Woe and Dispair, Joy and Glee

The Church of the Seven Day Recreationalists dearly loves to celebrate! Any excuse will do really;

"Hey, I got an A on my paper!"

"Great! Let's celebrate!"

"Hey, it's Tuesday!"

"Great! Let's..." Well, you get the picture.

Basically we are people that enjoy life, enjoy each other, and enjoy enjoying! (I tried it the other way and that just sucks!) So actual holidays that are nothing but pure fun are right up our alley. Halloween is our favorite of them all.

Whether it is Samhain, All Hallows Eve, or just Halloween you must admit that this is an evening just made for having fun. I mean come on, costumes, food, candy, corn mazes, (would that be a Maize Maze?) scary movies, haunted houses, parties, little kids (and some big kids too) out laughing and having fun. Trying to scare your friends into dropping something. Stand outside of any haunted house anywhere and watch the people in the line to get in. There is laughter and joy in the crowd. It's pure fun.

But alas, we at the CSDR must bend this year to the pressures of the economic woes foisted upon us by our "wise" leaders in Washington and else where. So despite the good intentions, there shall be no giant spider or fog machine at the temple of the faith. Sigh. No stringy spider webs or gruesome severed hands, and no inflatable entry arch in the shape of a gargoyle. Heavy Sigh.

And perhaps most significantly of all, no scary TLL vegetation! Nooooooooooooooo!

We will have dry ice however, that's always fun! And stacks of custom made luminaria that TLL and I made a few years ago. And a really cool florescent black light bulb for our front door. So we won't be completely without toys! And of course I was planning on removing my mask...

I am just bummed that we can't go crazy like we want to.

We miss you Miguel!

(He is always good at going crazy this time of year!)

So here's to your Harvest Festival, Samhain, All Hallows Eve, and a Happy Halloween! Witches brew is always better when you're wearing a costume, don't you think?

And remember to recreate responsibly, he who imbibes does not drive! Ever! Be sure you live through the night so you can come and celebrate with us again next year!

Slainte!

Ah, The end of summer...

**Drawing a deep breath**

Ah, the end of summer, Samhain is upon us at last and we can finally look forward to the coming of winter. (Unless of course you live here where it is STILL in the middle 90s every day!) My brother is receiving temps of 44 degrees, during the day! It's just not fair sometimes.

But as I was saying, Samhain is this Friday and for those of you unfamiliar with this festival let me share some details with you very quickly. Samhain, or in Gaelic; Oíche Shamhna (Literally "Night of Samhain") is one of the most import festivals of the entire Irish year. It marks the end of summer, the collection of the final harvest, and in many cases the first frost.

It is also said to be the one night upon which the boundry between our world and that of the dead is thinnest.

It is a night of bonfires, food, libation, and reverence for loved ones who have left this world behind. The table will be set with an empty place for the departed loved one to join the party, and all of their favorite foods are served. It is a time to remember those we have lost, and to be thankful for what we have.

In this time of war, many have lost much. In this time of financial crisis, many have little. Couldn't we all benefit from a day set aside to honour those who are gone and to be grateful that while we all have less, we still have some?

So this Friday, light a bonfire (or a candle would probably be safer), leave a place at the table, and have a libation in honour and in thanks. Take stock of what you have and be glad of it, many have much less than you.

Always remember and never forget, those that imbibe DON'T drive! The Church of the Seven Day Recreationalists thanks you all, Huzzah!

Slainte!

Egads, Samhain already?!

I can scarcely believe that it is the time of Samhain again, so soon. 'Tis no small wonder I never feel like I accomplish anything if time itself can just slide by un-noticed. Yesterday I was contemplating faire and all that that entails and suddenly 'tis summer's end. What happened to everything after March I wonder?

Our more or less official celebrations shall be approved by the Church of the Seven Day Recreationalist in full measure. There will be lamb and other tasty morsels as well as some wonderful seasonal ale. TLL has something up her sleeve I can tell but she has spilled no info as of this date.

This year's Samhain celebration will have a theme, that being "Enough already!" No better way to ruin a wonderous end of summer than with politics, and dates being what they are Samhain falls just days before the U.S. Presidential elections. Well I have decided that NO politics shall interfere with our merry making and so our theme will help us to ignore the brow beating that will be going on on every television and radio channel in the known universe. It's movies and racing for the CSDR!

After all, what would I rather see? An old fart and an egomaniac slinging insults, or the final Formula One race of 2008? Hmmm, let me think about that a minute...

Of course Samhain is not the ONLY holiday the last weekend of this month is it? No indeed.

So here we are approaching All Hallows Eve also totally unprepared, no fog machine, no scary monsters, and only 15 days to ready our selves. I hate to admit it but last year we had a grand total of one Trick or Treater. That's all, one. TLL had carved lovely Frank-o-lanterns for the wall, we had dry ice for the candy bowl, spooky purple lights for the porch, and I of course had my monster head on. (No comments from the peanut gallery please.) And we got one.

Oh well, the kid had a cool costume and he got a LOT of candy... =o)

We almost bought costumes for the cats just to break up the bordom that is sure to be in store for us... But only Almost! Can you just imagine???