The Season of Goodwill?
It's only the beginning of October, but Halloween already has the people of Naperville under its spell. Costume shops are popping up everywhere and many houses are already decorated with ghosts, pumpkins and the odd hanging body.
We've really been looking forward to our first Halloween here, and the best way to celebrate seemed to be to get involved with the town's largest party at the Naper Settlement.
The settlement is a living museum right in the centre of town. When we found out they wanted native English volunteers we couldn't wait to step forward. Ross is to be the butler of the haunted mansion and I'm a witch in Shakespeare's Scottish play. I've been cackling away learning my lines and think it's going well, although any British readers would probably think I sound more like Janet from Dr Finlay's Casebook than an old crone.
The other evening we went along to the spooky chapel for our first meeting. Everything looks brilliantly organised, the trouble is we have to get our own costumes.
Mine turned out to be easy enough. I spent a small fortune in one of the local shops and I'm very pleased with the result. Ross's, however, was a bit more of a challenge.
The folk at the settlement suggested we go along to Goodwill to look for a black suit. Goodwill is a giant charity shop often frequented by the type of people who look as if they celebrate Halloween every day.
Ross was thumbing through a rack of jackets when an elderly woman approached us. She had an Eastern European accent and insisted on telling us her whole life story.
"I em from Transylvania," she said. "Eet iz an area of Romania. During ze vor ve vent to live on a farm. I hed to milk ze cowz but my fingers were too short und I cud not do zit."
Now, I ask you, what is the likelihood of meeting someone from Transylvania just before Halloween? I know it sounds like a joke, but it's the honest truth. She spoke for about 10 minutes before we could get away because I was anxious not to antagonize her. Goodness knows what she might have done to us.
Nearer the back of the store I spotted an old man in a witch's mask.
"That looks good," I thought. "I wonder if I should go with one of those instead of the green make-up?"
But as I looked again I realised the hooked nose and pointed chin were in fact, real.
I have learnt that everything in Naperville is bigger and better than most places. I'm already getting a little concerned as to what Halloween has in store.....
We've really been looking forward to our first Halloween here, and the best way to celebrate seemed to be to get involved with the town's largest party at the Naper Settlement.
The settlement is a living museum right in the centre of town. When we found out they wanted native English volunteers we couldn't wait to step forward. Ross is to be the butler of the haunted mansion and I'm a witch in Shakespeare's Scottish play. I've been cackling away learning my lines and think it's going well, although any British readers would probably think I sound more like Janet from Dr Finlay's Casebook than an old crone.
The other evening we went along to the spooky chapel for our first meeting. Everything looks brilliantly organised, the trouble is we have to get our own costumes.
Mine turned out to be easy enough. I spent a small fortune in one of the local shops and I'm very pleased with the result. Ross's, however, was a bit more of a challenge.
The folk at the settlement suggested we go along to Goodwill to look for a black suit. Goodwill is a giant charity shop often frequented by the type of people who look as if they celebrate Halloween every day.
Ross was thumbing through a rack of jackets when an elderly woman approached us. She had an Eastern European accent and insisted on telling us her whole life story.
"I em from Transylvania," she said. "Eet iz an area of Romania. During ze vor ve vent to live on a farm. I hed to milk ze cowz but my fingers were too short und I cud not do zit."
Now, I ask you, what is the likelihood of meeting someone from Transylvania just before Halloween? I know it sounds like a joke, but it's the honest truth. She spoke for about 10 minutes before we could get away because I was anxious not to antagonize her. Goodness knows what she might have done to us.
Nearer the back of the store I spotted an old man in a witch's mask.
"That looks good," I thought. "I wonder if I should go with one of those instead of the green make-up?"
But as I looked again I realised the hooked nose and pointed chin were in fact, real.
I have learnt that everything in Naperville is bigger and better than most places. I'm already getting a little concerned as to what Halloween has in store.....
posted by Hilary at
3:15 AM
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