A Halloween Report

Last week, I wrote about keeping a Halloween notebook to record visitor numbers, weather conditions, and assorted observations that are fun to look back on.

Some Halloweens have seen Mother Nature outperform the most elaborate costumes, such as the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991. But this year’s festival of mock horror and lots of treats unfolded under cloudy skies and mild temperatures in the upper 50s F. Even so, our number of visitors was slightly reduced from recent years, and we chalked it up to it being a Saturday. Often there are parties at the local parks on the Saturday before or nearest to Oct. 31, so perhaps some of our would-be trick-or-treaters were attending one of those events instead.

We had clusters of small children with parents hovering at a respectful distance, or small gaggles of teens and tweeners, with long stretches of quiet in between. Our basket of toys instead of candy was a hit, as we have found before, with the containers of slime disappearing the fastest, and a fairly even demand for fidget spinners and tiny finger-flashlights.

Several costumes had lights on them, too, including some glittery butterfly wings (I thought they were fairy wings, but she corrected me), and one with a light-filled skirt that really impressed my spouse.

We learned on Sunday that our 9-year-old grandson’s ghost costume really impressed the younger children as he was walking house-to-house. They kept greeting him with “Hi, Ghost!” and “Happy Halloween, Ghost!” reported my daughter-in-law. She noted that she didn’t see any other ghosts about, and neither did we. I guess the simple ghost costume has become a novelty.

Nobody seems to want to shout “trick or treat!” anymore, though, which I find just a wee bit disappointing.

ELECTION DAY RITUALS

I have often heard my spouse recall that their family’s church hosted a potluck meal on election day, courtesy of the many women, including his mother, who prepared and served the assorted dishes, and of course coffee, in a kind of convivial celebration of civic engagement. When he remembers this, he often adds, “Election day really should be a holiday.”

But when he mentioned that he thought she was an election judge as well, I wondered how she could have done both of those things on the same day. So I asked my sister-in-law Barb what she remembered about the custom, and she helpfully fleshed out the story a bit, while musing that she can’t be perfectly certain that her recollection is entirely accurate.

As it happens, it’s an annual election night Smorgasbord (it’s a Lutheran church in Minnesota with a strong Scandinavian presence), and when I decided to do a quick search online, I discovered that they are still doing it. The food, then as now, features traditional Scandinavian fare like Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, pickled beets, lefse, rice pudding, and so on.

And yes, she also worked at the polling place, though whether as a judge or assistant, I don’t know. “Mom and Auntie Dorothy would work the elections at Red Oak Elementary School,” Barb says, and then they headed over to the church to help serve and clean up at the Smorgasbord.

I know that many people are voting early these days, and while I get all the very sensible reasons for doing this, my spouse and I have decided to cast our ballots on the customary day, because we still see the day itself as special. After voting, we’ll go have coffee.

THINGS I’VE BEEN WORKING ON LATELY

Rob who runs Local World Gallery in Wabasha, Minnesota, recently asked me to send more notecards, which I consign with them, and I felt that I really should send something new, but I hadn’t made any new notecards in a long time, so I just hunkered down and focused for a few days and created some brand new card designs, including both blank-inside notecards for general correspondence, and a few birthday cards. Three of the eight new cards are pictured above.

I made use of previous calendar illustrations, including a couple of horses from this year, a dragon and a lizard from 2024 (Year of the Dragon), and two hares, one from 2023 (Year of the Rabbit/Hare), and a watercolor I did more recently, plus some new illustrations that appear in the 2027 Useful Calendar. Almost all of the new cards have text on the back about the illustration, its natural history, folklore, or a little historical context. So you’re sending a little something to read along with whatever friendly note you write inside. It’s correspondence with a bonus.

You can find them at Local World Gallery and, over the next few days, in my web shop. Also at a local makers market or two, which is the next item.

LIKE A EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKET ONLY DIFFERENT

Holiday Makers Markets at the Toolbox

I’m also making some one-of-a-kind notebooks and journals, and unique handmade boxes using book board (a kind of dense archival cardboard), book cloth, decorative papers and a touch of gratuitous bling in the form of some costume jewelry that I have picked up at estate sales and thrift shops. Perfect for shiny trinkets. I’ll have these things on my table at the Small Business Saturday Makers Market at the Toolbox Collective on Nov. 28, noon to 4.

The Toolbox is a quirky and friendly makers’ space in Longfellow (Minneapolis, Minnesota) where I spent the weekend of the LoLa Art Crawl in September.

They host indoor-and-outdoor markets, with some makers outside in the gazebo, a yurt, or otherwise dotted around the garden (with space heaters, I’ve heard), and others, including me, inside where it’s warm and cozy. It looks like about 15 vendors in all. For those who like a small market with plenty of variety and a cozy café across the street (Turtle Bread-Longfellow), it’s perfect.

I’ll also have cards, notebooks and the 2027 Useful Calendar and planner available there, and, as always, in my web shop.

The second market at the Toolbox takes place on the weekend of Dec. 12–13, with different sellers each day. I am pretty sure I’ll be tabling at the Saturday, Dec. 12, market, but am still waiting on confirmation for that one. These are also likely to be four hours long and will be promoted on the Toolbox website. Sunday markets there are usually from 10 until 2.

The coupon code GOAT15 is still good through Dec. 5 to get 15% off purchases of over $11 in my web shop.

There is also a discount that should be automatically applied if you buy 5 or more cards, making the fifth card free (if it’s not automatically applied, I’ll refund the cost of the fifth card). That is ongoing.

My calendars and zines are also sold at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, which has a lovely brick-and-mortar shop in downtown Minneapolis, plus a web shop. (Enter “Sharon Parker” in the search box to see my current offerings there.)

END NOTE: AN ELECTION NIGHT READING

The Hunting of the Snark

By Lewis Carroll

(an excerpt)

The full poem is quite long, and presented in six “fits,” which could lend itself quite nicely to a group read-aloud, if you were so inclined. Or just read it yourself and see if it doesn’t reflect certain political campaigns or even an entire administration.

"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,

   As he landed his crew with care;

Supporting each man on the top of the tide

   By a finger entwined in his hair.

"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:

   That alone should encourage the crew.

Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:

   What I tell you three times is true."

The crew was complete: it included a Boots—

   A maker of Bonnets and Hoods—

A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes—

   And a Broker, to value their goods.

A Billiard-marker, whose skill was immense,

   Might perhaps have won more than his share—

But a Banker, engaged at enormous expense,

   Had the whole of their cash in his care.

There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck,

   Or would sit making lace in the bow:

And had often (the Bellman said) saved them from wreck,

   Though none of the sailors knew how.

There was one who was famed for the number of things

   He forgot when he entered the ship:

His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,

   And the clothes he had bought for the trip.

He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,

   With his name painted clearly on each:

But, since he omitted to mention the fact,

   They were all left behind on the beach.

. . .  

From The Poetry Foundation

Thank you for subscribing to Sharon’s Compendium. This letter is going out bright and early on November 2. I have every intention of sending the next one on or near the first of December.

You can also find me on Instagram at SharonParkerCox.