Tag Archives: Halloween

Halloween on Beacon Hill

November 3, 2015Autumn, Beacon Hill, Fall, Halloween, Hallpween Decorations, Trick or TreatingBeacon Hill, Beacon Hill Halloween, Boston, ghouls, Halloween, monsters, Trick or Treatinghealy24yang

This year, like many others, we went to Beacon Hill in Boston for Halloween. I don’t know how many years the residents have been celebrating with elaborate, creative, undeniably SCARY decorations, but we have been enjoying their eerie creative edeavors for close to ten years. This year was, Wait For IT! – SPOOKTACULAR! Forgive my channeling Shawn and Gus from Psych.

The picture above doesn’t give you an idea of how packed the streets are with people of all ages, most in some form of costume. You wouldn’t believe all the Imperial Troopers, Princess Leias, Spocks, robots, zombies, witches, vampires, Stay Puff Marshmallow Men, etc. we saw. The picture below gives you a better idea.

That’s me in the gold coat and a sparkly green witch-hat fascinator. The little kid in the tiger costume was too quick – I couldn’t take a snatch at her candy bag – Heh, heh, heh!

People also elaborately, artistically carved pumpkins. Here are some of my favorites.

You never knew what you’d see peering out a window

or climbing out grates:

arms, legs, projections of ghosts and zombie.

All that tramping around worlds of terror requires a moment to relax my tootsies. I hope that hand coming out the window isn’t going to push me off the steps! Or worse, grab something out of my wallet.

The prime display was in a courtyard between two buildings. You need to stand in line to get in and look around. This family has projections on the walls, fake fog, human-sized creepy mannequins, and folks dressed in scary rat costumes (including one “caught” in a giant rat trap!) Natasha and Rosalind would have been terrified! These folks even give candy to adults! Unfortunately, this was the last year they will be doing the super display. Will someone else be able to “resurrect” such creative horror?

People giving out candy also get into the “spirit,” with elaborate costumes. You see witches, mad scientists, zombies. One year, a woman was Cruella Deville.I love this woman’s Snow Queen or Fairy Queen ensemble – complete with a matching (real live!) poodle on her lap! She was kind enough to let us take her picture – and her dog agreed, too.

At the end of this journey into terror, we bopped down the street to our favorite restaurant Caffe Bella Vita. It was fun seeing all the folks, young and old, pass by the window, some greeting Yang and I with mock threats of horror, while we returned the favor by responding with playful terror. As usual, Yang finished off my sandwich – my chai was all mine, though! How do you like my little green fascinator? Can you see Yang reflected in the mirror, taking the picture?

At the end of the evening, we turned to a designated driver we found on Beacon Hill to get us home. As the Three Stooges would say, “Nyaaaaaaahhhhh!”

Natasha and Rosalind Give “Monster” Therapy

October 24, 2015Autumn, black cat, cats, Fall, Halloweenblack cat, cats, Frankenstein, Halloween, Mary Shelley, monstershealy24yang

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the creature created by Frankenstein demands that humanity take their fair share of responsibility for their abusive treatment making him as much a monster on the inside as he appears on the outside: “Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all humanity sinned against me? . . . .I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, kicked, and trampled on. Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice.” How different things would have turned out for him (and most of Switzerland!) if, after his “father” Victor spurned him, the creature had been taken in paw by my cats Natasha and Rosalind. They have nothing but tenderness, friendliness, and courtesy for the “monsters” – although mice are another matter. Look at this adorable face!

Here is Natasha proudly keeping company with her new monstrous acquaintance. No contumely or spurning can be seen on her furry countenance.

Of course ‘Tasha is always solicitous of her companion’s well-being. A well-timed nuzzle is just the thing to make a creature forget all about those nasty villagers and their pitchforks or flaming torches!

Most important of all, Natasha Rose knows that it’s important to listen and learn from others. You can expand your horizons, and you build others’ confidence by validating that they have something valuable to teach you! Here, she attentively follows the observations of a friendly Halloween death’s head.

And of course, sometimes it’s nice just to have a relaxing sit down with a screaming good guest in the parlor.

Or perhaps Natasha is giving him therapy. “Tell me how you feel about people chasing you with flaming torches and pitch forks.” Dr. Bob Hartley would be proud.

Not to be outdone by her big sister, Rosalind (aka Rosie Roosevelt Yang) makes the Scream feel at home with a lively game of hide and seek. Play therapy?

So, whatever kind of human or inhuman you are, try not to be too quick to call those you don’t understand monsters. Instead,– follow the leads of Rosalind and Natasha – except when it comes to mice.

Happy Halloween!

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