Winter Before Halloween?

In October of 1991 I sewed a Jester costume for my oldest son, two-and-a-half-year-old Arthur. I created the costume from an old red and blue quilt and jingle bells. Arthur insisted on doing his own make-up and smeared lipstick all over his face. I planned to stay home with the two-month-old baby Joren, while Dale took Arthur on his first ever Trick-or-Treat expedition around the 165th Street neighborhood in Vermillion Township in rural Hastings, Minnesota. The morning of October 31 it began to snow; heavy, wet, fat flakes of snow.

Poor Arthur had these baggy pants around his ankles, gathered at the top of his boots that I insisted he wore through the more than 4 inch accumulation that was blanketing the ground by late afternoon. He insisted that he still wanted to go for his first Trick-or-Treat trip and off he went with his father in the winter storm. It proved to be a legendary storm in a legendary year that would also produce a major blizzard at Thanksgiving time, too.

Since then I don't think Arthur has ever missed a Halloween opportunity for dressing up and playing Trick-or Treat, and he certainly loves snow, as do I.

So neither of us was particularly distressed when we woke to the bizarre contrast of looking out upon green leaves on the trees above a snowy blanket of white obscuring the still green grass of our fall lawn. It continued to snow and melt throughout the day. The pumpkins looked cute, frosted with wintry precipitation.

The Costume Shop is looking great. Mary and Danika worked hard yesterday cleaning and organizing. Mary returned the upstairs to an organized state while Danika and I sorted through accessories downstairs. And today Katie and Linda helped with new decorations to the exterior of the shop. We have bats, skeletons and other surprises waiting to welcome you on the Dress Me Up grounds.

I have begun construction of the first new costume of the year; yet another pirate costume, Capt. Morgan style. You're gonna love this rich red and gold creation. I'll keep you posted with updates as there is progress to report.

In the mean time it was fun to re-dress the Half-a-Witch in the pumpkin patch and to help Danika with a study-break session of Dress Up in which she demonstrated the efficacy of the beat-up old Batman costume.

"Holy Walnuts, Robin, what is that in your rubber codpiece?!"

Okay, never mind. I guess you had to be there.

We are ready to dress you up. Come on out and let us know what you have in mind.