It's time ... to remember

Today is November 8th. It's Grandad's birthday. He would be 89 today.

I just felt that I needed to remember him today, more than usual. I created this page to fulfill this need. I have only good memories of this fun and kind man. Obviously, he was not always laughing but when I looked through my photos, he had that same laughing smile in practically all of them - he was a man who loved life. And we loved and still love him all the more for that. I am glad that I had the opportunity to share so many wonderful times with him.

Things that go bump in the night...

... and that was just because of the fog machine! More of that later!

I am a bit frustrated at the moment because I wrote a long entry about our Halloween party and then it got lost while I was trying to upload it, so fingers crossed that it goes ok this time!

So, then, any of you reading this will no doubt know that I had told R that we would not be celebrating Halloween this year. We had had quite a do last year and I don’t think that it is something we need to knock ourselves out for every year. But having a big child in the family (R!), this was of course not good enough and after being hounded for a few days, I gave in… Like I always do!

R had organised lots of “surprises” as he likes to taunt me with, to which my reply is always, “How much?…” Seemingly, this year he had been quite restrained and had ONLY ordered a fog machine (yes really!!!), a laser light (which was a complete waste of space!) and three costumes for M, himself and me. Unfortunately, he really did not have much luck this time and M’s costume has not yet arrived, the laser light was pretty hopeless, and the fog machine produces real fog effect (he thought it would kind of fall to the floor like dry ice). The fog machine can produce so much “fog” that when he first showed it to me, I opened the living room door and could not see ANYTHING! No exaggeration!

Anyway, more of the costumes later. I bought lots of extra decoration goodies and sweets and chocolates and the room looked really good after it was decorated up. I managed to track down a really big pumpkin (not so easy round here, they are all tiny little ones) and carved it out. However, I realised that I am a really bad pumpkin carver and must try harder next year (or rather the year after because I DO NOT want to do this again next year – famous last words!) R put on the fog machine and just made it a bit spooky with threads of fog hanging in the air – quite a good effect really and over all, the room looked quite cool!

I cooked a fantastic roasted pumpkin and tomato soup, a large lasagne (complete with green cheese bats on the top) and a pumpkin pie, washed down with a welcome “Zombie” and then copious amounts of alcohol!

R’s costumes were great – don’t know if you have seen these before but they are made of nylon and then there is an air fan at the back which fills the costume with air the whole time so that it blows up to ginormous proportions!

R’s Pumpkin was the star of the show – complete with bright orange face paint and the sweetest little pumpkin top hat – simply adorable. He bought me a really flattering witch costume, which was very effective in covering up my weight gain! A rather Sassoonesque hairstyle and a sweep of eye shadow and I really looked rather stylish even if I say so myself!

M was very inventive by first arriving with the “Scream” mask which is rather creepy in itself but then complained that he could breathe, whisked the mask off to reveal slicked down hair, a small little moustache and a, too realistic for my liking, Austrian accent! Way, way, way more scary that the mask – he looked too good for me to be comfortable! After that, he tore off his shirt (complete with pinging buttons all the way across the room) to reveal a Superman t-shirt. Super Adolf? Mmmmm, not sure about that one!

Everyone made a great effort – including the Gs which was great as I know that this is not really their thing – even puppy Lucy turned up with little angel wings on – so adorable! The night was enjoyed by all and we all had loads to eat and drink and it was a very successful evening.


Next year? No way! And I mean it!