forward to getting pumpkins for decorating rather than carving. I find it run to have them decorating my front porch . . . along with my fall wreath I put on my front door. I don’t go all out with the decorating. Just enough to celebrate the change of season.
This is a perfect time for you to get into your fall crafts.
If you haven’t been in the mood to do any of the 3-D buildings from either Ray Keim’s Haunted Dimensions or Ray O’Bannon’s RavensBlight, you might find something from Family.Disney more to your liking.
It’s never too early to start thinking about special cupcakes you’d like to make for Halloween.
Goofy is on-hand to give you a bit of a frightfully funny cupcake design — of course, featuring him. He’s doing a franken-goofy thing you might want to try out on your family before your Halloween gathering.
Click the cupcakes to the left and you’ll be taken to the recipe so you can begin planning this delightful party treat.
This may inspire you to give Mickey and Donald a square head . . . or maybe not, but this concept would work with creating other Disney character images on your cupcakes. And there are always the cupcake toppers . . .
That should get you thinking fall a bit . . . I know you’re busy with a new school year with the kids . . . but it doesn’t hurt to look ahead.
This may be one of those images that belong in a mini-album or maybe I could make it into a Card-In-A-Box. I believe that would work out perfectly.
