Happy Halloween!

Disney

I love this song and listening to Bing.

Happy Halloween!

Once Upon a Time

Disney

Tonight was the second episode of Once Upon a Time, the new fairy tale inspired show from the creative minds at Disney and ABC. The premise is interesting, the Evil Queen has cursed all of the fairy tale characters to lives in our world with no happy endings. None of the characters remember who they were, and all of their lives have been changed, and not for the better.

The first show told the story of what brought everyone into this unfortunate situation. The second gave more behind the scenes of how the Evil Queen enacted the curse that brought the characters to our world. It also introduced the Once Upon a Time version of Maleficent, who wasn't nearly as frightening as the one in the animated Disney film Sleeping Beauty. The next episode will give more insight into how Prince Charming and Snow White came together.

So far, I like it. The characters are interesting and engaging. I want to know more about them and what history brought them into their current troubles. The costumes from the fairy tale scenes are fantastic and I look forward to seeing what else the designers have created. In all, it's a show worth watching.

Quote of the Week

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Just because you can't understand something, it doesn't mean it's wrong.

- Arthur, Sword in the Stone

Boo!

This video came with the following description: "This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. Watch the front end of the car as it clears the trees in the middle of the screen and you'll see the white mist crossing in front of the car then following it along the road.....Spooky! Is it a ghost, or is it simply mist? You decide. If you listen closely to the ad, you'll even hear the cameraman whispering in the background about it near the end of the commercial."

Boo!

Halloween Books for Adults

When Halloween rolls around, it's always fun to read something a little spooky. I love reading Halloween stories, or just stories that are scary. Here are a few of my favorites.

Dracula - Published in 1897, Dracula has become the classic story of a vampire. This story, by Bram Stoker, was inspired by Stoker's years of research on vampires and European folklore. Written as a series of letters, diary entries, and newspaper clippings, Stoker presented the story as if it was had really happened. Stoker was interested in tales of Vlad the Impaler and included him in his story of a vampire who was creepy and classy by turns.

Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus - In 1816, Mary Shelley created this tale of terror during a night of drunken debauchery with her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, her stepsister Claire Clairmont, Lord Byron and his doctor, Dr. John Polidori. While Mary initially considered this to be a good start to a short story, eventually it became the novel Frankenstein. Mary may have been inspired by tales of Johann Conrad Dippel, who conducted experiments in reanimation at Castle Frankenstein, near Geneva. While Dippel's experiments likely involved animals, rumors persisted that he had in fact raided graveyards for human corpses. In the end, Dippel's only discovery was the dye, Prussian Blue, which may have been the cause of his death.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Written in 1885 by Robert Louis Stevenson, this story was nearly discarded by the author before it was published. Stevenson was ill at the time and was confined to bed. His wife heard him cry out and went to wake him, at which point, he said, "Why did you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogey tale." Inspired by the dream, Stevenson completed the first draft of the story in less than three days. His wife read the story and offered her comments that it should be an allegory and was a truly frightening start. Stevenson burned the first manuscript, either because it scared his wife, or because he wanted to change it to an allegorical tale. He then spent the next six days rewriting the manuscript that became Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The Collected Tales of Edgar Allen Poe - Between 1826 & 1848, Poe wrote many horrifying tales of terror. Among them are The Raven, in which a bird torments a man by it's mere presence, The Tell-Tale Heart, in which a man has committed murder and is tormented by the ghostly beating of the dead man's heart, and The Murders in the Rue Morgue, in which a mysterious figure has killed a family in an impossible manner. Other tales, several of which have been made into movies starring Vincent Price, include: The Masque of the Red Death, A Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Pit and the Pendulum.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Written by Washington Irving in 1820, the story was based on an old German folktale set in Sleepy Hollow, New York. The Dutch settlers told tales of a spectral horseman that rode through the Hollow, frightening the locals. Irving may have based some of the characters, such as Katrina Van Tassel and Ichabod Crane, on local residents that he knew. Even the names are variations of locals that Irving spent time with.

The Monkey's Paw - Written in 1902, this short story by W. W. Jacobs, reminds us to be careful what you wish for. The plot revolves around a monkey's paw, blessed by a fakir in India, that will grant three wishes each to three different men. Sergeant-Major Morris, who possesses the paw, tells a old friend of the paw, but warns him and his family of the sorrow it brings, saying, "It had a spell put on it by an old fakir, a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow."

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Published in 1890, this terrifying tale by Oscar Wilde tells the story of young Dorian Gray, a man of astonishing physical beauty. After having his portrait painted, young Gray meets a man who convinces him that the only things worth pursuing are beauty and pleasure. Gray agrees, but wishes that he could sell his soul so that his portrait could age instead of him. His wish is granted, with each horrific act of debauchery appearing as disfigurement of the portrait as a reflection of the damage to his soul.

For a good scare, a small thrill of terror, a story that will make you jump at the smallest sound, try one of these classics. They're creepy good fun!

Halloween Jokes

Disney

Just in time for Halloween, Disney has released Fozzie Bear's favorite kid-friendly Halloween jokes. As you would expect, they're terrible, and yet still funny.

Halloween Books for Kids

We love to read at our house. I've read to Bean nearly every night since she was born. As a result, we have a lot of books. When it comes to Halloween stories, we have quite the collection. Here are a few of my favorites.

Pumpkin Light by David Ray - This story has the most beautiful pictures. It's the story of a young boy named Angus who's favorite day is Halloween. One night, Angus stays out to late and gets into trouble with an enchanted scarecrow and a magical pumpkin. This is one Halloween he'll never forget.




The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams - This story is just a little bit spooky. A little old lady keeps hearing things behind her as she walks home. Every time she looks
back, she sees another piece of clothing following her home making eerie noises, but she's not afraid. Another fun story with lots of beautiful pictures.



Beneath the Ghost Moon by Jane Yolen - This rhyming story tells the tale of a house full of mice and the creeps who try to destroy their fun. The mice fight the creeps to win back their house and allow them to celebrate the Ghost Eve Ball. A fun book to read with an exciting story.


Halloween Bugs: A Trick or Treat Pop Up Book by David A. Carter - I love the Bugs books. Pop Up books have always been a family favorite and, although simply written, the pop ups are hilarious! We love finding the bugs hiding behind whimsical doors. My favorite is the cemetery at the end.

Angelina's Halloween by Katharine Holabird - Angelina and Alice have made wonderful, delicate firefly costumes for Halloween. Angelina's little sister Polly wants to be a firefly, too, but Angelina insists she's too little. After Polly decides to be a ghost, they go out Trick or Treating, and Polly gives Angelina quite a scare.