That's a Wrap

 

Once again, we bring another Countdown To Halloween Blogathon to a close.  We had a good month.  It was a long month.  At times a rough month.  Cerpts over at our sister blog The Land on Cerpts and Honey lost his mother early on and thankfully through blogger magic was still able to participate all month long.  His mother was like a second mother to me as I was growing up when I was just a teen-aged Cheeks.  She had a part in raising me just as she did raising Cerpts.  She did a much better job with him.  One of the things I will always remember about her was one occasion when I was gesticulating as I was talking, I went to raise my hand and Cerpts bent down in a laughing knee slapping sort of movement at the same time.  My thumb went right into his eye.  His contact lens was ripped in half and it lodged into his eyeball.  I forget exactly what happened after that as far as medical treatment for it was concerned.  The most memorable part of the incident was when Cerpts went home and told Ma what happened she came up with the most epic quote that sums up our friendship.  Her response was: "Well, I'm not surprised, I'm happy if on nights when you go out with Cheeks you come home not covered in shit!".  Yes, she called me Cheeks!

 

 

 

I will always remember Ma for her love of Halloween and how every year she would painstakingly decorate the house for Halloween.  She made a habit of decorating inside and outside and I remember the first year I went over to Cerpts' house during October and noticed she was using the cardboard cutout decorations like those pictured up there ^^^.  It was classic Halloween.  I think Cerpts might still have some of these cardboard decorations still.  Although we never really talked about it, I'm pretty sure Ma liked witches and all things witchy.  I remember one Halloween, when I lived just a few blocks away from Cerpts, Ma came over to my apartment dressed up for Halloween and she was decked out in her best witch costume.  She also had a pentagram with bells hanging off of it.  It sort of looked like this:

 

She also liked Stevie Nicks, I think, because the way Ma dressed she reminded me so much of her with her flowy, gauzy dresses that always seemed to sway around her as she danced.  She loved to dance.  She loved music.  She just, loved.  Maybe she was a witch, who knows, and I guess it begs the question "Was she a good witch or a bad witch?".  Seeing as how she was responsible for giving me the best friend I have ever had for the past (nearly) 40 years I would say she wasn't a good witch or a bad witch.  She was the best witch!  And I will do my best to make sure when Cerpts and I get together for a frolic in the future that he will go back home without any shit on him.

 

 

Mother Goddess, Father God, I release myself from those who have left this plane and let them walk the blessed gardens of the Summerland.  

As they enter a dream from which rebirth will arise, I give thanks for the time spent together and invoke their protective light to guide me.

 I light a candle to bless this day with the splendor of fire, the freedom of the wind, the stability of earth, and the depth of the sea.

 Sun and Moon, grant us birth.  Grant us life, death, and rest.  For we shall meet again when our souls leave this world.  

 Guide me through the night and the sun-lit days.  Merry part and merry meet.  In soul and heart, Blessed Be.

 

photo credit from the cover of The Summerland by Elizabeth Cheryl