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Monday, November 1, 2021

Welcome, November, You Blustery Rascal

And so the year rolls along, and now we are in November. But we are not done with "witches," oh no. For now comes the time that sees storms known as "witches" in the Great Lakes area -- The Witch of November. You may recall the storm that sank The Edmund Fitzgerald referred to in the Gordon Lightfoot song thusly - "...when the Witch of November comes stealing!" 

There will be bluster. There will be leaves down and underfoot, crunchy or sodden by turns. There will be sad-looking gardens that you'd swear were neglected for years, after just a single blast from November's weather cannon. 

fall leaves changing color 2021 pecans yellow golden


Here in the southern desert, the leaves will finally change. It has begun!

pecan leaves changing color in fall 2021

For Catholics, November is the month to pray the Rosary daily and help the souls in Purgatory. It may just be here in the very different borderlands area, but Rosaries said on All Saints Day (today, November 1st) and most especially on All Souls Day (November 2nd), if said in a graveyard, have tremendous oomph, and can lift a soul right out of Purgatory, one per Rosary. If that doesn't get a good Catholic busy with the beads, I don't know what will. Of course, you will find me at the cemeteries today and tomorrow, favorite Rosary in hand. (I know Rosary is not usually capitalized, but I'm capitalizing it!)

pecan tree yellow golden leaves 2021

November will bring us Thanksgiving Day, a holiday I remember with especial joy, and with such bittersweet feelings. I found a YouTube video by someone who calls herself "Little Poet," and in the video, Little Poet sings a song she wrote, "Thanksgiving Day." It's very evocative of those bittersweet feelings!

I never used to watch YouTube videos except for do-it-yourself type of things, but now I watch Little Poet as well as a woman who found herself without much of a retirement, Dee Burks. Dee is sharing how to have a better retirement. Dee is no-nonsense but enjoyable and kind. Little Poet struck me as sugar-sweet at first, but I enjoy it. Take a look at her "channel." All these terms are new to me, and I don't seem to be finding many other "YouTubers" I like, except for those two, but I am sure there are more good ones. And many more bad ones!

I hope your November will start off beautifully, continue contentedly, and finish fantastically! 

Hallowe'en Roundup: At least 170 trick-or-treaters! I made 170 little bags, that's how I know it was at least that many kiddos. I also had two large bags of Smarties and one of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups "just in case" and boy am I glad I did. But it wasn't just kiddos. The demographic changed during the 2-hour window, which is really 3 hours long because the late-comers are swarming until 9. 

At first, while still not full dark, it's the neighborhood moms with very little kids, and some with their dogs, too. I have special dog treats handy for them. The cutest thing was when I handed two dog treats over, and the family looked like they were going to just burst. Finally one child spoke up, saying, "There is a chihuahua in the wagon." Oh my, the poor chihuahua was getting overlooked! He got a treat, too, and the relief was palpable. 

Then, when fully dark, it's neighborhood elementary age and tweens thronging the street. And this is also when very young parents with their new babies in strollers come. The parents are dressed up, as they are barely out of their teens themselves, and the baby always "matches" them. It is SO sweet, and they are SO proud of the baby.

As it gets later, the teens arrive, and are boisterous, but not bad. Sometimes I give a good shriek at their gory costumes and feign fear, and they love that, but anxiously ask if I'm too scared. 

Then there is a definite change, as very little kids start arriving again, this time with parents also carrying "calabasas" for candy. The costumes are pretty threadbare all around. These are our regional neighbors from the El Paso and Juarez area, as evidenced by their license plates.

Some people in our area get angry at these families for coming up from El Paso and Mexico, but I give the parents a lot of credit for bringing the children to an area they know is safe and that will let them enjoy a bountiful amount of candy. The shy smiles of the parents, too, is heartwarming. Unaware I can tell what they are saying, I hear many touching things. Few outside of this area understand the abject poverty of Juarez.

Not one child, not one adult, failed to say "thank you" for their treats! 

The candy necklaces and the glow sticks were the hits of the night. Next year, I am getting more glow sticks, because I ran out.

I hope your Hallowe'en was as fine as mine was!

Kind regards,

Holly, The Olde Dame



34 comments :

  1. Perfect evening!! And very heart warming Holly!!! ( I too understand and can speak Spanish - not letting anyone know otherwise. It's fun actually)

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    1. You are ahead of me, Anni! I speak Spanish soooo slowly. I think I am scared to speak faster because of my awful pronounciation!

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  2. Wow! What a night and I love that everyone said thank you...that goes a LONG way! I'll look at these you tubes when I have time...when I have TIME? heeheehee! Hugs!

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    1. You are wisely too busy outside for very much YouTube, I would guess! Hiking and more hiking!

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  3. I've never heard that saying the Rosary in November will help the souls in Purgatory, but it's good to know. And I always add that to my intentions every day. Today is All Saints' Day, and Francesca's birthday! That is so nice that you understand families leaving their homes and moving
    to a safe and more comfortable area. I'm glad you have fond and good memories of Thanksgiving. This is a month of
    gratitude, and you have mentioned much to be thankful for,
    Holly. I hope these November days brings you good surprises.

    ~Sheri

    ps.....I always capitalize Rosary. It's too special not to. : )

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    1. I know of a surprise finally on its way to YOU, lol. Oh, I am the most disorganized person! (That's one reason I put Rosaries all over the place, pockets, car, purses, one of the outside gate - I even have one tucked away in the grotto outside the Cathedral.) Today will be especially interesting because the graves are being cleaned and straightened, and also tomorrow. I'm going to the paupers' cemetery and at least put their poor little crosses upright.

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  4. We don't get trick-or-treaters because our town is so small. I miss them so. My second son told me he bought 4 oversized bags of candy for all he expected. There were so few that when two little ones came to the door he opened one bag and poured it into the receptacle he had. Then he opened another and did the same for the little girl. He said they were jumping up and down and squealing for joy. I think it made him happier than those two children.

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    1. Those kids will remember this Halloween forever!!! Wow!

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  5. I love how you care for the ones who need it most. May God bless you richly for your efforts.
    Here Halloween was very quiet; at least it wasn't raining this year like it usually has in the past.

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    1. Rain on Halloween - ugh! Glad it didn't happen this year!

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  6. what a great night you and all the tricker treaters had. this is amazing to me. i am so glad the ones from the poverty striken families could come and that you treated them well...this was a happy post and made me feel good

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  7. Wow....what a Halloween! I can't even imagine...but so glad you shared with us so I can live vicariously LOL. I had a total of 6 trick-or-treaters: my hair person's 2 littles and my niece's 4 not-so-littles. I had to bribe both parents to bring them all the way to Nod. I had all but forgotten about the Witch of November...thanks for the reminder. Enjoy your cemetery time...one of my very favorite places. We are getting our first snow here...flurries only, but so it starts. Sigh. ~Robin~

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    1. I am so happy that this place has lots of T-or-t'ers! Reminded me of about 50 years ago!

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  8. We had a surprise that the trick or treaters all came on Saturday night instead of Sunday! Thankfully we had candy, but was not prepared yet. We hurried up and got it ready and had a nice little crowd, maybe 30 or so overall. This is a small town, and they bring the kiddos to our neighborhood because we are one of the few with paved streets! It is such fun to watch them come and go. I'm glad we didn't miss it! You certainly took good care of your kiddos...big and small! Thank you for making those children happy! You are a blessing! Oh, Lily Grace helped me pass out candy. She wore her Brownie Scout uniform since I hadn't gotten a costume ready for her in time. It was a bit busy this past week... Take care and God bless you for all you do.

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    1. That is so shocking, to have the trick or treaters come on Saturday night! I hope Lily Grace wasn't too upset at wearing her Brownie uniform instead of a special costume, but I'm sure she was a great helper! I hope you are still on the mend!

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  9. What a fun Halloween you had! We had no one at the door again this year. Not only do we live in an area where everything, and I mean everything is scripted by officials, but our homes are pretty far apart so it's not possible for the kids to make the "haul" that they did in our old neighborhood more than 40 years ago. I enjoyed Halloween by reading your fun Halloween! Thank you.

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    1. I do not tend to like official scripts. It's a reason I left teaching. They literally handed me a script and monitored us to make sure no one deviated. Grr!

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  10. Living in the Great Lake state of Michigan, its just Lake Superior with the blustery winds which are the worst. We call them the gales of November. I had teens come out early along with the little kiddos. Just 2 doggies dressed up, but I forgot doggie treats. UGH So glad you remembered. Janice

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    1. Year before last I didn't have doggo treats, either, and I wasn't going to be caught without them this time! The doggos were the CUTEST but shhh don't tell the people with the babies that.

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  11. I do remember that Gordon Lightfoot song, but probably had no idea what that phrase meant. Or more likely I made up something that made sense to me, lol. I've gotten a little addicted to YouTube videos. Once you start it mushrooms as more similar channels pop up. Living alone as I do it's nice to see some faces and hear people's thoughts until I see some real folks. :)
    I get zero trick or treaters here. Sounds like you had quite the turnout! Happy November!

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    1. I like your style: "Or more likely I made up something that made sense to me..." ha ha, that's GREAT! I have done that, too, especially when I don't quite catch the correct words in a song! I hope you post some more ATCs soon, I want to see what you're making for the holidays!

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  12. This is the best Halloween post ever! My heart is filled with the images you paint! Yay for you!

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    1. Well, thank you! It sure was a fun one after the big flop of last year's COVID one.

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  13. I asked my husband about the rosary as he was raised catholic and when to catholic grammar school. He has never heard of the rosary November. I will say he has strayed from his faith.
    I think anyone who would begrudge a child trick or treating is the worst. That is the one day behind masks and make up they are all the same.
    Cathy

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    1. ha ha Cathy, over here our faith is a bit wild and woolly, with some things not exactly matching what Rome does! But I love the variation. November is the Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, worldwide, but I am sure we put our special spin on it. Tell hubby to go pray the Rosary in a cemetery, you can get an indulgence for praying the Rosary any day in November but today is a GREAT day because of the added bonus of the power to aid those in Purgatory!

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  14. What a fun night you had, Holly. I am so glad you had a fun Halloween and it sounds like the kids did, too.

    I am vaguely familiar with Juarez. I spent an entire day there a few years ago. I had trouble believing some of the houses, if you can call them that, the people lived in. I'm so glad you put a smile on their faces because they sure need it. BLESS you, dear.

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    1. You're brave, Elizabeth. Not all the pesos in the world could induce me to set one foot over our southern border! And yet those poor children live there in the danger and the substandard housing, food, and schooling. So sad.

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  15. I didn't know about the Witches of November origin in the song either. As to trick or treaters - ever since we moved out of town, we don't get any. The gas to treat ratio isn't high enough I guess. Even when we lived in town, as years passed we got fewer and fewer on our block. I'd see cars stop at the end of the block then drive on as ours was the only light on.

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    1. Around 9 p.m. I was getting very tired because I have to battle the dogs to get out the door and hand candy out -- but I enjoyed it. I have lived in rural areas also, where we got ZERO trick or treaters.

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  16. Your posts are always the best and so enlightening. Thank you!
    I only had about 80 trick or treaters which is far less than usual. Darn. I have so much left over candy, but only really like the Snickers so the others aren't as tempting. The ethnicity of my neighborhood TOTALLY changes, but in the 20 years I have been here, everyone is so polite (even those too old to be going door to door...lol!) and parents always make sure their little ones say thank you. BLM needs to take lessons from these folks!!!

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    1. I unfortunately have some Smarties left...I need to drop them off at the homeless depot ASAP! Wow, you gave out SNICKERS - yes!!! Your home will now be known as "one of the good houses" for trick or treat! Hee hee. Yes, we need more politeness in society. More civility!

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  17. I love that you spelled Rosary with a capital R.

    We had 12 trick or treaters. And they were all polite and said Thank You as well. I am so happy about that. With everything we hear on the news, it is great to see kindness.
    Love, Carla

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    1. I agree, Carla, it is wonderful when our actual interactions are not horrible like all the dismal things we see and read in the news.

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