Today is my 11th blogging anniversary. I was bedridden for the most part 11 years ago with the most debilitating case of Bells Palsy I’ve ever heard of from anywhere. I started posting here to see if I could find anyone else that had experience anything similar.
That Halloween as my grown son and daughter finished decorating and passing out candy, I was here, looking for anyone who, like me, didn’t need a mask to scare the kids. Thankfully, after a few years of help and exercises, it’s not so noticeable or scary.
My Austere halls
Halloween has different significance to different people. We just celebrated a friends Halloween birthday in a small at home gathering. I made a little mug rug for her.
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- Halloween Birthday Mug Rug
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- Autumn back
Halloween is also the day in 1999 that my dad chose to make his transition. A day no one would forget.
When I owned my manufactured home, we rarely got a child trick or treating. We were too far down the hill and I was the only one handing out candy. I blamed my weight gain on them. It worked for a while. The bucket full sat there for weeks as I whittled it down.
Candy keeps disappearing. We have gremlins
This year, I put out some of my candy into a small dish on the baker’s rack on Friday. Each night I would put a bit more in as the supply dwindled. Last night I came home from the birthday celebration and saw my dish was almost empty! I peeked through the door early one morning after hearing a noise at the door and saw my neighbor who swears he doesn’t eat sweets, stuff his pockets. I laughed quietly to myself. I know he has help from somewhere but I’m so happy to see that passers by are enjoying a little treat and at the end of the day, I’m absolutely certain, there will not be one piece of candy left for me to indulge in. Thank goodness.
Potted pumkin
My little witcu
Killer dust bunnies. Do they scare you?
My home sweet home
There are a few others that have done a bit of decorating for this holiday but I think one neighbor takes the prize. Peggy goes all out with every season change.
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- Peggy’s wreath on pole
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- Peggy’s shelves
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- So much to see
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- Peggy’s door wreath
I’ve put the wall hanging that was in my front window in Oregon each year in the hallway to add a little color. My son said he loves to come in the outside doors and see it. It brightens up the place. Wish I could sew faster so I could cover all the walls.
My hall wall hanging
Halloween started for me in Milwaukie, OR when my blogging friend Crystal and I went to dinner. Main street had quite the display that looked like a scarecrow contest. Even the tombs were so cute. I met Crystal when we both lived in the Portland area and we have been good friends since.
Crystal isn’t a real scarecrow
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- Is this a banana?
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- Bride sc
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- For Rent
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- Dancing pumpkin
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- More contestants
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- Moonbeam
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- Noah Scape Always felt trapped
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- Godzilla scarecrow
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- Be Kind
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- Orange plaid pot belly
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- In great shape for the shape he’s in
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- Scarecrow contest
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- Jim Wattsisface
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- Chased a bear into its cave
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- Rock fell on his head
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- Ricky D Bones
The day my daughter and I went to the beach, we found an interesting shop that intrigued us. It had quite the eclectic gothic feel and the owner gave permission to take photos. It got us quite in the mood for this haunted holiday.
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- Femme Fatale
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- Femme Fetale inside
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- FF Enter if you dare
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- Where to start looking?
Do these photos put you in the mood for haunting and do you still decorate or have you given up on Halloween?
From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself
insearchofitall 
Comments on: "A Bit of Halloween" (49)
Love these decorations! I went to my twin grandson’s preschool Halloween Parade. Adorable. Happy Halloween Marlene 👻🕸️🎃🌕👽🍭
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Nothing like the smallest of goblins to charm the soul. I love seeing the little tikes in their costume.
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Happy anniversary!
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Happy Halloween and happy 11!
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Thank you, Beth. Happy Halloween to you as well.
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Happy Hallowe’en, Marlene! Thank you for sharing, your photos remind me of a tomb here in our neighbourhood, it reads, “RIP Long Hot Summer”, it made me laugh as yes, the summer-like temperatures have only just ended and fall has finally arrived…
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Thanks for stopping by, Kim. I’m not a fan of long hot summers either. My windows are open and we have some nights down to 25 degrees here on the mountain. I love the fall.
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Fall is my favourite season, too! It’s so mysterious and full of colour…
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Congratulations on 11 years Marlene! What a wonderful way to brighten up the hallways and entrances to your homes. Even a few small items add cheer, no matter what the occasion. I had to laugh over the candy gremlin. Watch out though, your avowed “I don’t eat sweets” neighbor might expect year round treats going forward! That little shop looks intriguing. I would like to wander around inside. I really have not gone the holiday decor route for some time. I have season banners for the outside of my door and I do a very small tree at Christmas. If I had unlimited storage I would have much more.
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I have no wall space inside my apartment so I have permission to hang them on command hooks in the halls. It does brighten things up. My sweet neighbor left 2 very ready little avocados in the candy basket this morning. I thanked him very much for them. There may be a little bit of candy at Christmas but nothing like this. Most here can’t afford to do that even if they buy it at the dollar store. It’s my gift to them. Storage is an issue for all apartment dwellers. I have a bit more than most but let go of so much when I moved here. Wall hangings take little space for storing. This is very different than any Halloween I’ve ever had. It’s an interesting experience. The shop was at Nye bay in Newport, OR if you ever find yourself there.
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Dear Marlene,
Happy eleventh Anniversary with WordPress and Happy Halloween to you!
As I can see in those photos, what a great day you have had with your family!
May you find the rest of 2022 very much to your liking and highly conducive to your decorating, travelling, gardening, writing, reading, thinking, playing music and blogging whatever topics that accommodate your intellectual and creative endeavours!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
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Thank you very much, Sound Eagle. I had not expected to keep at this blog so long but can’t seem to let it go. It’s all those other endeavors that seem to both distract me from the blog and offer fodder for writing it. Life is a creative process and I’m certainly having my share of fun with it. Have a wonderful week.
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Happy blogging anniversary, Marlene! You have committed to a wonderful journey and it shows. I love reading your posts. My obligatory Halloween days were over as soon as the kids grew past it. I love your mug rug and door decorations! Happy Halloween to you. Hard to believe that tomorrow is already the 1st of November.
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Thanks for stopping by and the kind words, Jan. I always like to decorate a bit for as many seasons of the year as I can. We all need a little cheerfulness and it’s up to us to create it. I’ll keep trying. I’ve already donated several wall hangings to the apartment complex to cheer up these bare walls. Time flies faster the older you get. Each mug rug is done for who it’s going to if I have an idea of what they like. They are fiddley things but I love them as gifts. More on the to do list already. Hope you are doing well. I’ll get a note out soon.
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Dear Marlene, Happy blogging anniversary. Who would have that our little foray into writing would still be going 11 years later. Such value and wisdom and connectedness we have shared over the 11 years we have been doing this.
I like that you have spread a little joy for this for me, weird tradition of Halloween. I embrace the creative side – although I don’t participate myself, but dislike the greediness that is present among some of the population. It is a tradition that has caught on here with the advent of the internet. Hordes were running around here, grabbing lollies where they could, creating mayhem, whereas 15 years ago, there was no one.
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I read your post and have not had a chance to comment as yet. Like you, I was not raised with Halloween. My children were always required to make their costumes out what we had. Nothing store bought. They became quite creative with them and we always went with them while dad passed out candy. I think even my children were raised to have a different attitude about things than children today. I’m all about the creative direction of it without the macabre involvement. Both of my kids love seeing the littlest kids who are always so adorable and sweet. They bigger kids with attitude, caused me to turn out my lights too. There are no children here where I’m at. Just lonely old folks so I try to add a bit of cheer.
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At least the benefit of living there is that you don’t get teenagers getting up to mischief, Marlene. Although you also miss out on the little ones visiting and “the creative direction of Halloween without the macabre involvement.” Perhaps this can be rectified. My kids used to visit the aged care and retirement homes and perform concerts at various times of the year, so why not have the local kindy visit come to your place for a Halloween excursion so that they can parade their costumes?
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I guess the reason this place is a bit different. Everyone here is supposed to be self sufficient. It’s like a regular apartment building for 55 and over. There are some here who have been here long enough to need a caregiver that they hire. It’s not like an assisted living facility. The Senior Center that is attached is only open 5 days a week and usually closes early afternoons. There are only a handful of us that are quite social. The rest are not interested. I make the best of it. I’d say most of us have had our fill of mischief makers. None of that here or anywhere around us. Very peaceful area.
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Congratulations on eleven years of blogging, Marlene! I love all the photos of how you and the people in your new town celebrate Halloween! Have a good one!!
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Thank you, Liz. I have been tempted so often to give up the blog but somehow I’m always drawn back to the connections with all of you. The town where my daughter lives really did a great job. It’s a little more low key around here but I’m pretty good at stirring the pot. I hate those empty walls. They needed some happiness. 🙂 Have a great week.
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You’re welcome, Marlene. That first shot of empty walls is pretty depressing. I hope you have a great week as well.
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Great decorations, Marlene! Happy anniversary! Here’s to 11 more years.😍
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Thank you, Jill. Goodness, I can’t even imagine 11 more years. I’m still bargaining for tomorrow. 🙂 Have a great week.
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Happy anniversary Marlene❣️ Thank you for sharing the Halloween magic in your neck if the woods 🧡👻🎃
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Thank you so much, Val. We older folks haven’t given up trying to have a bit of fun where we can find it. At least some of us. 😉 Have a good Halloween and week.
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Happy Halloween, my friend! 🎃 I go through spurts and spells (no pun intended) on decorating for Halloween. Since we’re still settling after moving, this year has been a bit lacking. However, I have some pumpkins and a little fall gnome, oh and a namaste Skelton with an air plant for his hair. Nothing scary, but echoes of the season. Take care! 🎃🧡
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I gave away most of my Halloween decorations to my daughter when I moved up here but had just enough left to perk this place up a bit. Where have you settled? It takes a while to get to the point where holiday decorating become a to-do. I love your pun! Good one. I don’t like scary either. Hugs.
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We are still in Bend, but now living in our travel trailer. Our plan is to move to Tucson after we retire in about a year.
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I’ve not been to Tucson. Very warm there. 🙂
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Yes it is. We will go visit with our kids in Bend and Colorado when it’s hot! Tucson is a very nice area. 🌵
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Happy Anniversary Marlene! Time flies hey?! It seems like there’s good community spirit in your unit, I love that. We got a fair amount of kiddo’s tonight, some twice I think, LOL. But that’s ok, I always buy too much after running out too early our first year here. I was doing so good until 11pm when I nipped two mini Coffee Crisp bars, LOL. Not a favourite but I dare not buy a favourite. Plus, I’ve never seen Eatmore Bars in Halloween candy size. Do you have those in America?
The scare a crows were all fabulous! That’s such a fun idea for Halloween. My favourite is MoonBeam and her pet chickens. Cute shop too Marlene ! Happy Halloween 🧡🎃
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Congratulations Marlene on your blog Anniversary.. and lovely to see all of those beautiful creations such beautiful craftsmanship and scarecrows lol how good are they…
Hope you had a lovely weekend.. We had our granddaughter around for a couple of hours, No trick or treaters knocked though the weather here was atrocious .. heavy rain..
Sending Love my friend… ❤
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Thanks so much, Sue. 11 years is a long time for me. The weather was perfect here but it’s turning on us now. I’m hoping it doesn’t get too bad until after all the holiday traveling is done. I love the creativity of each of the holidays. Stay warm and dry, Sue. Hugs.
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We are set for a frosty night tonight Marlene.. A colder snap on its way… And thank you, You too keep warm and snuggled up Marlene… Sending HUGS your way ❤
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Halloween isn’t a tradition here, although retailers have in recent times found it appealing to stock the stuff.
Rather it’s already Christmas stock in some stores
And yesterday was Guy Fawkes night, fireworks +++
Happy you can decorate your hallway so that others get to see your talents …
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I hate the barrenness of the walls here so I’ll do whatever I can to bring some life to them. Others seem to appreciate seeing a bit more color too. I’m a good copy cat artist and that’s about the size of it. It will do for now. Thanks for the visit, Catherine.
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Marlene, this was quite a Halloween reflection. Happy WordPress Anniversary! I can’t imagine being where you were on that Halloween eleven years ago. Bells Palsy. That would certainly be a good reason to start a blog. Thank goodness you did, because I couldn’t imagine not having you in my life. Really. Of course Halloween has marked many special times and events for you. It seems like that is your stamp. I’m not sure what your dad did to make his transition. I love your decorations and the wonderful things you make for others. Halloween should be your big celebration every year.
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Thanks for stopping by, Jennie. I’m late getting back to you with this ever so busy season starting. My dad had a very tired heart and was ready to go to the big library in the sky. He said he was grateful to his illness because it gave him so much time to just read and not do. Only 72. I think Halloween has adopted me even though I had little to do with it until I had my children. They love that holiday. I still have never found another person that has been so debilitated by a simple thing like Bells Palsy. Every year I try again to find one other person. Maybe I’ll do a little more for Halloween if I’m still around next year. 😉
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Marlene, I am the queen of ‘late’, always playing catch-up. You’re not alone! One of our school consultants had Bells Palsy. She started treatment/therapy immediately and is 90% improved. Yet, it can be so debilitating. Medicine has come a long way. To think that I just had a heart valve replaced – through a vein in my groin – is mind boggling. If I had done nothing, my life expectancy would have been 1-2 years. Wow. Halloween is really fun!
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In that case, Jennie, I’m glad you had the valve replaced. The world still needs you. Catchup is my middle name. 🙂
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I’m glad, too. Thanks, Catchup, I mean Marlene. 😀
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Love all the pictures. We went trick or treating with my 4 year old grand daughter. Some of the neighbors had great yard decor. She loved it
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Thanks for stopping by, Kathy. I don’t have grandchildren so the trick or treating stopped many years ago. But the old folks here know how to sneak up and grab a few pieces of candy for their pockets even though they swear they don’t eat sweets. I’ll put a few more out over the Christmas holidays.
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Oh and happy 11 for blogging. I hope I’m blogging 11 years from now. Glad your Bells Palsy is better
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Time does fly. Bells is better but never gone. It certainly left it’s mark. I’m in a very rural community and they had no clue how to treat it at the time. I hope you are here in 11 years too. I’m ready for more quilting time too. This takes a lot of it but I just can’t stop. Made too many wonderful friends here.
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Happy late Halloween Marlene! I am so grateful for the time we have spent together and I especially liked that scarecrow contest. You got several photos that I did not! I agree with you that Peggy’s door is the best. I really like her scary jack-o-lantern painting beside the wreath, too. It reassures me that the people in your new home are people you can find joy with – even the old codger who swears he doesn’t eat sweets. Heh heh. Hugs and love. ❤
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Oh! I forgot to say that I have been in that shop on the coast that you and H went to. It’s wonderful. That is where I bought Pedro’s purple tomatillos that I had to grow for him because he has no space in his townhouse. There is a marvelous eclectic collection in that store.
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I’m having fun with all these characters.
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[…] at Marlene’s great post on this display. She captured lots of scarecrows and gravestones that I did […]
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