Weekend Journal: Halloween

 

Happy Halloween! My kids are super excited and don't seem too upset to be missing trick-or-treating this year.  We're having some friends to play on the ninja line in the backyard under the floodlights and we got lots of candy, plus gingerbread mummies.  Like everything else this year, they have taken the changes like troopers.  

What I'm Reading: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.  This was the perfect October read for me - spooky and moody but not too scary! It harkens back to Wuthering Heights or Rebecca but with the fun twist of a 1950's setting in glamorous Mexico. Noemi, the witty and bold protagonist, travels into the mountains to a neglected manor house to see why her newlywed cousin (more like a sister) wrote such an alarming letter asking for help. It definitely has a bit of a sci-fi element where it gets a little weird, but I was so into the story, it didn't bother me at all.  Plus, after reading The Hidden Life of Trees, it didn't seem like too crazy a stretch!

What I'm Watching:  The Witches.  Andrew just finished reading this ingenious Roald Dahl book to the boys (again), so we watched the new version with Anne Hathaway last night. It was so good. Totally creepy, but Octavia Butler and Chris Rock and the Motown songs made it so heartwarming, too  Tonight we're going to try the older, Anjelica Houston version. 

What I'm Crying over (in a good way): This essay about Halloween.  It's beautifully told and will make you count your blessings. 

What I'm Cooking: Somen Noodles.  I am fully embracing soup season and planning ahead for a week of comforting foods (I'm guessing the election is going to make for a stressful week, whatever your politics)!

*The Amazon links in the post are affiliate links.  Your price is not affected but I may earn a small commission if you purchase using the links and for that I am very appreciative.