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Trick-Or-Treat Night

— Jan Goldyn —

Fairy feet and goblin ghouls,

Swirling leaves above toad stools.

Underneath the gnome invites,

You’ll have my treats if you spare my fright.

The laughing moon forms its shapes

On the shed and garden gate.

Stalks of corn bend in the wind,

Sprites and Brownies dance and sing.

Across the hay field wagons bump,

Horses hoofs go clippety-clump.

Passengers shout with cheer and glee,

An owl’s deep “hoooo” from a knotted tree.

Candy corn and popcorn balls

Fill the bags of pirates and trolls.

Hobos, gypsies, a little princess

Run house to house as the crisp air whispers,

Come as you may now on this night

Its magic to hold when you’re in your twilight.

^{_{October Update}}

October…. Memories of this time of year are smokey afternoon leaf fires at my grandma’s house. Later in the evening, she’d toss on some logs that were stacked beside her porch.

My sisters, brothers, mother and I would wrap potatoes in foil. I always thought it funny that we’d just throw them in the fire! When done, their tender insides were smothered with butter and salt. It was a taste like no other!

The oak, chestnut and maples at the edge of her woods glowed burnt red, orange and yellow. How mysterious the path into that woods had seemed.

One fall I followed my grandmother onto it, up to a ridge and into a ravine where we picked mushrooms. Today, I wouldn’t dare try. I only knew which little brown buttons to pick because she was with me!

It started to get dark as we headed back and few times she seemed unsure of the way. It was probably disconcerting to her, but I imagined us needing to stop and ask directions from some wood gnome or fairy. They would then take us to their hollow-tree houses where we’d drink tea and listen to forest-folk tales.

As you can see, my imagination has always had the best of me.☺

There was one occasion at my grandmother’s that is a highlight of my fall memories. On an October afternoon, I was sitting in class when two of my sisters knocked on the classroom door. They explained to the teacher that I was needed at home. I suspected they had something up her sleeves.

As soon as we were well into the hallway they laughed and told me we were planning a Halloween party at my grandma’s that night! We hit a little thrift store and found hats, shawls, scarves and everything else we needed to become a gypsy, pirate and witch.

Another sister showed up as a farmer, bringing along our adorable little bunny niece and tough cowboy nephew.

Our grandma made herself into what looked like the perfect scarecrow straight from the field. We popped some corn, drank apple cider and laughed into the night around her coal stove.

Are there any evenings better than these?

While last week I enjoyed seeing little goblins at my own house, tonight I will be greeting tigers, princesses, spider men and superwomen at my dad’s. He enjoys seeing the trick-or-treaters.

He and my mom had loved to guess the spooksters’ names, feign fear or express excitement with a belly laugh as each arrived at the door. He may put on a cowboy hat and bandana himself this evening.

After all, we are never too old for the magic of a fall evening ♥

Recollections of an October Evening

Newspaper covered our sun-porch floor. Little orange lids with green stems were scattered about with piles of mushy pumpkin insides and seeds that would be toasted later with some yummy oil and salt spreading a nutty, earthy smell throughout the house.

On an evening in October, My five brothers and sisters and I had set about making our glorious Halloween masterpieces!

After the tedious job of spooning out the insides, we started the creative task of bringing about our particular pumpkin's spooky, happy, silly or just plain amazing face.

I usually went for the classic triangle eyes and nose with a jagged happy smile. Our oldest sister helped me and my younger brother work the knife. My elder brother insisted on drawing his design on paper first, making the scariest image he could conjure. The artistic sisters added eyebrows, comical mouths and excited expressions.

Now it was time for the magic.

We lined our jack-o-lanterns along the front porch ledge and each lit a small candle. We then tilted our candles over our open jack-o-lanterns, letting the melting wax form a small circle at the bottom into which we pushed our candles to form a base. The lids were placed atop our creations and voila!

Standing back near the road, we each paused quietly for a moment, entranced in the flickering enchantment of each little sprite, pixy or goblin. The crisp evening air brought to my mind the thought of putting on a homemade costume in just a few days' time, collecting candy at the neighbors' doors, the bag of popcorn we would receive from Mrs. Kaufman, the falling leaves swirling in the night-time wind.

But most of all, it brought an excited anticipation of the fascinating spell that would come over our little neighborhood as we trick-or-treated through its streets and back yards -- oblivious to the charms that would forever be held in our Halloween memories ♥

October Sneak Peek

“Julia had seen the ocean. She had traveled it from another continent as a young girl. Its vastness had seemed to her at once monstrous and exhilarating, although in her childlike mind she would not have conjured such words. While she had known that a serene sea was to be desired, inwardly she’d wished for the dark turbulent swells which preceded a storm. At these times the sea asserted its power and the ship pitched and rolled……

She thought it odd that she could be thankful for the sanctuary of the ship itself – a ship which safeguarded her from the very thing that caused her fascination.”

---Excerpt from Julia, Prequel to Coal Town Girls---

I am so excited to be working on my Prequel — Julia. You’ve all given me such super feedback on Coal Town Girls! Those of you who have grown up locally have been sharing your excitement at seeing the landmarks of your youth (or your present!) showcased within its pages.

Coal Town Girls started with a seed planted in a young girl’s mind by two remarkably strong, funny, witty friends who shared their stories of growing up in Hollsopple, Pennsylvania. The little girl was me and the women were my Mother Joan and her best friend Mary — friends from the ages of five to ninety-two!

Now, with Julia, I’m taking a journey further back in time to the people, places, struggles, triumphs and dreams of those who came before Joan and Mary. I can’t wait for you to join me.

Coal Town Girls

Coal Town girls was an idea that bubbled up over the years and finally found its way to paper. My mother, Joan, and her best friend, Mary, were often found on our back porch, telling stories of their youth -- the town, the river, the people, the adventures, the sadness's, the joys. 

Each month I’ll try to highlight a tidbit of history from Coal Town Girls! Enjoy reading about the gathering of neighborhood characters at a local swimming hole in the hot days of summer ☺

“The heat of the late-May afternoon had been gathering an increasingly large crowd of characters to the quarry: rough looking boys smoking Lucky Strikes; sunbathing girls hoping for glances from rough looking boys; coal miners freeing their end-of-shift blackened bodies; classmates propelling the water’s edge with bare feet, rolled up socks stuffed into shoes at their sides. Among them, Joan spied Eugene Horn’s football-captain profile and Charlie Steck in a baggy pair of his dad’s boxers.”

—-Excerpt from Coal Town Girls—-

Jan’s Reading Nook

Throughout history, our ancestors gathered around fires telling and soaking in the magic that is “story.” This primal need continues and has not left us! I love to share thoughts on nuggets of literature I’ve been enjoying and exploring. For me, a main focus has been historical fiction, literary fiction, family sagas. Although all genres have their own jewels.

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Pictures by Lillia Hoban Sophie and Gussie

Sophie and Gussie is one of those children’s books that nestles in warmly to a grown-up’s heart. Never one to pass up a shelf of vintage storybooks at a tag shop, I came across the two squirrel companions and the quaint stories of their friendship.

In The Visit, Gussie cooks away at some acorn stew and bakes pecan pies with candied chestnuts. She’s readying for a visit from her dear friend, Sophie, preparing every last thing with the utmost care. When Sophie telephones to explain that she just isn’t up to visiting — not in the mood to leave her own home — Gussie is dismayed.

“ It’s lonesome when you plan for someone to come and nobody comes.”

Gussie makes the decision to brush off her disappointment. She wraps up her pies, her stew and her chestnuts, puts them in a basket and arrives at Sophie’s hollow-tree doorstep. Sophie welcomes her with open arms.

Sometimes a friend needs to fill in the gap for another who is feeling not so brave.

In another tale, Sophie writes Gussie a lovely poem. Gussie then tries to repay her with thanks. She decides on a cake, but eats most of it in the process of deciding if it is good enough. Then Sophie puts paint brush to paper but is not happy with the results. Even the gift she purchases does not meet her high standards. In the end, she simply goes to Sophie’s house.

“Thank you for the beautiful poem,” she said. And she gave Sophie a big kiss. 

In The Invitation, Sophie asks Gussie to prepare a list of guests to her “dancing, singing and eating party.” As Sophie finishes dictating the names, Gussie is discouraged at not seeing her own. She heads home sulking. But what does she find in her mailbox? A special invitation to the “Guest of Honor.”

On another occasion, Sophie buys an elaborate hat with flowers, colorful fruits and ribbons. She’s very pleased with it until she receives what she feels to be too many compliments. She laments to Gussie.

“This hat is a too-much hat.”

Gussie proceeds to help Sophie remove a few ribbons, then a few flowers and finally the imitation fruit and adds them to her own hat. Sophie declares,

“This hat is too plain. I like your hat.”

“Then you may have it,” answered Gussie.

Sometimes friends have to hold up a mirror for us in order to confirm that our heart’s wishes are truly lovely.

I don’t mind admitting that the lives of these squirrel friends brought on a few tears. Whether child or adult, we learn that friendship is an extraordinary treasure.

Guest Authors

Each month, I plan to bring to you a wonderful guest author. Published, unpublished, aspiring authors will share their journeys, goals and snippets of their work.

This month, we feature my niece and excellent writer -Joanna Mattox-

 Hi. My name is Joanna. I am 9 years old, and I am in 4^th grade. I live in Maine. Janette is my great aunt, and she invited me to share a bit of my work in her newsletter. Thank you, Aunt Janette!

What I like about writing is that I like how you can just forget the actual physics of the world and what’s actually happening around you. You can write a story about a giant who walks upside down on an electrified rainbow – Who cares if that defies physics! What I also love about writing is that outside of the world of writing and storytelling, the world can be pretty awful but in your story you can make it the way you want the world to be.

Besides reading and writing, I enjoy dancing, going to the beach, art and hanging out with my dog Buck.

Favorite books:

• The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

• Katie the Cat Sitter by Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue

• The BFG by Roald Dahl

• Foreverywhere by Steve Bruns, Steven Drozd and Gabe Soria

One of Joanna’s Works ——

The Bean Burrito

By Joanna M.

Once upon a time there was a boy who liked bean burritos. His mom was a witch – a good witch of course, but she kept her potions right next to the food. One day, the boy decided to make a bean burrito but he grabbed the wrong jar and he was just about to eat his bean burrito when it SPRANG TO LIFE. He was so surprised he dropped it and the bean burrito ran away and got married to a taco. And the boy was hungry.

THE END.

Thank you so much, Joanna, for sharing your insightful literary thoughts and creations with us!