Stepping Out of the Box

The wind chimes were exceptionally loud this morning.  I thought it was raining and windy outside.  I hated to climb out of bed this particular day, as Autumn mornings are so chilly and damp.  I peeked out the window blinds but was surprised to see that there was not the slightest breeze moving the trees. 
"That's odd." I thought, so I went down the stairs to get a closer look.  Did I imagine it, or did I see a shadow?

I stepped outside, and this is what I saw on my front porch.

"Oh, she's baack!"  I sighed.  Just then I heard a cackling behind my pumpkin.  "Ok, I know that you are here, so you can come out now.!

Immediately, she was there sitting on her broom.  "How's things?  You know my season is here.  I just came to say hello and to have a cup of your blackberry tea with you before All Hallows Eve gets here."

I met her many years ago, when she actually fell into my life.  Her name is Arrabella Marigold, and basically her job is to see to it that Halloween is a day for fun and laughter.  I remember her telling me that she wanted to dispell the awful things that most people feel toward witches and clear the air.  "There are those of us who want Halloween to be a day and evening of fun and safety for the children.  We good witches hover around (maybe fly on their brooms?) and see to it that the children are happy and secure and free from danger.  Then our job is done, and we can go back to our enchanted forests and live among the creatures, the flowers, the ponds and lakes.  We also visit gardens with the fairies and help create a fresh start every Spring."

She had a special twinkle in her eyes, as she tapped her shoes on the table.

"Well, Arrabella Marigold, thanks for the yearly visit.  You are looking well and very happy, indeed."

She finished her tea and with a crooked smile, and a wave of her broom, she was gone.
I made myself another cup of tea and thought of how much Halloween has changed since the days when I was a trick-or-treater myself.  In those days, we had costumes that were creative and mostly home made.  We stayed out at night going from house to house without the fear of anything happening to us.  The emphasis was on the spirit of the holiday, not on vampires, demons, living dead, blood, massacers, chain saws, and being frightened out of our skin.  How things have changed!

In the evening I looked out the window to the clear, cold night, and I could vaguely distinguish the silhouette of something very familiar.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!  MAY THIS SEASON OF FUN AND LAUGHTER FILL YOUR HEARTS WITH HAPPY MEMORIES!!