Tomie’s words, October, 2003.
“Halloween, one of my favorite days of the year, comes at the end of October.
“When I was younger, I loved getting dressed up in a costume and going trick-or-treating. Our family would often have a big party in our basement after all of the kids had gotten their candy. We bobbed for apples and played other games. There was a life-size cutout skeleton that hung in the doorway to the back room of our basement. One year, as we were busy playing our games, we heard a weird noise coming from the skeleton. The skeleton started to jump up and down. We were so scared that we ran upstairs to the kitchen.
“Then, I heard my mother’s laughter. She had been behind the curtain making the noise and pulling the string so the skeleton danced. It was a good joke on all of us.
“Now that I’m older, I don’t dress up in Halloween costumes as often as I did and I don’t have as many Halloween parties as my family did, but I love to decorate my house for fall and for Halloween.
“This September and October, I’ve replaced the geraniums and other annual flowers in the flower pots that I have outside EVERYWHERE with mums. Now, I have pots of mums outside EVERYWHERE. I’ve hung Indian corn by my front door.
“I’ve got pumpkins in the house and by the front door and by the barn doors and in my studio and by the gate to the courtyard. ALL of the pumpkins and gourds have been grown in a pumpkin patch in my yard. I especially love Cinderella pumpkins. Their color is red-orange and their shape is similar to the shape of Cinderella’s carriage. If the nighttime temperatures get too close to 32 degrees, the outside pumpkins will be covered with blankets, sheets and towels so that they don’t freeze. If the pumpkins freeze, they’ll get soft when the daytime temperatures get warmer. If I can prevent them from freezing, they can continue to decorate the entrances to my courtyard, house and barn for many more days.
“The leaves have almost all fallen. But, it was a gorgeous season for fall foliage.
“Halloween night, I’ll line the walkway to my front door with glass pumpkins. Each glass pumpkin has a candle in it. The glass pumpkins are red and orange and they have jack-o’-lantern faces.
“November 2, I’ll celebrate The Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition. I’ll make a small offrende so that the souls of my family and relatives who have died can have a party. There are some wonderful children’s books that explain The Day of the Dead. One is DAY OF THE DEAD, written by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Jeanette Winter.
“I’ve been working on several projects. I’ve finished the artwork for GUESS WHO’S COMING TO SANTA’S FOR DINNER. (It will be published Fall 2004.) I submitted to my editor the first draft of a story for a picture book. (I think the book should be called STAGESTRUCK.) I’m working on illustrations for a science poster for “The Weather Notebook” (for New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Observatory). I’ve sent out invitations to my 70th birthday party (to be held in September 2004). (This year, on my 69th birthday, Nancy Dutton sent me a card wishing me a Happy 74th Birthday!) I’ve traveled to Mexico, New York City, California, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I’ve begun to think about Christmas plans and cards and presents and parties.
“Enough for now.”
Illustration Copyright (c) 1988 by Tomie dePaola. From the book, TOMIE DEPAOLA’S BOOK OF POEMS. (Bob)
Copyright - Estate of Tomie dePaola and Whitebird, Inc.
Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality
