Halloween

Gearing up for a bit of fun.

"Oak Villa" was beginning to feel like home to Brenda and Daniel. They spent weekends with workmen, wallpaper experts, and wood craftsmen planning each repair and improvement. Brenda knew that her "quarters" in the house could feature things like television, and modern conveniences, but the rest of the house had to remain authentic to Edwardian styles. Brenda knew that the Blundons would have updated, and remodeled from time to time, so she poured over auction catalogues for lamps, and furniture to bid on.

 High ceilings made the rooms hard to heat, so the "housemates" planned to shut off the odd rooms and use them for storage until the following Spring. The wood floors needed redoing in spots, and one window seat was cracked. Daniel didn't know much about the furniture, but he loved woodworking, and mahogany red doors. 

Brenda did a lot of antique shopping with Mr. Griffin, and the subject of Halloween came up. She asked him what he thought of a window display for the Salem Witches being set up in her shop. He thought it was a great idea, and told her that he was perhaps going to be the Sea Captain from the Titanic, Captain Edward John Smith, or might change his mind, and "be a scalawag pirate."

Brenda planned to ask Daniel if he would like to be a Turn Of The Century gentleman. Her cedar wardrobe closets were full of Edwardian clothing. She, herself, would be dressed in THE Zodiac Dress. It consisted of a deep blue velvet, and 12 gold embossed Astrology symbols sewn, scattered, onto the velvet. Her crown consisted of colored rhinestone stars, and colored rhinestone planetary symbols stacked up like a pyramid. She wanted to offer the Historical Society first "loan dibbs "on her costume box. 

Halloween night was a few weeks away. Cakes, and ice cream had to be ordered, decorations hung, and both sidewalks and porches checked for safety problems. There was always another "and" in Brenda's life. Things were going so well that she almost came down with what her mother called a "gloom attack." She was basically very strong, but where relationships with men came into play, she hadn't fared very well, until she met Daniel.

He made her want to dance, and hum. 

C J Marks