Sweet Nostalgia

 

 

This week, I'm participating in the Blogtober Fest Challenge sponsored by Arkansas Women Bloggers. Today's topic is Halloween Memories. 

 

 

Every year at this time, as the nights turn cool and the leaves turn beautiful colors, I think about the good times from my friend Buddy's birthday hayrides.  This was one event that I looked forward to every year.  I mean, look--I'm in my upper 30's and I still think about it EVERY. SINGLE. HALLOWEEN.  I grew up in a small, rural farming community without a lot  of commercialized things for us to do.  But God bless Buddy's mom, Mrs. Ruth, for letting 30-40 teenagers trample into her home each October for this party.  I don't know how many years Buddy had this party, but I'm pretty sure it was through junior high up until we started driving. 

Just imagine this--Buddy's house backed up to a cemetery, which is creepy on any normal day.  But the week before Halloween, you bet your hiney that place was scary! We'd start out in the yard around a big fire roasting hot dogs and drinking way too many Dr. Peppers. After dark, we'd all pile onto a flatbed trailer and go for a hayride through the cemetery.  Now, I have always been a big scaredy cat, but this hayride nearly did me in every year.  But I kept going back for more! Buddy's dad, cousins and various neighbors would hide out in the cemetery behind tombstones and trees in bloody zombie costumes....waiting to jump at us for a good fright. After the first year, we expected this to happen. But was it any less scary? Heck no!

Although I don't really remember, I'm sure some years I had someone to snuggle with or hold my hand.  But mostly I remember our whole gang huddled together and our shrieks echoing out into the dark, haunted night air. I remember once when some kids thought it would be fun to jump off the trailer and run back to the house. Well, I wasn't up for that, but also didn't want to get left behind in the cemetery. So, off I went into the dark.  I swear, my heart was beating in my throat as I was hurrying through the tall grass toward the dim lights from the house in the distance. I'd been here so many times, so why was I scared? And why didn't we ever bring flashlights?



Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
 

Image from Google Images--not Buddy's hayride.

After we all survived the hayride, it was time to hang out around the fire. We'd sit and chat, and watch the boys goof around.  Buddy's birthday is always during MLBs World Series. I have such cool memories of being the only girl hanging out in the family room watching baseball with all the boys and Buddy's dad. Maybe they thought I was cool, or maybe they thought I was weird. But I loved it!  Even now, when it's time for the World Series, I think about Buddy and those parties. I think about the friends that I grew up with, and rarely ever see anymore. These are all happy memories, and ones that I'll always have this time of year.

I looked for some photos of the parties to post on here, but didn't find any. I did learn that cameras back then were crappy; the quality of the photos I did find were very poor and dark.  So, if any of my WHS homies read this and have photos---please send and I will add to this post.  But I doubt any of us ever took our cameras with us, because we knew the zombies would get them!  Also, share some of your memories in the comment section; maybe I forgot something cool.