Halloween Meme

Dear Morgen at Blog eat Blog World tagged me for a Hallowe’en MEME.

1 – What was the scariest movie you have ever seen?
I vote for “The Haunting”. What makes it so scary is really nothing actually happens that we know for sure is supernatural. Is the house haunted or is it all part of people’s paranoia? Scariest part – when Eleanor is tightly gripping the hand of Theodora only to realize Theodora was on the other side of the room! Chilling.

2- What was your favorite Hallowe’en costume as a child?
I have always gone for “Death” and skeletons or specters, keeping in touch with the original notion that this was a day of being in touch with the dead.

3- Given enough money what would be your fantasy Hallowe’en costume?
I want to be Pan, goat legs and horns and all. Playing my pan flutes and evoking desire in all who see and hear.

4- When was the last time you went trick or treating?
I did not want to give up ‘begging’ so I pushed it as far as I could – into junior High School. I last went as a ghost to cover up my age. It didn’t cover that I was taller than most.

5- What is your favorite Hallowe’en candy?
I like Sweet Tarts, more out of nostalgia. We lived on a cul-de-sac and there was a lonesome never seen woman at the end of the block. Naturally we made up all sorts of stories about her. But at Hallowe’en she was ‘out’, and a very sweet granny type – she always gave Sweet Tarts. I thought her a benevolent sorceress who gave us something magical to eat.

6- Tell us about a scary nightmare you once had
I recall a nightmare; it took place in the childhood home’s kitchen. While I was sitting at the table in this nostalgic and comforting setting, Psyche decide to spring up suddenly a sort of slasher/monster/crazy man with a long knife to attack me. He was so sudden, out of context and vivid I immediately woke up screaming and stood up in the bed.
I was in a room with 2 others, who woke with fright themselves!

7 – What is your supernatural fear?
Possession by evil spirits.

8-What is your ‘creepy-crawlie’ fear?
Tarantulas!

9- Tell us a time you saw a ghost or heard something go bump in the night
When I lived in Chicago, I awoke at 2AM by a very loud explosion down stairs. My first thought was someone had smashed a window or shot a gun in the house it was that loud. I ran downstairs to investigate. Nothing was out of place or askew. Even the cats were asleep as if nothing had happened.

10- Would you stay overnight in a real Haunted House? No. If ghosts are the spirits of negative people lingering around wanting someone to hear their tale or avenge them, I get enough of that is my day time job already.

11-Are you a traditionalist or a creative carver of you Jack-o-Lantern?
I carve several pumpkins each year. One must have a scary face to frighten away the bad spirits. The others are creative, and getting more and more artistic as the years progress. I’ve been pleased with my artwork. However, Arizona living may stop this. Pumpkins shrivel literally overnight and the details go quickly. I may have to stay with simple patterns now.

12- How much do you decorate the house at Hallowe’en?
As a kid I used a lot of store bought plastic stuff. Now I channel Martha Stewart. The inside and out of the house is tasteful but lavish.
My favorite decoration is to open a pumpkin from the bottom, clean it out, and drill it all over with holes. Then insert a light bulb. The dotty glow is both spooky and whimsical.

13- What do you want on your Tombstone?
“Finally Sitting Still”

Now to tag –
I pick Spider (as he likes to be tagged), Heather at Butterfly in Disguise (as she is already carving pumpkins), Stephen at Chez Stephen and Greg at A life in the Day (as I haven’t seen them post in a while!)