It's Halloween and hope you don't mind if we remember the day over the years in a little Halloween slideshow.  From little Laura, to school age Laura, to Laura on her journey with the beast of neuroblastoma, both 2005 (no hair at all,wearing red and black wig) and 2006 (lovely light brown wavy hair growing back in.) Laura with her beloved sister Susan and Laura with her dear friends.

It's been a long week already.  Laura's birthday on Monday, and tenth anniversary of my mother's death on Tuesday.  Wednesday realizing that one year had also passed since a young man from our town, Donnie Farrell, died after being brutally attacked near his college campus.

On Tuesday our hot water heater went.  Minor inconvenience doing without hot water until Saturday.  Can take a shower at the Y in the meantime.

A favorite Halloween poem, loved from childhood, and read (or recited) to Laura and Suse years ago.  

Tonight is the night

When leaves fly

Like witches on switches 

Across the sky,

When elf and sprite

Flit through the night

On a moony sheen

Tonight is the night

When leaves make a sound

Like a gnome in his home

Under the ground,

When spooks and trolls

Creep out of holes

Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night 

When pumpkins stare

Through sheaves and leaves

Everywhere,

When ghoul and ghost

And goblin host

Dance round their queen

It's Hallowe'en!

-Henry Behn

Photos:  Little Laura as Tinkerbell;  School-age Laura as Snow White-at the Tailgate;  Laura 2006 as the "Pink Leopard"(see how nicely her hair was growing back in);  Laura, the Pink Leopard enjoys being with friends at TJ's Halloween party.