Happy Easter Blessings, dear reader! Jesus Christ has risen today and on such a gorgeous Sunday spring morning. It will be a low-key kind of day for me. My hubby drove my Daddy to Kentucky where they are visiting my Uncle Manuel for Easter. Son #1 will be celebrating the day with his girlfriend Kayla and her family. Since it is just Andrew and me, we decided to celebrate the day with a Mexican fiesta. I will be cooking bacon ranch chicken taquitos and tacos. We also plan to have chips and queso. Afterwards, Andrew will spend some time at his girlfriend’s house while I plan to watch a horror movie related to Cinco de Mayo. I admit it is not our traditional Easter celebration; however, it will suffice for this year. Additionally, I will not be attending Mass this morning because I attended the Easter Vigil last night.
I have a Godson! Since the end of September, I have walked with Mr. Mike (Shelly’s bonus dad) as his sponsor on his journey to becoming a Catholic. Last night, was the end of our journey together and the beginning of his journey as a member of the Catholic Church. Mr. Mike, along with five other catechumins and one candidate, entered into full communion with the Catholic Church last night at the Easter Vigil celebration at St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Catholic Church in Albany, Louisiana. Mr. Mike received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. I am overjoyed for him and all the others who made the commitment to walk with Christ.
The Easter Vigil was a beautiful celebration. Fr. Jamin and everyone who participated made the evening really special for the congregation and the newest members of the Church. Thankfully, Shelly and her husband Kerry attended the Easter Vigil as well. She took a bunch of pictures of Mr. Mike receiving all of his Sacraments. In addition, Mrs. Carol (Shelly’s mom) sponsored her niece Danielle who also became a member of the Catholic Church at last night’s celebration. What a wonderful evening!
Altar at St. Margaret Church
Sacrament of Baptism
What do we do with the towel?
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Eucharist
New Members (Elijah not present) with Clergy
New Members (Elijah not present) with Sponsors
May your Easter season be filled with joy and a renewal of hope, dear reader. Enjoy this special day with a song of love in your heart and peace in your soul. Happiness!
“We proclaim the resurrection of Christ when his light illuminates the dark moments of our existence.”~ Pope Francis
Happy Valentine’s Day, dear reader! In my neck of the woods, it is frigid and weather conditions are expected to get worse by Monday. Thankfully, my hubby and I are on vacation all this week. We have no aspirations to be out and about today. Instead, we plan to stay at home relaxing and enjoying a warm, crackling fire. I believe my sweetheart also mentioned cooking a pot of gumbo. YUM! We will celebrate Valentine’s Day by simply spending some quality time (a precious commodity) together.
While romantic love gets all the hype on Valentine’s Day, there are different forms of love that are expressed every day. Love is a powerful feeling and most often extends to those closest to us. Most of the time, showing love to the special people or even the fur babies in our lives is easy. We share a deep and significant connection to our loved ones. Still, there seems to be a need for more love for humanity in general. This type of love may be harder to express for some because it requires empathy for everyone and anyone in any situation. In addition, it is given without the expectation of anything in return. A great way to share this love with others is through random acts of kindness and being aware of our own actions towards our fellow human beings. Therefore, today and every day, spread more love and compassion into the world.
Love and hugs to you, dear reader. I am grateful for YOU. Have a splendid, heart-shaped day spending time with someone you love or spending time doing something you love. Happiness!
“We’re all a little weird, and life’s a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”~ Dr. Seuss
Hot Chocolate Bombs: a Valentine’s Day gift from my friend Helen
For Catholics, the Christmas season officially ends tomorrow, 10 January, with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, thus marking the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. With that being said, it is time for me to reflect on the festive activities that I participated in throughout the Christmas season, mainly during the month of December. I had a jovial time watching Christmas movies, reading Christmas stories, consuming a mirthful beverage, and so much more as I celebrated the delightful season of Christmas.
As I mentioned in previous posts, dear reader, Christmas is not my favorite holiday; however, creating a Christmas Fun List helped me enjoy the joyous season with good cheer. Kelsi also created a fun list. Similar to Halloween, our lists consisted of movies (horror and classic), books, accessories, treats, and extras. Since we incorporated a Christmas Horror movie marathon and a Christmas Classics movie marathon as part of our fun lists, Kelsi and I had TWO Christmas chats. Again, Kelsi is the mastermind behind the technical aspects of our conversations and does an awesome job of hosting our chat and creating the finished product. I’ve included our Christmas Retrospective in this post.
Without delay, here are my thoughts on how I spent the Christmas season.
Movies
I selected 24 movies, 12 Christmas Horror and 12 Christmas Classics. What an insane amount of movies for me to view in a month! I decided to complete my Christmas Horror Marathon prior to starting my Christmas Classics Marathon. To read more about the Christmas Horror movies that I watched, to listen to the song I wrote about the Twelve Days of Christmas Horror, and to check out my conversation with Kelsi discussing the Christmas Horror movies, please visit my post “The Gift of Christmas Horror” which includes all three components. Unlike a few of the movies on my Christmas Horror list which I didn’t like very much, I loved all the movies chosen on my Christmas Classics list. The movies are ranked in the order of how much I liked them and the stars represent my rating.
My top six movies all received 5 STARS from me. I have seen all six of these films numerous times over the years. My absolute favorite is Love Actually. It is a fantastic romantic comedy full of wonderful characters whose lives intersect while navigating through the chaos caused by love and loss during the Christmas season. I watch Elf every year. It never gets old, and Will Ferrell is hilarious! Next up is How the Grinch Stole Christmas with the brilliant Jim Carrey as the Grinch. The 2009 version of A Christmas Carol is beautifully animated and terrifically terrifying in all the right places.
I had not seen Home Alone in several years, so it was a real treat to revisit. Andrew and I watched it together, and I laughed hysterically throughout the entire movie, especially at the shenanigans of the Wet Bandits. The Polar Express is another visual delight. I’m a fan of the author, Chris Van Allsburg, who wrote and illustrated this beautiful story. I love how well the film captured the heartwarming message of the book.
Out of the remaining six movies on my list, three of them were new watches. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a marvelously magical musical that gave me a holiday happiness boost. The young actress Madalen Mills who portrays Journey is pure delight. I hope to see her in other productions in the near future. Klaus is an amazing animated breath of fresh air with a heartfelt message and a new spin on the legend of Santa Claus. It is not a musical, but it has a lovely soundtrack. And, Rashida Jones, alum of The Office and Parks and Recreation, is the voice of Alva.
My third new watch, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping is an enjoyable movie-of-the week based on a mystery novel by Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark. I’m a fan of both authors. In fact, I’ve been reading Mary Higgins Clark since I was 18 years old. This movie isn’t exactly a Christmas movie, but it takes place during the Christmas season. The acting isn’t stellar and there are some cheesy scenes, but it does have a decent plot. As for the final three movies, which were all rewatches, it was lovely to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. My favorite scene is when all of the children are dancing on stage. Of course, Snoopy steals the show with his endless imagination and sense of humor. It has been over 20 years since I’ve seen The Muppet Christmas Carol. Luckily, I was able to see it with my hubby in the theatre. It is a lovely musical starring the talented Michael Caine as Scrooge alongside the fabulous Muppets. Last but not least, A Christmas Story. I know I have seen this movie quite a few times and in recent years; however, there were many scenes I did not remember, so I’m guessing I had it playing in the background while engaged in other activities. It’s not my favorite, but it has plenty of entertaining moments that make it worth the watch.
Books/Short Stories
I picked out two books to read throughout the month, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Santa’s Twin written by Dean Koontz and illustrated by Phil Parks. Even though I have seen a variety of cinematic versions of A Christmas Carol over the course of my lifetime, I have never read the classic novella. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a superb piece of literature that I highly recommend to everyone. Santa’s Twin is another equally enjoyable read. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book with an endearing story featuring two charming and spunky little girls.
Initially, I was only planning to read those two books. Shortly after I finished them, I read four more terrific books. Two of them are picture books, The Polar Express written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg and The Animals’ Santa written and illustrated by Jan Brett. One of them is a splendid children’s lit selection that features a debonair mouse, Merry Christmas, Geronimo. The final one is an anthology, Krampusnacht: Twelve Nights of Krampus edited by Kate Wolford. I think anyone who is a fan of Krampus will enjoy this collection.
Thematic Potpourri
Besides watching both creepy and classic Christmas movies and reading holly and some not so jolly stories, there were several other thematic activities that I engaged in throughout the month. I wore a pair of Christmas socks a few times during the month. Every day at work, I wore different Christmas pins. Although I did not buy a Christmas sweater (the only item on my fun list I did not complete), I bought a Christmas mask to wear at work. I sent out Christmas cards to family and friends which included flying wish paper. Kelsi and I both included flying wish paper demonstrations in our chat.
I made a sweet and salty Christmas treat. It is super easy to make and only requires three ingredients (a bag of Snyder’s Snaps Pretzels, a bag of Hershey’s Hugs, and a bag of red and green M&M’s). I used my toaster oven and set it for about 275 degrees. Put a piece of aluminum foil on a pan (you can also do it without aluminum foil). Place pretzels on the pan first. Place a Hershey’s Hug on each pretzel. Put the pan in the oven for two minutes to make the Hug soft. Take it out the oven after two minutes and press an M&M on each Hug. I carefully take the aluminum foil with the treats and place it in the refrigerator to harden. Voila! You can basically make this treat anytime and for any holiday just by changing the colors of the M&M’s.
On Christmas evening, my hubby and I went over to Shelly and Kerry’s house for our annual Christmas visit. We generally have a glass of wine or a cocktail and enjoy leftovers from lunch. What a perfect time to try a Christmas cocktail! Kerry, who is our designated bartender, mixed the Grinch Cocktail for us. Instead of using Ginger Ale, he used Sprite. He also did not get the simple syrup or the green/red sanding sugar to decorate the rim of the glass. It was a yummy cocktail that I would definitely drink again. Afterwards, we enjoyed a glass of 19 Crimes Cali Red, featuring Snoop Dogg. With that, my Christmas Fun List is complete!
December was an amazingly merry month thanks to having a Christmas Fun list. Seeing Christmas decorations lit up in the evenings when I’d drive through the subdivision, reading thematic stories, and watching both creepy and classic Christmas movies added so much joy to my life. I will definitely be doing this again next year although with fewer movies on my list. What did you do to celebrate the Christmas season? I hope you will take a look at my conversation with Kelsi, dear reader. We’d love to get some feedback on our conversation and what we might consider for next year. Happiness!
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”~ Dr. Seuss
Merry Christmas Horror! I successfully completed my 12 Days of Christmas Horror movie marathon a couple of days before Christmas. What a thrilling experience! This movie marathon was part of my Christmas fun list for the month of December.
Out of the twelve horror movies I watched this month, three of them revolve around Krampus, the half-goat/half-demon who is believed to have emerged from German folklore. His role is basically to punish the naughty children. The first time I had heard of Krampus was back in 2015 when the film Krampus, starring Toni Collette and Adam Scott, hit the movie theaters. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it in the theater and essentially tucked it away in the back of my mind until this year. Out of all the Christmas horror movies that I watched for my marathon, this was my absolute favorite. The movies are ranked in the order of how much I liked them and the stars represent my rating.
My top six movies all received 5 STARS from me with my first three favorite films featuring Krampus. Out of my top six movies, five were new watches with one being a superb rewatch (Gremlins) that I had not seen in decades. Better Watch Out is a rollercoaster of a ride with many twists and turns and an ending that keeps you wondering long after the ending credits. Anna and the Apocalypse was a pleasant musical zombie surprise. Think High School Musical meets Shaun of the Dead. I would highly recommend all six movies to anyone who is a fan of horror or dark comedy.
Out of the remaining six movies on my list, five were new watches with one being a rewatch (Scrooged) that I had not seen in decades. The Children and Black Christmas were both wonderful surprises. They were disturbing in their own right and left you, the viewer, to decide the ending. Scrooged was surprisingly a bit of a disappointment because I recalled liking it much more when I first watched it. Wind Chill was slightly dull, Christmas Evil was moderately creepy and somewhat over the top, and Saint was simply awful.
I would highly recommend The Children and Black Christmas (1974 version). Even though I was a little disappointed with Scrooged, I would definitely recommend it. It is more of a dark comedy/fantasy than a horror movie; however, it features the delightful Bill Murray in the role of Scrooge and the hilarious Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present. As for Wind Chill, I would bypass it unless you are a fan of Emily Blunt and want to see her earlier work. I half-heartedly recommend Christmas Evil (Kelsi would disagree), and I definitely do NOT recommend Saint. Shockingly, the last two movies were recommended on Christmas Horror movie lists and rated well on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not only did I get to watch horror movies related to the Christmas season, but I also had the opportunity to talk about them with my good friend Kelsi. We had an entertaining conversation about our likes and dislikes, surprises, my introduction to Krampus, and much more. While we generally have similar tastes regarding the horror genre and agreed for the most part on many of the films we mutually watched, there were a couple of films that we did not see eye to eye. I invite you to watch our conversation to learn more about the horror movies we watched this season. And, if you have any suggestions for future Christmas horror movies that we should watch next year, please share in the comments of our chat or this blog post.
Finally, I teased in my “12 Days of Christmas Horror” post back in November that I was working on a piece of writing to complement my Christmas Horror movie marathon. Well, I wrote a song called “The Twelve Days of Christmas Horror” using the music from “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” It features many of the elements in the horror movies that I chose to watch this month. On a whim, I contacted my voice coach Laura to see if it was even possible for me to sing it, much less record it. We only had three sessions together to practice and record it in the midst of work, commitments, and Christmas hullabaloo. Laura graciously edited it for me, so I could include it in today’s post. While it’s not perfect, I am pretty proud of it. And, I can always tweak it. After all, I am a work in progress.
The Twelve Days of Christmas Horror
I hope you had a Merry Christmas, dear reader. As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed my 12 Days of Christmas Horror. The rest of my holiday festivities for the month of December have been less creepy and more classically Christmas. I am wrapping up my Classic Christmas movie marathon and reading my last Christmas related book which is all about Krampus. Soon, Kelsi and I will have a conversation discussing all of the other items we completed on our Christmas fun lists, and I will post a recap after the first of the year. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your weekend. Happiness!
“Moments later, from the orphanage roof, a creature made of Christmas nightmares and holding a bulging sack that looked to hold doll-shaped toys made its escape through the silhouette of the city, not to be seen for another year.” ~ Sebastian Gregory
December is in full swing, and I’m in the midst of writing Christmas cards to send out to family and friends. My hubby and I have started buying the handful of Christmas gifts for the holiday season. And today, I will start reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This Christmas season I opted to create a Christmas Fun List to help get me into the spirit of the holiday.
I’m a bit behind on my 12 Days of Christmas Horror Marathon which is one of the items on my Christmas fun list. Every day this past week, I had some kind of commitment after work which did not allow time to watch movies. At the moment, I have only watched two Christmas horror movies, Krampus and A Christmas Horror Story, and they were both delightful. This upcoming week will afford me more time, so I can catch up. My goal is to complete my Christmas Horror Marathon first and then start watching traditional Christmas movies. Also, Kelsi and I have discussed having two Zoom conversations, one on Christmas horror movies and one on our Christmas fun lists which will include traditional Christmas movies as well as our other holiday activities.
Yesterday, my hubby and I drove to the South Shore and visited by parents to celebrate their birthdays. My Daddy’s birthday was the day after Thanksgiving, and my Momma’s birthday is today. They wanted to eat at Zea Rotisserie and Bar where we all enjoyed a scrumptious meal. Afterwards, we headed over to PJ’s Coffee and enjoyed coffee and dessert.
Of course, what I look forward to the most this month is my two-week holiday break which starts on 18 December. It will be a time of reflection on the past year and preparation for the upcoming year. I love new beginnings, dear reader. Although the pandemic will not be over and a new president will take office in the United States, I remain hopeful that 2021 can be better with a change in perspective. I’ve already started tossing around ideas for my theme for the new year and items for my 21 for 2021 list. Happiness!
“The Christmas spirit is simply an honest spirit of love for all humanity. It is the force that moves us to give what we can, to help as we are able, and to always be of kind comfort.” ~Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Unlike Halloween which I absolutely adore, I’m not a huge fan of Christmas. Since participating in Halloween activities throughout the month of October was an absolute delight and a tremendous success, I decided to create a Christmas fun list for the month of December that encompasses the traditional Christmas spirit but with some spooky undertones sprinkled in for jolly good fear, I mean cheer. Instead of starting the 2020 Christmas season off with watching classic Christmas movies, my Christmas festivities will commence with 12 Days of Christmas Horror which entails 12 Christmas movies that deck the halls but aren’t so jolly. The first Christmas horror movie I will watch will be a toss up between A Christmas Horror Story and Krampus. Considering the Christmas season officially starts after Thanksgiving, I plan to start my Christmas horror movie marathon before the first of December.
Kat’s 12 Days of Christmas Horror
In addition to watching Christmas horror movies, I plan to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Santa’s Twin by Dean Koontz. I’m also secretly working on a wickedly Christmas appropriate piece of writing to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas Horror that I hope I can share with you at month’s end. Nothing like a mysterious and unexpected gift for Christmas.
Of course, I will be wearing Christmas socks and pins to work throughout the month. Maybe this year, I will even invest in an ugly Christmas sweater. That would be pretty horrific, but it would also fit in quite nicely with the Christmas horror theme. I must also celebrate the season with a Christmas cocktail, and maybe I’ll even try a Christmas-related treat. What’s more, if time permits, I will acquiesce and watch a few traditional Christmas movies. I’m not that much of a Scrooge, dear reader. Finally, Kelsi and I are planning to have another Zoom Conversation to discuss our Christmas fun lists and compare notes on movies we watched throughout the season.
The Christmas season is upon us, dear reader. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas 2020 will look and feel a bit different; however, we can still find joyful ways to celebrate the holiday. What are some fun activities that you plan to engage in this Christmas season? Happiness!
“It is required of every man,” the ghost returned, “that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death.” ~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
“Well, well, well. What have we here?” ~ Oogie Boogie, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Halloween 2020 has come and gone; however, I must reflect on the fang-tastic activities that I participated in throughout October before I can get into the heart and soul of November. I had a horror-rific time watching Halloween/horror movies, reading scary stories, consuming a spooky libation, and so much more as it all led up to the magical night of Halloween.
As you know, dear reader, Halloween is my favorite holiday which makes the month of October super special for me. Inspired by my dear friend Kelsi, who also adores Halloween, I created a Halloween Fun List. Basically, it was a fun list of activities planned for the entire month of October that encapsulates the spirit of the season. My list included: movies, books, accessories, events, and extras. I took the liberty of incorporating some spur of the moment items which included a spooktacular conversation with Kelsi. We were actually scheduled to have our conversation the Thursday evening before Halloween; however, it was postponed because Hurricane Zeta swept through Louisiana causing damage and power loss. Unfortunately, Kelsi was one of many who lost power, thus putting a slight kink in out creeperific plans. Thankfully, her power was restored, so we recorded our conversation Friday night. Please check it out! It is my first attempt with this type of format. And, I LOVED it! Podcasting is something I really want to do in the near future, so having this opportunity was both important and exciting for me. Kelsi is such a pro and is responsible for setting everything up, editing it (such cool graphics), and getting it out into the world.
So, without further ado, my thoughts on how I spent the month of October.
Movies
I chose 13 movies. Five of them were movies I had seen before, but wanted to revisit since it had been quite awhile since I had seen them last. The Haunted Mansion (ghost story), Hocus Pocus (witches), The Nightmare Before Christmas (animated dark fantasy), Sleepy Hollow (headless horseman), and Salem’s Lot -1979 (vampires). Thankfully, movie theatres have opened again, and the AMC Theatre in Hammond is showing FAN FAVORITES for $5. I was able to see both Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas in the theatre to my great delight. I cherish both of these films. I enjoyed all of my re-watches, but was a bit disappointed with Salem’s Lot. I remember it being terrifying when I saw it as a kid but not so much as an adult. In all fairness it was released as a made-for-tv movie back in 1979. The head vampire is a nod to the German vampire Nosferatu (awesome), the vampire children floating outside the window are still creepy, and seeing David Soul again was visually appealing.
As for the other eight movies on my list, I was pleased with my choices. My new favorites are Train to Busan (zombies), The Ritual (Norse mythology), Death Note (Japanese death god), and The Innocents (ghost story). I definitely recommend them to anyone who enjoys the horror genre. The Vatican Tapes (demonic possession), Dark Skies (aliens), and Color Out of Space (sci-fi) were all entertaining. While they are not necessarily my favorites, they are all worth the watch, especially Color Out of Space. Based on a H.P. Lovecraft short story and starring Nicholas Cage (a fave of mine), it is an artfully, over-the-top gem. My only disappointment was House of the Witch (witches). It wasn’t terrible, but not really scary. There were a couple good jump scares, nice special effects and makeup, and an interesting plot twist. While some would enjoy it, it is one where watching it once was enough for me.
Books/Short Stories
I chose two short stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion” and “The Purloined Letter.” Of the two stories, I enjoyed “The Purloined Letter” more. It featured C. Auguste Dupin, a fictional character who uses his intellect and imagination to solve mysteries even though he is not a detective by profession. Then, I chose three short stories from A Newbery Halloween, and all three were gratifying. My favorite of the three was “The Year Halloween Happened One Day Early” written by Virginia Hamilton. The short story is taken from Chapters 7 and 8 of her book Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed which was inspired by “The War of the Worlds” radio drama.
Of the three children’s novels that I read, Ghost Squad, Witch Catcher, and The Collected, I was disappointed with The Collected. It didn’t quite have the same creepy energy as K.R. Alexander’s other scary books. I also added Coraline which is a reread for me. Neil Gaiman is a fantastic author and one of my favorites, and Coraline is a classic. I would highly recommend the book and the movie. Lastly, I tackled the monstrous novel NOS4A2 written by Joe Hill. It was AMAZING! I feel like I must devote a whole post in the future to this novel and Joe Hill because there is so much to say about it. Kelsi and I discuss it more in depth in our conversation, and she reviewed it on her blog Kelsi Explains It All.
October Reads
Thematic Potpourri
Besides watching spine-chilling movies and reading scary stories, there were several other thematic activities that I engaged in throughout the month. I wore Halloween socks and pins every day to work and on the weekends. My hubby and I attended a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I savored a wicked beverage called Witch Potion Cocktail while socializing with my best buds from high school. On Sunday evenings, I immersed myself again in The Walking Dead universe. On a whim, I posted a Halloween-related Snoopy picture daily on Facebook (my story). My favorite was Pinhead Snoopy. And, for the first time, I sent out a few Halloween cards to friends I know who appreciate the holiday as much as I do.
Witch Potion Cocktail
And, last but not least, Kelsi introduced me to David S. Pumpkins. It is completely absurd but totally entertaining. I watched it numerous times throughout the month.
Halloween Night
On Halloween night, I dressed as a witch. My plan was to hand out treats to all the trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. One of our neighbors had signs made for anyone in the neighborhood who wanted to hand out treats. We placed the sign in our front yard, so the children and their parents would know who was handing out candy. I placed the candy in my cauldron and set it on a table. I wore a mask and socially distanced. Son #1 dressed as Cookie Monster and his girlfriend Kayla dressed as Oscar the Grouch. They brought an inflatable Haunted House that we set up in front of my table, so it looked like I was in the house. It became a huge hit with the children. Many parents took pictures of their children in the entranceway or near the haunted house. It was a pleasant night. Afterwards, I watched Eli Roth’s History of Horror. The episode was on witches. Then, I watched a little bit of Halloween before hitting the hay.
Treats HERE!
Kat the Witch
Haunted House
Cookie Monster & the Witch
Cookie Monster & Oscar the Grouch
Frankenstein
Jack Skellington
Pumpkin Patch
October was an incredibly BOOtiful month thanks to having a Halloween Fun list. Seeing Halloween decorations lit up in the evenings when I’d go for a walk, partaking in seasonal events, reading scary stories, and watching creepy movies added so much joy to my life. I will definitely be doing this again next year. I’ve already started compiling my list. What did you do for Halloween? I hope you will take a look at my conversation with Kelsi, dear reader. We’d love to know what you think and what we might consider for next year. Happiness!
“Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue.” Ichabod Crane, Sleepy Hollow
October 1st is literally just two days away, and I couldn’t be more excited because I am celebrating Halloween all month long. Inspired by my friend Kelsi, I created a list of activities to commemorate my favorite holiday. To start the spooky season off on the right foot, I will be donning Halloween socks. Pins, earrings, and other fall/Halloween accessories will be worn to add a little magical flair to my otherwise uninteresting wardrobe.
I am currently reading NOS4A2, a horror novel written by Joe Hill and Ghost Squad, a ghost story by Claribel A. Ortega. Other books on my list include Witch Catcher, a fantasy novel by Mary Downing Hahn and The Collected, a horror novel by K.R. Alexander.
In addition to books, I have several short stories to devour throughout the month. I will begin with two tales of mystery and horror by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Purloined Letter” and “The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion.” Other selections will be taken from A Newbery Halloween. The stories that I have chosen from this collection include “The Baddest Witch in the World” by Beverly Cleary, “Witch Girl” by Elizabeth Coatsworth, and “The Year Halloween Happened One Day Early” by Virginia Hamilton.
October would not be complete without the return of all things The Walking Dead. Sunday, 04 October is the air date for the long-awaited Season 10 finale of The Walking Dead followed by the premiere episode of the newest spin-off series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond. The following Sunday, 11 October welcomes the return of Fear the Walking Dead for its 6th season. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies!
My hubby and I will be attending the screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Columbia Theatre in Hammond on Friday, 09 October. The following week, my friend Helen will be visiting from Colorado, so we will celebrate one of the nights with a Halloween cocktail.
The month-long celebration will also include numerous movies, 13 to be exact, for frightfully delightful cinematic pleasure. I will watch them in no particular order; however, I plan to watch Sleepy Hollow first. The first four movies on my list were influenced by Kelsi’s horror movie marathon list.
Movies:
The Haunted Mansion
Train to Busan
Hocus Pocus
Color Out of Space
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Sleepy Hollow
Salem’s Lot (1979)
The Innocents
The Ritual
The Vatican Tapes
Death Note
House of the Witch
Dark Skies
Dear reader, if you are interested in more Halloween fun or want some inspiration to create your own Halloween Fun list, check out Kelsi’s blog post “Happy First Day of Autumn!”How do you celebrate the Halloween season? I’d love to hear of anything else I can add to make the upcoming month more spooktacular. Happiness!
“Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us.” ~ Tim Burton
Although this Easter will look a bit different from Easters of the past, the fact that Jesus Christ has risen today remains the same. And, that brings about a peaceful feeling for me. Even though we did not celebrate Easter Mass at a physical church this morning; we still celebrated with a FB LIVE Easter Mass with Fr. Jamin, pastor of St. Margaret Church. The Easter Bunny still made a stop at the Loyacano household. Instead of hanging out with extended family today, I’ll be hanging out with the hubby and Andrew. What we do today doesn’t really matter to me. We are alive, well, and ready for a rebirth.
My walking streak continues. Because of the threat of impending bad weather, I chose to walk early this morning. I encountered a few sprinkles at the beginning of the walk and right at the end. I am still walking daily with Levar Burton (skipped Thursday with Levar to finish listening to the latest episode of Office Ladies). This will be the routine until I catch up with the episodes or start run/walking, whichever comes first. This week I listened to episodes #49 – #54. As always, I enjoyed all six stories; however, “Shoggoths in Traffic” (nod to H. P. Lovecraft) and “Cuisine des Memoires” were my favorites.
#49: “The Simplest” by Nicky Drayden
#50: “Shoggoths in Traffic” by Tobias S. Buckell
#51: “Cuisine des Memoires” by N. K. Jemisin
#52: “Small Medicine” by Genevieve Valentine
#53: “Face Value” by Sean Williams
#54: “Blur” by Carmen Maria Machado
My friend Ming sent me a photo of her beautiful lily.
Each day I feel as if I am improving with my productivity. I have been sifting through and discarding old paperwork. I have started to clean out my master bedroom closet. I ordered some dies for scrapbooking; therefore, along with my new grid paper, I really am hoping to get some layouts completed in the next few weeks. I completed the book of short stories (Full Throttle) by Joe Hill, and immediately started a collection of four short novels (Strange Weather) by him. I learned how to ZOOM and zoomed twice with some of my teacher friends. My hubby and I purchased a new dryer since ours gave out last Sunday. He was able to order one from Lowe’s and picked it up on Thursday evening after work. He is officially on vacation, so I am hoping we can complete some projects around the house during the upcoming week.
My Easter wish for you today is to have an enjoyable day, dear reader. May your Easter Sunday be filled with joy and a renewal of hope. Happiness!
“Do not abandon yourselves to despair: We are the Easter people, and Hallelujah is our song.”~ Pope John Paul II
Happy New Year’s Day, dear readers! 2020 is a new year, and the beginning of a brand new decade. PURPOSEFUL. That is the one-word theme I have chosen for this year. In 2020, I want to have or show determination or resolve, and that is what it means to be purposeful. In addition to improving my health, wealth, home, relationships, and overall well-being, I will also be focusing on my acting. This past year, I took my acting career to the next level, and I want to continue building that momentum.
I recently completed an activity to help me generate my 20 for 2020 list. I thought of 20 ways I want to BE in 2020, and they all line up with the improvements that I want to make in my life.
20 Ways to BE in 2020
Creative
Kinder
Energetic
Patient
Present
Productive
Consistent
Mindful
Impactful
Simple
Sustainable
Focused
Flexible
Committed
Courageous
Healthy
Calm
Successful
Prosperous
Inspiring
Soon, I will share my 20 for 2020 list. In the meantime, I have to get ready to celebrate New Year’s Day with family and friends. In fact, I have to bake a cake for Son #1 who turned 31 years old this morning. New Year’s Blessings to you, dear readers. Happiness!
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce
"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny." ~Gandhi
Run/Walk Schedule
Week #1: Walk 30 minutes a day, at least three times a week.
Week #2: Continue week-one workout but pick up the pace, pump your arms. Break a sweat!
Week #3: Walk 10 minutes. Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes (repeat this 3-minute session 5 times). Walk 10 minutes.
Week #4: Walk 10 minutes. Run 2 minutes. Walk 1 minute (repeat this 3-minute session 5 times). Walk 10 minutes.
In addition to books, I have several short stories to devour throughout the month. I will begin with two tales of mystery and horror by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Purloined Letter” and “The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion.” Other selections will be taken from A Newbery Halloween. The stories that I have chosen from this collection include “The Baddest Witch in the World” by Beverly Cleary, “Witch Girl” by Elizabeth Coatsworth, and “The Year Halloween Happened One Day Early” by Virginia Hamilton. 
Although this Easter will look a bit different from Easters of the past, the fact that Jesus Christ has risen today remains the same. And, that brings about a peaceful feeling for me. Even though we did not celebrate Easter Mass at a physical church this morning; we still celebrated with a FB LIVE Easter Mass with Fr. Jamin, pastor of St. Margaret Church. The Easter Bunny still made a stop at the Loyacano household. Instead of hanging out with extended family today, I’ll be hanging out with the hubby and Andrew. What we do today doesn’t really matter to me. We are alive, well, and ready for a rebirth.
Happy New Year’s Day, dear readers! 
The Kat Files 