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I was raised in a family that really got into celebrating the holidays.

And I when I say really….I mean REALLY.

Both my mother and father were the type of parents who experienced the holidays through their children, therefore they had a way of making everything extra-special for us so that they could enjoy it through our eyes.

Whether it was Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter or Halloween, our home looked like a window display at New York City’s, Macy’s Department Store.

I can even remember my parents celebrating President George Washington’s birthday by giving each one of us kids a cardboard hatchet that was filled with hard candy cherries, representing when George (as a young boy) chopped down a cherry tree, exclaiming, “I cannot tell a lie, father, you know I cannot tell a lie. I did cut it with my little hatchet.”

Um….now that I think of it, I bet my parents gave us those little hatchets as a reminder NEVER TO LIE TO THEM.

Very clever they were!

All kidding aside though, I feel so utterly blessed to have the parents I did growing up because whenever I look back, I see my family life as one of great joy and celebration.

I know there are many people who are not into Halloween, but I certainly am.

And the reason being is that it still makes me smile like a kid.

Over the past few weeks, I took my camera around the city and snapped photographs of one of my favorite holidays….Halloween!

Please enjoy...

I few days ago, I got into the elevator of my apartment building and saw this on the floor….


Doesn’t it look almost REAL???

Spiders FREAK me the HELL out.

Have you ever heard a 57-year old man scream like a SISSY MARY?

Well if you haven’t you would, had you been in the elevator with me that night.


Isn’t this hilarious? It’s a witch who obviously had a collision with the side of this building while flying on her broom. She was as flat as a pancake.


I discovered this Dracula bat hanging upside down on the side of a house, located down one of those quaint narrow side streets that Philadelphia is famous for.


A cute pumpkin family above a door entrance.


I LOVE this one! It’s a little mummy ghost I spotted lurking in the ivy.


I give this Halloween display 10 stars for being faaaaaaaaabulous!


While shopping in Super Fresh last week, I spotted these Halloween cakes in the pastry department. I ADORE the Frankenstein!


As most of you know, I believe I was a vampire in one of my past lives. So here is a Halloween creation I made over at PicMonkey...


Boo!

65 comments:

  1. Hi Everyone!

    I'm sure you already know that the east coast will be experiencing Hurricane Sandy today and possibly for the next few days. Hopefully we won't lose power, but if we do, I won't be able to get online.

    Just wanted you to know, and not worry, in case I don't respond to your comments or visit your blogs today.

    Have a faaaaaabulous Monday, y'all!

    X

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  2. Good morning Ronnie,

    I have been following the hurricane Sandy news. Hoping that all will be fine for you and Philly.
    Thank you so much for the Haloweeny tour of Philly. Awwwhh, such creativity!! That flattened witch is a scream :). I am loving the rich autumn tones in these decorations.

    If the hurricane lets you celebrate Halloween, have a fun one, babe!
    Don't ya go biting too many hunks :).
    xoxo

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  3. Ok .... Ron!!! THAT is just creepy!!! I'm going to sleep soon and I'm going to be HAUNTED by this image of you with fangs and red eyes and blood....ugh!!! I did; however, enjoy your Halloween displays!! My parents were the exact same way!! We LOVED our holidays!! Still do as a matter of fact. I'm just kind of alone in this because my daughter really has not carried on the tradition. Perhaps she will when she gets a bit older, but not yet. She's only 26. Secondly, this SANDY Storm has me a bit upset...worried for my brother who is in CT and was without power for ten days the last time. Sure hope you are safe in Philly!!!! Stay SAFE my friend!! xo Jeanne

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  4. OH! I had to come back and tell you that I adore that FLAT Witch!!! I saw one of those and just howled with laughter the other day!!! LOVE it!!

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  5. You, a vampire? Aaah, c'mon ... you're just saying that to be interesting!!! You, my friend, are a pussycat! ;)

    And I mean that in the nicest possible way (even though you do scream like a sissy mary at spiders)!

    Love the decorations (especially since I'm not there to smell any cinnamon that might be wafting around). Especially that first 'lazy' pumpkin! LOL!

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  6. In my family growing up there wasn't a lot of decoration except at Christmas, but my mother was one for cooking thematically on holidays. Corned beef hash for St. Patrick's day and that sort of thing. I love that your parents celebrated even such trivial holidays as Washington's birthday (even if that hatchet story about him is totally apocryphal!).

    Keep your head down and let us know when you're safely through the storm!

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  7. Thanks for sharing the photos!
    Take care of yourself. Sounds like Philly will get hit but hopefully not as bad as NY. Thinking of all of my friends out East right now.

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  8. Halloween, as a holiday, is becoming more and more popular over here. The pics of the decorations are great Ron as it you as a vampire! LOL

    Batten down the hatches against Hurricane Sandy and keep safe m'deario. x

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  9. Ron, I love these photos! The one of the little mummy ghost is so cute. I love Halloween too, even though I don't get dressed up and go out much anymore. But I still enjoy seeing the little kids in our neighborhood and malls trick or treating.

    That final photo of you as a vampire is so creepy and cool. You make a great Dracula!

    Be safe for the next few days and take care, Ron.

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  10. Love your decorations! Our neighborhood was looking kinda' cool and creepy, but everyone had to remove decor due to the hurricane...so now it's looking kinda' creepy thanks to Mother Nature, lol!

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  11. My parents, on the other hand, never did very much for the holidays other than a token cardboard cutout bat here and a few haphazardly strewn pieces of tinsel there. So, when I had kids, I went all out and decorated the house like crazy. I've toned that down a bit these past few years since they're older and I'm stuck in a townhouse, but there are still more decorations up today than my parents ever had on display. I think I'll always be a kid at heart in that regard!

    Take care and stay safe.

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  12. greetings ron, i'm one of those peeps who don't acknowledge the holidays and i especially hate halloween but we can still be friends, right?

    the witch photo gave me a chuckle and the rest of your photos look great! beautiful, rich colors.

    be safe. just rain and wind here. i feel like taking a nap as i probably should stay up later tonight to make sure nothing falls on the house. like a tree. i don't want to wake up dead.

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  13. First of all, Ron, let me wish you well in case you get holed up in an onslaught from Sandy. We're all watching the television news here and sending positive thoughts to all those affected.

    Halloween is getting more popular but I don't think it's is rated as highly as it is in the States. Certainly where I live there's not much evidence of things going on. Loved the pictures and agree that the doorway display merited many stars.

    I was surprised to learn that you are afraid of spiders but I suppose you get much bigger ones than we do. Loved the fangs... just you make sure you keep them to yourself....haha.

    See you when we see see, my friend, take good care of yourself.

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  14. Bonjour Barb~

    "I have been following the hurricane Sandy news. Hoping that all will be fine for you and Philly."

    So far, it hasn't been too severe. Supposedly, we're getting the worst of it later today into tonight. By tomorrow, the storm should be out of here. I'm just so happy we didn't lose power :)

    "Thank you so much for the Haloweeny tour of Philly."

    HA! I knew you would love it!!! I had so much fun snapping Halloweeny photos these past few weeks.

    "If the hurricane lets you celebrate Halloween, have a fun one, babe!
    Don't ya go biting too many hunks :).

    HAHHAHAHAHAHA! Will do, my friend!

    Mucho thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

    X to you and D!

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  15. Good morning Jeanne~

    "I'm going to sleep soon and I'm going to be HAUNTED by this image of you with fangs and red eyes and blood....ugh!!!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry about that, dear lady. Hope you didn't have any nightmares!

    " My parents were the exact same way!! We LOVED our holidays!! Still do as a matter of fact."

    You know, I could tell that just from reading your blog this past year and seeing how much you enjoy the holidays! You get just excited as I do!

    " Secondly, this SANDY Storm has me a bit upset...worried for my brother who is in CT and was without power for ten days the last time. Sure hope you are safe in Philly!!!! Stay SAFE my friend!!'

    I know what you mean because Sandy is a STRONG one and moving VERY slowly. So far, here in PA it hasn't been too severe. We have strong winds an some rain, but no power outages....so far. I think we're getting the most intense part of this storm later today, so that's why I wanted to get online now in case we lose power.

    You take care, my friend. Stay safe and sound, okay?

    Sending 'good energy' your way...

    (((((( You ))))))

    X to you and the girlz!

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  16. Isn't the witch faaaaaaaaaaabulous?

    I laughed so hard when I saw it and HAD to get a photo!!!!

    X

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  17. Hellooooooooooooo Jay!

    "You, a vampire? Aaah, c'mon ... you're just saying that to be interesting!!! You, my friend, are a pussycat! ;)"

    No...honest to god I think was a vampire in one of my past lives...I do. My name was Count Chocula (after the cereal).

    Bwhahahahahahahahaha!

    "And I mean that in the nicest possible way (even though you do scream like a sissy mary at spiders)!"

    I'm a TOTAL sissy mary when it comes to spiders AND roaches!

    "Love the decorations (especially since I'm not there to smell any cinnamon that might be wafting around). Especially that first 'lazy' pumpkin! LOL!"

    I discovered that first 'lazy' pumpkin sitting on that table in front of a delicatessen about two weeks ago. Isn't he cute? He looks like DRUNK construction worker!

    HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Thanks for stopping by, Jay! Have a great week!

    Boo!

    X

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  18. Hey there Secret Agent Woman~

    "Corned beef hash for St. Patrick's day and that sort of thing."

    Oh how WONDERFUL!

    My stepmother is half Irish, so she always celebrated St. Patrick's day in a festive way too! One Valentine's Day, she made meat loaf in the shape of a HEART and wrote "I Love You" on the top with KETCHUP!!!

    "Keep your head down and let us know when you're safely through the storm!"

    So far, it's not been to severe. We're supposed to get the worst of it this afternoon into tonight. I'm just glad we still have POWER :)

    Have a great week and thank you for stopping by!

    X

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  19. Hey there Jen~

    Thank you, girl!

    Yes, Philly is getting hit, but not nearly as bad as NJ or NY. We're supposedly getting the worst of it later today into tonight.

    Thank GOD we still have power!!

    Have a great week, my friend, and thanks for stopping by!

    X

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  20. Good morning Pearl~

    "Halloween, as a holiday, is becoming more and more popular over here. "

    Yes, that's what I hear. I LOVE Halloween!!!!! It's SO MUCH fun!

    "Batten down the hatches against Hurricane Sandy and keep safe m'deario."

    Thank you, m'dear. So far it hasn't been too severe, however later today into tonight, we will be getting the worst of it.

    Have a wonderful week and thank you for stopping by today!

    X

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  21. Hola Denise~

    "The one of the little mummy ghost is so cute."

    Isn't he ADORABLE??? I think he's my favorite. I love cute little face!!!

    Yes, I don't get dressed up and go out much anymore either. But just seeing all the decorations and kiddies dressed up in costumes makes me smile and enjoy it through them :)

    I had so much fun making that Dracula photo.

    Thank you for stopping by, girl. Have super week and Halloween!

    X,
    Dracula

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  22. Hiya Suzi~

    Thank you. Aren't they FUN and FESTIVE? I love Halloween!

    "Our neighborhood was looking kinda' cool and creepy, but everyone had to remove decor due to the hurricane...so now it's looking kinda' creepy thanks to Mother Nature, lol!"

    I was SOOOOOOO thinking of you yesterday because I heard that VA was affected by Sandy then. Hope you didn't get too much damage. And thank god you didn't lose power.

    We, here in PA, have just gotten high winds and rain, but nothing too severe. However, we're supposed to get the worst of it later today into tonight.

    You take care, my friend, and thank you for stopping by!

    ((((( You )))))

    X

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  23. Howdy Mark~

    "So, when I had kids, I went all out and decorated the house like crazy. I've toned that down a bit these past few years since they're older and I'm stuck in a townhouse, but there are still more decorations up today than my parents ever had on display. I think I'll always be a kid at heart in that regard!"

    Oh, that's SO GREAT, Mark!! You are like me...a kid at heart!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a great week and Halloween!

    X to you and Tara!

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  24. Hellooooo V Girl~

    " i'm one of those peeps who don't acknowledge the holidays and i especially hate halloween but we can still be friends, right?"

    Absolutely! Friends FOREVER!!!!

    "the witch photo gave me a chuckle and the rest of your photos look great! beautiful, rich colors."

    Thank you. Isn't the witch HILARIOUS??? Poor thing. I wonder what happened to her BROOM???

    "be safe. just rain and wind here. i feel like taking a nap as i probably should stay up later tonight to make sure nothing falls on the house. like a tree. i don't want to wake up dead."

    Thank you. I was so thinking of you (and other NJ bloggers) last night; hoping you didn't get it too severe. I think the Jersey shoreline got it the worst.

    Supposedly, PA is getting it later today into tonight. We've had high winds and rain, but nothing too bad so far.

    *fingers crossed*

    I'm not working for the next two days, so I'm staying inside and watching movies and EATING - HA!

    Take care, girl! Thanks for stopping by!

    ((((( You ))))

    X

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  25. Goooood morning Valerie~

    Thank you so much for your care and well wishes, dear lady. So far in Philly, we've only gotten some high winds and rain, but nothing too severe or power outages. Supposedly, later today and into tonight we're getting the worst of it.

    "Loved the pictures and agree that the doorway display merited many stars."

    Isn't the doorway faaaaaaaaabulous? Festive and fun...and tasteful.

    "I was surprised to learn that you are afraid of spiders but I suppose you get much bigger ones than we do."

    OMG...I HATE spiders!!!! AND roaches! They FREAK ME OUT!!!

    "Loved the fangs... just you make sure you keep them to yourself....haha."

    HA! Will do!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, Valerie. Have a marvi week!

    X,

    Count Dracula

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  26. I love to look at Halloween (and other holiday) decorations, but I'm a bit of a clutter phobe to put much up myself! Someone in our neighborhood has a HUGE purple blow up spider on their roof.......so tacky you've got to love it!

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  27. Great Halloween photos, Ron! The witch collision is priceless..SPLAT!

    You make an excellent vampire. That photo could be an CD cover for some goth band.

    And being a spider lover, I'm surprised you didn't buy that Halloween spider cake LOL!

    Stay safe from the storm, Dracula!

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  28. Oh Ron, these photos are fabulous. And I love this time of year so very much, mostly because of all the holidays!

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  29. Hey there Bijoux~

    "I love to look at Halloween (and other holiday) decorations, but I'm a bit of a clutter phobe to put much up myself!"

    It's funny you said that because for as much as I love Halloween decorations, or any holiday decorations for that matter....I only have a baby pumpkin surrounded by some colorful fall leaves in my apartment. My place so small that I really can't put up too much.

    Christmas, I usually put up a little tree with teeny tiny tree ornaments. It's soooooooo cute!

    Thanks for stopping by, my friend! Have a great Monday and week!

    X

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  30. Hiya Robert~

    HAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Yes...SPLAT!

    Isn't the witch hysterical? I didn't get a look her face, but I bet her pointy nose went FLAT - HA!

    "And being a spider lover, I'm surprised you didn't buy that Halloween spider cake LOL!"

    OMG..........NO WAY!!!!! I'm surprised I even took a picture of it - HA!!!

    Always great seeing ya, bud. Have a BOO of a Halloween!

    X

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  31. Hellooooooooo Meleah!

    Thank you. I had so much fun taking these photos and putting this post together.

    "And I love this time of year so very much, mostly because of all the holidays!"

    Ditto! From now until after Christmas...it's the BEST time of the year!

    Mucho thanks for stopping by, girl. Happy Halloween!

    BOO!

    X

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  32. that photo you of is hauntingly handsome! Your fellow urban dwellers have a clever way of decking out their homes for Hallowe'en. Love it! Most of all I'm glad for your happy family memories. There have been times you've shared some incidents from your younger years that were not so pleasant, but overall you really focus on the love. It's one of the things I admire about you most Ron, you acknowledge the bad, but elevate the good in your consciousness.

    I do hope you get through the next several days safely. xoxo

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  33. Hey there Diane~

    Aw...thank you, girl.

    Aren't the Halloween decorations festive and fun????

    " Most of all I'm glad for your happy family memories. There have been times you've shared some incidents from your younger years that were not so pleasant, but overall you really focus on the love."

    Yes, some incidents of my younger years were NOT so pleasant at all (particularly my school years - UGH!), but the love, fun, and joy my parents shared with ALL us kids, made up for it. Because I knew deep down that I was a very loved child.

    Thanks oodles for stopping by, girl. Have a wonderful week and Halloween holiday!

    So far so good here in Philly. Later today and tonight is when we get the heaviest of the hurricane. I'm praying we don't lose power.

    X to you and Cristybella!

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  34. Oh! Look at the Frankencake! Okay.....he's too cool!

    *laughing* Runner up is the spidery cake--but I'm thinking you'd take Frank and point and squeal for me to take the spidery one.
    Sissy Mary, apparently.......*rolling eyes* Studley's 8' and wee kiddos HUG him for crying out loud. I'm thinkin' it'd be good therapy for you to come hug The Studley Spider. ROFL

    Yeahyeah....you know it's no secret that I'm fond of Halloween. Seen the splatted witch--and I really LIKE the hanging bat--but he's a bit scary for the wee ones that come 'round here by the hundreds. We do 'cute'...we don't do scary.
    LOL I'm a bit of a wuss myself and I don't like wee things being scared. (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) So we have fun ghosties and fun witches and fun spiders (YES THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A FUN SPIDER!!)....even our tombstones have funny eyes peeking out from behind 'em. And the cool prezzie I got--fun greetings. Nothing like 'gonna eat you for dinner mwaahahahahaha'. That'd never do!

    Anyway--almost here! Two more sleeps!
    I got my witchy hat decorated and the goodies ready to be delivered!! Wooooohoooooo!!

    YOU--stay safe!

    And consider delivering goodies with that lovely 'teeth in and ready to party!!' look ya have going on there! They'd run screaming and you'd still have all the candy! :-/
    Wait....maybe not the bestest plan!!

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  35. Helloooooooooooo Mel!

    "Oh! Look at the Frankencake! Okay.....he's too cool!"

    Isn't he adorable? And with all that frosting, can you imagine how SWEET he tastes??

    "Sissy Mary, apparently.......*rolling eyes* Studley's 8' and wee kiddos HUG him for crying out loud. I'm thinkin' it'd be good therapy for you to come hug The Studley Spider. ROFL"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now, Studley is the ONLY spider I wouldn't scream at because he's soooooooo CUTE!!

    (((( Studley ))))

    "Yeahyeah....you know it's no secret that I'm fond of Halloween."

    Nooo...you're kidding me?

    Bwhahahahahahahha!

    I think you and are the MOST fond people of Halloween! We're like a couple of giddy kids, aren't we?

    "Anyway--almost here! Two more sleeps!
    I got my witchy hat decorated and the goodies ready to be delivered!! Wooooohoooooo!!"

    Yaaahoooooo..can you believe it, Mel? It's almost here!!!! OMG...I would love to be there with you, handing out the candy with my Dracula costume!

    "And consider delivering goodies with that lovely 'teeth in and ready to party!!' look ya have going on there! They'd run screaming and you'd still have all the candy! :-/
    Wait....maybe not the bestest plan!!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yup...that's my whole point. All the candy for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Thanks oodles for stopping by, dear lady. I couldn't WAIT for you to see this post, being a fellow-Halloween lover!

    ((((( You )))))

    X

    P.S. All is well here. We still have our power on, but with the mighty wind blowing right now, who knows what could happen by tomorrow morning. We're getting the worst of it now (VERY windy), but it's not too bad because I'm so used to hurricanes having lived in Florida. I've been watching movies all day and EATING!

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  36. Hi Ron. Do you live on the east coast? I hope you stay safe if you do :)

    We, in the UK, didn't celebrated Halloween when I was growing up. In fact it's only fairly recently youngsters have started to. Michael Jackson's Thriller sparked off a bit of interest in it. In fact we had a great fancy dress party after that video was released. Our one and only Halloween celebration.

    Those decorations look great!

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  37. Didn't read yet. LOVE the picture of you! You're on my mind because of "Sandy". Take care, bro. Sending you good, safe, dry thoughts!

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  38. Hey there Nitebyrd~

    I so thought of YOU when I created that photo because of our mutual love of vampires and Goth!!!!

    "You're on my mind because of "Sandy". Take care, bro. Sending you good, safe, dry thoughts!"

    ((((( You ))))))

    Thank you, Sis! We're getting the worst of it right now. Cold and gusty wind, but not too much rain. And because my apartment is HIGH up, the wind is WHIPPING against my windows. Having lived in Florida, I'm not freaked out about this hurricane, but I just hope we don't lose power.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your good thoughts!

    Have a great week and Halloween!

    X ya!

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  39. Hiya Babs~

    Yes...I do live on the east coast, but it's not too bad here in Philly. Just VERY windy and cold, but not much rain at all. We're actually getting the worst of it right now, so my only concern is losing power. Yes, I'm safe and sound in my apartment with food supplies, candles, movies, and talking on the phone with my family.

    "In fact it's only fairly recently youngsters have started to. Michael Jackson's Thriller sparked off a bit of interest in it. In fact we had a great fancy dress party after that video was released. Our one and only Halloween celebration."

    Yes! Yes! Yes! I remember seeing that video on your blog and LOVING it! That's one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a grrreat week!

    Hope all went well with the doctor.

    X to you and Mo!

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  40. See...I _knew_ you were a child of the night! ;-)

    Great pics! Love the googly-eyes mummy, but that spider was more than a bit creepy. And you can't go wrong with holiday-themed cakes...but who would eat that cake covered in hair?! ;-)

    Happy Halloween, Ron!

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  41. Hey Herman~

    "See...I _knew_ you were a child of the night! ;-)"

    HAHAHHAHAHAHA! Yup...a true child of the night!

    Thank you. Don't ya just LOVE the mummy? He's so damn cute!

    And the spider totally freaked me out because when first looked down, I thought it was REAL!

    "And you can't go wrong with holiday-themed cakes...but who would eat that cake covered in hair?!"

    I know, can you imagine that? I don't think I could eat any of those cakes because I wouldn't want to cut into it and ruin them!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy! Hope you had a super Monday!

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

    X to you, Karin, and Mr. Tyler!

    P.S. and please post photos of Tyler if he dresses up for Halloween this year, okay? I would love to see them!

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  42. All I can focus on is the cannoli!!!!! We don't have good bakeries here! yum! The bat guy freaks me out! Funny, I never thought about how people in the city decorate for Halloween! Where do you put your jack o lanterns? In the hall? On a table inside?

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  43. All I can focus on is the cannoli!!!!! We don't have good bakeries here! yum! The bat guy freaks me out! Funny, I never thought about how people in the city decorate for Halloween! Where do you put your jack o lanterns? In the hall? On a table inside?

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  44. Hey there Katherine~

    "All I can focus on is the cannoli!!!!! We don't have good bakeries here! yum!"

    HAHAHAHHAAHA! Ya know, I was thinking the same thing when I saw the cakes! Don't you LOVE cannoli's???? We have an Italian baker here in Philly that makes them fresh when you buy them...YUMMY!

    "Funny, I never thought about how people in the city decorate for Halloween! Where do you put your jack o lanterns? In the hall? On a table inside?"

    Some people put them on the doorsteps outside, while others place them their windows. I have mine (which is a baby pumpkin) in a small plate, surrounded by some fall leaves I got from outside. It looks so CUTE!

    Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Hope all is well where you're at and that you didn't get any severe damage from Hurricane Sandy.

    ((((( You )))))

    X

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  45. Ron, these are way too cool photos! Such vibrant and beautiful colors.
    I laughed when I read about the witch!

    I think the mummy ghost fella is my favorite. Although, that last one of you as a vampire is really creepy, in a good way!

    Hope you safely survived Sandy.

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  46. Good morning Matt~

    Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the photos. I had a blast taking them!

    "I think the mummy ghost fella is my favorite."

    Isn't he cute??? He's my favorite too. I spotted him just as I was walking down a side street and HAD to get a shot of him!

    Yes, we survived Sandy here in Philly without damage or a power outage. We had a lot of gusty, cold wind and some rain. NY and Jersey got hit bad though :(

    Thanks for stopping by, buddy. Have a great week!

    Happy Halloween!

    X

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  47. A nice tribute to your parents. But Halloween is a "holiday" I just can't comprehend. I guess it gives lots of people an opportunity to let down their hair and be as goofy as they wish. That may be a good thing! :-)

    Thank you for your kind comments on The Villages blog! We lived in South Florida for over 20 years and I remember the Quarterdeck well, although I think I ate there only once. It was for a more youthful crowd.

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  48. Hey there Lowell~

    Thank you. I've get very reminiscent of my parents and family life during the holidays.

    "But Halloween is a "holiday" I just can't comprehend. I guess it gives lots of people an opportunity to let down their hair and be as goofy as they wish. That may be a good thing!"

    Yes, I know a lot of people who feel that way about Halloween. I think for me it has to do with how excited my parents got about it when I was a kid, so it just carried over into my adulthood. As you shared, it's a GREAT opportunity to let my hair down and act goofy. But then, I don't need Halloween for that because I act that way ALL the time - HA!

    "We lived in South Florida for over 20 years and I remember the Quarterdeck well, although I think I ate there only once. It was for a more youthful crowd."

    You're right, it is a more youthful crowd. Also, a sports crowd. Luckily when my brother and I went that day, it wasn't crowded and the food was really tasty!

    Thanks for stopping by, buddy. Hope you're enjoying a great week!

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  49. ONE MORE SLEEP!! :-)

    Okay--Actually snuck in to see that all was well for you in your little corner of the world.
    I can see you've posted some today--so that's a good sign. I can now be done fretting and move straight into PUNKIN CARVING!! :-)

    One more sleep!! :-)
    Stay safe, sir. And have an awesome Halloween!!

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  50. "Okay--Actually snuck in to see that all was well for you in your little corner of the world.
    I can see you've posted some today--so that's a good sign. I can now be done fretting and move straight into PUNKIN CARVING!! :-)"

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! Aw...you're a SWEETHEART for checking in on me, dear lady. THANK YOU!

    Yes, I'm safe and sound. And guess what? We didn't lose power! Yaaaaaaaaaay!!! About 10 PM, the wind and rain died down and then everything became silent. It was kinda creepy though, because I thought it was the calm before ANOTHER storm. Today, the city was void of hardly any people and many stores were closed. It was like a ghost town.

    I feel awful for NYC and Jersey because they got hit the hardest.

    Thanks again for stopping by, dear lady. Have fun carving your pumpkin and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

    (((( You )))))

    X

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  51. Ron, I too love all holidays! I dress up as a pumpkin for my grand daughters and we have a ball. We make candy out of everything and we laugh and we scare the beJesus out of each other. Holidays give us all a chance to sit and reflect on love and the humaness of all of us. We share and we receive the warm feelings that we all deep inside us.

    Now that being said, Ron, I just read your previous post. I would like to share with you the warm thoughts of comfort and healing that is all around us. Your mother sounds like a true saint. She will not let her music stay inside as she prepares for the final act. She is an example of how life should be led. Her journey has yet another bend in the road. Only she and her spirit guides and God know where this will take her. I send her and you the energy of love and healing. If she would take this energy and use it to the highest and best use it is solely up to her. She is a beautiful example of a spiritual being having a human experinece.
    Ron, I wish you a happy Halloween and send out love to you, your brother and you mom.

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  52. Hey there Mr. Dave~

    " I dress up as a pumpkin for my grand daughters and we have a ball. We make candy out of everything and we laugh and we scare the beJesus out of each other. Holidays give us all a chance to sit and reflect on love and the humanness of all of us. We share and we receive the warm feelings that we all deep inside us."

    Oh how FUN!! And you're right....holidays give us the chance to sit and reflect on love and humanness of all of us!

    "I send her and you the energy of love and healing. If she would take this energy and use it to the highest and best use it is solely up to her. She is a beautiful example of a spiritual being having a human experience."

    Thank you SO MUCH for your beautiful words and for sharing your energy, buddy. It's so appreciated and cherished! I've been sharing much Reiki my mother lately, and it really seems to be helping her and my family walk through this journey.

    "She will not let her music stay inside as she prepares for the final act."

    I love how you said that!

    Thanks for stopping by and sharing your support and love!

    (((((( You ))))))

    Happy Halloween!

    X

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  53. Oh yes! You were absolutely a vampire in another life. You were those fangs well!! HA. Maybe you liked sunlight too much????

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE BAKERY photos. Oh yum! All of these are great, but those turn me into a MONSTER. RRRAAWWRRR! HA HA HA.

    Happy Halloween!!! I hope you enjoy every moment just like the kid you ARE and were.... :-)

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  54. Helloooooo Angelia~

    "Oh yes! You were absolutely a vampire in another life. You were those fangs well!! HA. Maybe you liked sunlight too much????"

    HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! You're probably right!

    Aren't the bakery cakes faaaaaaaabulous? And me too...those turn me into a MONSTER!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, Angela. HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you and your family!

    LOVED the photos you posted on your blog today!

    X

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  55. I just wanted to update you

    New Jersey is an absolute mess. Things are really bad. We have no power, no television, no radio, no internet, no landlines, no cell phone service, no texts, no emails, no form of communication whatsoever – nothing. And it could take up to a week to restore everything. Also, the roads are awful. Trees and power lines are down. Streets, and bridges, and tunnels, are closed. No traffic lights work. Ect. Oh, and you can forget about trying to get gas in your car.

    Luckily, I was able to escape the disaster area, with my son, and and we made it to Pennsylvania safely. We are staying at my brothers house where  there is POWER and INTERNET and SHOWERS and FOOD and FAMILY and TELEVISION and LAUGHTER.

    XOXOOX

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  56. Helloooooooo Meleah!

    I just this second stopped over to YOUR blog and left two comments on your previous posts.

    Yes, I saw on the news how HARD parts of Jersey was affected by this hideous hurricane and was sooooo thinking of you Monday and Tuesday.

    I am soooooooo glad and relieved to hear that you and your family were able to escape the disaster and weren't hurt in anyway. It's a TOTAL bummer though about losing power and not having access to phone, internet, or any form of communication. I had that happen a few times while living in Florida and going through hurricanes.

    Just know that I'm sending MUCH ''good energy" your way that things are repaired quickly.

    OMG...NYC got hit bad too. I can't even imagine how long it will take to restore power to the lower part of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

    ((((( You )))))

    X

    P.S. thanks so much for stopping by and giving me an update!

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  57. Hey Ron, You were truly blessed to have parents like this my Friend.

    We always tried to make each holiday fun for our kids also, you have read a couple of my posts where we dressed up with the kids and made our home a haunted house for Halloween, this is what makes memories for the kids to remember and your memories come from loving parents.

    Since we moved to the rural area we are in we have yet to get one trick or treater, but yet if I saw any goblins walking down our road after dark, I'd have to go and hide because that couldn't be good :)

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  58. Howdy Jimmy~

    Thank you, buddy, and yes, I do feel very blessed.

    ".....this is what makes memories for the kids to remember and your memories come from loving parents."

    Yes, I KNOW that you and Cindy are much like my own parents in that you made each and every holiday special for your kids. And yup...this is what makes such great memories for your kids to remember, and then pass them down to the next generation.

    "Since we moved to the rural area we are in we have yet to get one trick or treater, but yet if I saw any goblins walking down our road after dark, I'd have to go and hide because that couldn't be good"

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ya know, I've heard more people say that trick or treating has become almost non-exist anymore. I am so glad that you and I got to experience Halloween the way that we did, because it was sooooooooooo special!

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, buddy!

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you and Miss Cindy!

    X to you both!

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  59. Fabulous photos, Ron!
    What is the program and effect of the first few? Neat! Are they all PicMonkey like in the last one? That one is cool too.
    It's been such a long, crazy week (altho we are okay regarding the hurricane) but I did want to drop by real fast and check in ... and say, I love Halloween too! I'll be posting some sweet pics of the grands real soon. :)

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  60. Hey there Mary!

    Yes, I used PicMonkey on all these photos. I used their 'framing option' to create the edging around the photos. And the last one I used their "Halloween option."

    If you've never tried PicMonkey, give it try because it's a REALLY cool website.

    So glad to hear you and your family are safe and sound after this horrendous storm. I was thinking of you all day Monday because you live NJ and know how are it got hit.

    ((((( You )))))

    Thanks so much for stopping by, neighbor! Have a peaceful weekend!

    X

    P.S. Can't wait to see you Halloween photos!

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  61. Hi Ronnie! Its been sooo long but I have returned!! So glad Hurricane Sandy missed you! Love this halloween post so fun :) Cant wait to get back into the swing of bloggin.

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  62. *waving*

    Hey there Shae!

    OMG...I have been thinking about you lately and wondering how you were. So glad to see that you stopped by and said hi!

    Yes, I feel SO blessed that Hurricane Sandy missed hitting Philadelphia because it appeared to heading directly towards us!

    Hope you had a great summer and fall! Looking forward to catching up with you!

    Thanks for stopping by, girl!

    X

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