There is something tangible about memories, especially the ones that last forever, leaving stains in your brain.
If I thought to erase a Halloween memory that has haunted me for life, by writing about it last year, I was wrong. Thinking I could wash out those stains, wrong.
Memories of a glistening, iridescent hunk of corned beef, with yellow balls of mustard seed embedded in it, the centre piece of every single Halloween dinner I can remember. Briny, stringy, staining my Halloween memory forever.
We were never allowed to leave and go trick or treating until we ate all of our cold, congealing corn beef. And I was always sure that I would be the last kid on the block to get out there and run free. Darting in the shadows, scaring the heck out of each other, and ourselves.
If I thought that writing about those memories would banish them forever, I was wrong. Halloween still means corned beef, and cold, hard, mashed potatoes to me.
Along with the smell of burnt pumpkin lids from a untrimmed candle. Crisp, windy nights, and flashlights, greasy makeup, and the smell of those hard plastic masks, with the elastic that I can still feel digging into my skin.
The smooth touch of worn out cotton pillow cases, dragging through the grass on front lawns waiting to be filled with candy.
They may be stains in my memory, but they are indelible, and should be cherished.
To me, they mean Halloween, and those memories can't be made any more.
Have a spooky, and safe Halloween.
Along with the smell of burnt pumpkin lids from a untrimmed candle. Crisp, windy nights, and flashlights, greasy makeup, and the smell of those hard plastic masks, with the elastic that I can still feel digging into my skin.
The smooth touch of worn out cotton pillow cases, dragging through the grass on front lawns waiting to be filled with candy.
They may be stains in my memory, but they are indelible, and should be cherished.
To me, they mean Halloween, and those memories can't be made any more.
Have a spooky, and safe Halloween.
Nalley was recently talking about carrying a pillow case full of Halloween candy when was a kid! One smell I can remember is that of the waxy lips that you could chew! I love your photos today and I wish you a corn beef-less Halloween!
ReplyDeleteWishing you more happy memories, Jen ... Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteLove the melancholy - almost nostalgic - feel of the black and white photos.
ReplyDeleteFabulous photos Jen.
ReplyDeleteWe used to go home and empty our pillow cases because they were so full and heavy then head out for round two. I loved Halloween. Not a single bad memory.
I wonder why your family had that dish on Halloween every year? I used to like that canned corned beef. Wouldn't eat it now though.
What terrific photos Jen for Halloween.I sometimes forget when I am posting if other countries or areas have or celebrate Halloween or if we Yankees are the only crazy ones ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell this month is shot Jen. Do you turn back your clocks too?
Oh that is yucky! The rest sounds like you had a good time. We always did. Just yesterday I was telling my daughter about Mrs Cooper. She lived down the street and made the best popcorn balls ever. I wanted to be the first one to her door. Kids today don't have memories like the days of old when I was kid. We didn't have to be scared about being out in the evening and we knew the neighbors really well. To new memories and forget that old corned beef! Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteSpooky photos..great job.. and the Corned Beef sounds scary as well..good thing you got some candy:)
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I do not really like corned beef. I hope you had a great Halloween!
ReplyDeleteI loved the Halloween post and those glorious black and white photos.
ReplyDeleteHalloween has never figured highly here in the UK, but has been very slowly taking off over the last few years. We don't get many (?any) trick or treaters though - our long dark, very spooky driveway where you can't see the house tends to put them off! :)
We used to have something called Mischieveous Night on the 30th October instead - but, sdly, that seems to have died out. Children did things like knock on people's doors and run away, or tie metal dustbin lids to door handles then knock! Some were more inventive .... one year we had a load of bricks on the front garden ready to build a garage and someone dry-built a 5layer wall right across our drive! I thought it was hysterically funny, but dad wasn't impressed as dismantling it made him late for work!!!
Aaah, happy days of simple fun!
Memories are wonderful things. You can pull them out and hold them. Some good, some bad but all make the person you are today.
ReplyDeleteFunny how sibling memories can be so opposite! I loved the corned beef and looked forward to it every time we had it, especially if I was the one to twist the key!!! Although I dont remember it on Halloween. I do always remember trying to keep up with my big sister and her long legs that were twice the length of mine, especially because she would run the whole way, no wonder I was so good at track and field! The smell of the burning pumpkin always bring back childhood memories of Coquitlam. PS to one of your commentors, Halloween is not originally a US thing, it is very British and therefore Canadian thing as well.
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