Happy Halloween

It's is again Halloween, throughout the centuries times have changed, meanings have changed. For us now Halloween is a fun time. Thanks goodness!

It is a time for kids to run around with costumes on, and go door to door through their neighborhoods getting candy. A time for parents to dress up and be a kid again.

That is why I love Halloween. Growing up my father always dressed up. He would be the one to walk me, my sister and 2 brothers around the blocks near our home while mom would hand out candy to the kids.

Once my siblings and I were grown and had children of our own, my dad would still dress up sometimes he would walk along with his kids and grandchildren, but once walking became more of a problem he would stay at home, but still dressed up.

Some years if he was feeling well he would jump out and scare kids. These were kids growing up near him who would often stop and visit him during the year to talk to my him and pet his sweet giant of a dog Teddy. They got used to this after seeing him dressed up in the same costume and sitting in the same place for 2 years. The 3rd year he dressed a dummy up to look like what he did and put it in his normal spot. The kids would come over and say "where's Mr. Straub?", as they would start going for the candy bowl the dummy was holding, dad would jump out from behind them.

Dad dressed as "The Alien in the Window" which was from our favorite program at the time, Sightings. Sightings was a show that Tim White hosted on the Sci-fi channel that dealt with the paranormal, miracles, and interesting other cool stuff. We loved that show, I would often go to my parents and watch it with him when it was on.

The alien in the window was filmed in Monroe (a town near Dundee where we lived) and given to a post office employee who sent it in to Sightings.

It was a very short clip that featured something that looked like what we would think an alien looked like peer in a window and go back down again.

If I can ever get my computer working at home that has a scanner I will post the picture of my dad. He put aluminum foil on top of his head and shoulders and turned some oatmeal green that he moistened and put on his face. Problem was he used green food coloring. He was green for a week after that.

I love Halloween, I love Halloween because of my Dad. I love the memories I have of Halloween. Most of all I love my Dad!