Every so often it’s nice to know that the world is trying to catch up with me. I have never seen Halloween decorations out in the stores as early as July. But yet, this year I have already made purchases at HomeGoods and Michael’s. How can I possibly find room for more decorations? It’s magic. That’s how I do it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. At this point all decorations are inside my home. Sometime in September they will forge their way out into the neighborhood, but not yet. I am sure the neighbors already think I am strange enough as it is. But maybe in another decade, the outside decorations may stay up year-round. By then, my hair will be completely white and long. And as the poem states, “I will wear purple, With a red hat that doesn’t match.….” Yes, I have already started practicing for those days.
I am also trying very hard to imagine that fall weather is right around the corner. We are beginning to get some rain which drives the temperatures
down from a gazillion to only 500 degrees. But unfortunately the rain increases the humidity. Actually this does make my hair frizz and helps me to look like that crazy old lady I am slowly turning into. Another sign of fall has just cropped up at Central Market. It’s Hatch Chile time. I personally have never eaten a Hatch Chile myself, but many of my friends and acquaintances have. You can buy them fresh roasted, in chocolate bars, in twice baked potatoes, cookies, chips, among other things. And for those of you who are too young to get the reference, Central Market is also giving a nod to Woodstock and the Magic Bus. (It was the “1960s”. Either Google or ask your parents and in some cases grandparents.….sigh).
Last but not least the little hobbit town has returned to the neighborhood. Not only has it returned, it looks new and improved! I am hoping that these little critters will come over and introduce themselves to my Halloween decorations once I start placing items outside my home. There are hobbits, gnomes, fairies and various small forest creatures. Since it is supposed to rain tonight, I hope everyone stays safe. I wonder if they climb inside the tree trunk when inclement weather sets in? That makes the most sense.
Until next time.….
Once I had my first sighting, I had to try other venues. Bath and Body Works told me they had some Halloween products come in, but were all sold out. Did they know when the next shipment would arrive? No. Just call back. Apparently there is a Halloween Hand that is very popular this year. I am more interested in the skull soap holder and the skeleton that will hold a candle. I’ll go back for them later. I also drove past the location where I have visited the Spirit Halloween store for the past several years. Oops. There is quite a bit of construction going on in the area. Since this work has been going on for several months, I am beginning to think the location for the seasonal store might be different this year. According to their website, they’re coming. I just don’t know when.
Do you think I might have bought a few items while I was at Michael’s this morning? Well, yes I did. Do you think I only purchased these four small items? I plead the fifth. However, I needed these things for story research. I am currently working on several Halloween themed short stories and one long story that involve witches, ghosts, grim reapers and such. I need these things for my creativity. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Now, I have been visiting this Houston landmark since it opened in 1985. Back then you could easily run into folks washing their crystals in the wall’s fresh water on a Sunday afternoon. This is considered to be an energy vortex within the city of Houston. Since I did feel more relaxed after my visit, I guess I could vouch for the healing properties of the location. However, on this day, there was no one cleansing crystals. Rather everyone there seemed to be caught up in the art of the selfie. Back in 1985 I didn’t own a cell phone. And even if I did, it would not have had a camera for me to take pictures of myself everywhere I went. But that’s okay, because I did not have a social media account for posting such pictures. Of course neither did anyone else. My how times have changed.
After this wonderful visit I realized that I was within walking distance to the Galleria. This was one of many places I had not set foot in since the beginning of the pandemic. Curiosity got the better of me and I put on my mask to venture inside. I felt so very brave and adventurous! Of course the first thing I saw was the ice skating rink with actual people skating. In this picture the Zamboni machine had just finished resurfacing the ice and children had received the all clear to resume skating. As I walked around this mall, I was pleasantly surprised at how many shops were still open and doing a good business. There were lines at the Lego store and a jewelry store whose name I can’t remember. The Galleria has more than a few jewelry stores. Some people wore masks and others didn’t. I wore mine and I also tried to maintain a good social distance from others.
The one thing I didn’t see were any hints of Halloween decorations. I have been keeping up with a countdown to my favorite holiday. I have been reading on Facebook how some across the country were seeing stores selling the season’s first ghosties and goblins and ghouls.….Oh My! In hopes of finding my first sighting of Halloween supplies for 2021, I went by Michael’s on the way home. Alas, it was not to be. Empty shelves. Fourth of July decorations gone. It is my hope that these shelves have been cleared out to make room for haunted bits of mischief.