Six Days Into October

Yes, we are only six days into the wonderful month of Halloween.

Yet, I have already finished In the Stone Circle (which I haven't read for years, but it still scared me at parts and I still cried at the end). I have already made a sizable dent in The Graveyard Book. I perused my bookshelf for more potential October reads. Here is what I found:

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, by Josephine Leslie aka R.A. Dick, which is not spooky, but it is still a ghost story.
Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman, which I started about three years ago and never finished because it scared me. If the book is good enough, I will return to it, even after a few years. I'm odd that way.
Plum Spooky, by Janet Evanovich. It is a Stephanie Plum In Between the Numbers book. It should be silly. I haven't read it before.

If you are interested in following my reading journeys, you can find me on GoodReads. I love that website.

I put all of my Halloween music on my iPod and iPhone and have listened to everything at least once.

Today I babysat my niece and we watched The Addams Family and The Haunted Mansion. These are the first Halloween movies I have watched this season. And my sister lent me The Munsters movies which I haven't actually seen before (or if I have, I don't remember).

And here is an awesome picture of my niece that her mama took:

 Aww! I love this picture. She totally belongs in our family.

I also had to take this:

Aww! Halloween rattie picture! You know I can't resist.

In non-Halloween related news, my sister and I got to go see Cavalia Odesseyo on Saturday (thanks for the tickets, Mom!). Here is their website: Cavalia. It was awesome! I saw it last time it was here, which was four or so years ago, I think. And I remember some of it, but I wasn't in a good place (emotionally and mentally), I think, and I don't remember as much as I should...

Some of my favorite routines didn't involve horses at all. There was one with a carousel that gymnasts danced and performed on. They are so strong! And the carousel went around and some of the poles went around in circles or moved up and down. It was very neat. Another favorite was the gymnasts who swing on and do tricks with the big rings up in the air. They looked like fairies!

One of the gymnasts on the ring. Picture from www.calgaryherald.com

More ring gymnasts. Picture from www.edmontonsun.com

The carousel dancers! Picture from www.rockinmama.net

Kema and I really enjoyed it when the people led the horses (without any tack or halters on). Then they joined up to form larger groups until one person was leading 3 to 4 horses. Despite having many groups out there, the horses stayed with their person. That takes serious training and dedication, I think. And Kema and I decided that we want to have horse shadows, so we each need a couple of horses... but that's beside the point.

One guy leading his four horses. Picture from www.tomonair.com

The point is, that the show was awesome, and we really enjoyed it! Also, their music was all live and absolutely amazing! I kind of want the soundtrack. If you have the chance to see it, I hope you take it!

So far, October has been pretty awesome. And Blood of Olympus comes out tomorrow! Not that I'm excited...

More Halloween and October posts to come!

Necessary Halloween Movies

If you are looking for the typical horror movie must-watch list, you are in the wrong place!

What on Earth do you watch for Halloween if you don't like horror films? And how can you love Halloween if you don't like horror?!

I go for fun, silly, and occasionally spooky. So here is a list of Halloween movies that are necessary for me at this time of the year:

• Halloweentown (I and II) from the Disney Channel. They are fun and light-hearted. I don't own number III, but will watch it if it is available. I draw the line at number IV.
• Practical Magic. I love this movie (though the book spooked me a bit). The opening is my very favorite part and I love the music for it.
• Bell, Book and Candle. This is an old movie about witches and love. I think it is charming and fun.
• Haunted Mansion. Another fun Disney movie.
• Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton with the usual cast--Johnny Depp and Christopher Lee. Michael Gambon is in this one as well as the guy who played Mr. Dursley (he's good in this one). One of the few R-rated movies that I like and will watch.
• Don't Look Under the Bed. Another Disney Channel movie, but this one is nearly impossible to find. It seems that about 6 or so years ago, Disney stopped airing it around this time and there are no copies to be had. I have an old VHS recording (somewhere) or you can watch it in several parts starting with this link: Don't Look Under the Bed Part 1. I love this one.
• Addams Family and Addams Family Values.
• Hocus Pocus. I don't think you can have Halloween without this movie.
• Little Shop of Horrors. Good old Halloween-y musical.
• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Not scary and not strictly Halloween, but I love it always.
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Disney again. This is an older one that is also not really Halloween but is about a witch.
• Escape to Witch Mountain. Not to be confused with the newer Race to Witch Mountain.
• Batman and Batman Returns by Tim Burton with the old usual cast--Michael Keaton.
• Beetlejuice, again Tim Burton, again Michael Keaton.
• The Haunting. The newer one. Actually, my chances of watching this one are slim to none. But I always pull it out thinking that I will watch it.
• Nightmare Before Christmas. I have to be in the right mood to watch this one.

And here are some movies that are not exactly Halloween but that I often want to watch around this time:

• Little Nemo (Adventures in Slumberland). Old, hard to find, but spooky. Not Finding Nemo, mind you.
• From Hell. One other R-rated movie that I may watch.
• Hellboy.
• Alice in Wonderland, the Tim Burton version.
• Corpse Bride. Oh Tim Burton, what have you done to my Halloween?
• Mirrormask. I like this movie, but it seems especially appropriate for Halloween.
• Rocky Horror Picture Show.
• Monsters Inc. Disney and Pixar. Monsters are Halloween-y, right?
• Any Harry Potter movies. I usually watch the earlier ones where they have Halloween scenes.
• Matilda.
• Stardust.
• Phantom of the Opera.
• Phantom of the Megaplex. Another Disney Channel movie. What can I say? I like Mickey Rooney.

Many shows have good Halloween episodes that I like to watch:

• "The Slutty Pumpkin" from How I Met Your Mother season 1. One of my favorites.
• "Canning Randy" from How I Met Your Mother season 6.
• "Boys II Mensa" from Boy Meets World season 1.
• "Who's Afraid of Cory Wolf" from Boy Meets World season 2.
• "The Witches of Pennbrook" from Boy Meets World season 5.
• "And Then There Was Shawn" from Boy Meets World season 5. Not the official Halloween episode, but it is appropriate.
• Most episodes of The Storyteller season 1. I love this series. For Halloween I recommend "Fearnot," "The Soldier and Death," and "The Three Ravens." Maybe "Luck Child" and "Sapsorrow," too. 
• "Fairy Tales Can Come True" from Cheers season 3.
• "Diane's Nightmare" from Cheers season 4.
• "House of Horrors with Formal Dining and Used Brick" from Cheers season 5.
• "Bar Wars V: the Final Judgement" from Cheers season 10.
• "Halloween" from Frasier season 5.
• "Room Full of Heroes" from Frasier season 9.
• "Tales from the Crypt" from Frasier season 10. 
• Most episodes of The Addams Family (the old one, I watch them all on Hulu) but mostly "Halloween with the Addams Family" and "Halloween, Addams Style."
• Most episodes of Bewitched and they have Halloween episodes. Watch on Hulu!
• Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which also has Halloween specials.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also see their Halloween specials.

Here is a great list, most of which are shows I do not watch, but that's OK: List of Halloween television specials.

And Anime Halloween to wrap it up!

• Vampire Princess Miyu series.
• Master of Mosquiton (though mildly awkward at times...)
• "Until the Day it Becomes a Pumpkin" from Ouran High School Host Club. Great episode.
• "Haruhi in Wonderland" also from Ouran. It's not Halloween, but I want to watch it around Halloween.
• Black Butler is appropriate for Halloween.
• Spirited Away by Miyazaki. An argument can be made for it.

And there you have it! Anyone have any movies or good episodes to add? Please share!