by Joan Hall

Created on: October 03, 2008

I am a huge fan of decorating for holidays. For me, Halloween used to be just about putting out a few pumpkins or maybe a scarecrow made from old clothes. If you have been in a store at all lately, you will see that decorating for Halloween has gotten to be big business. I have to admit I do have some store-bought lighted figures and the all-important orange string lights to brighten my yard. The other day I dug out my Halloween storage tubs and started getting out all the decorations. At the bottom of one tub was a large white sheet with two black felt eyes sewn on, the ghost who hasn't been hung up in years. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

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The ghost used to hang front and center of my front porch. That was before I had purchased the illuminated statues that now take over the porch. The poor ghost never found a new home. This year I was going to change that. Even with all the illuminated statues, the orange strings of lights and other Halloween decorations I have in my front yard, I felt this year I wanted to the ghost to make a come-back.

Sure, I could put him back on the hook where my summer plant hangs from porch, I could hang him from a tree branch to blow in the breeze, but those ideas seemed too easy. I was thinking how I could light up this white sheet so it could be seen during these longer autumn evenings. My first thought was to hang him from a shepherds' hook and put a spotlight under the ghost to light him up from below. The more I thought of that idea, the more I thought of how I was going to keep the ghost from just hanging there, he needed some form. I went back to brainstorming, went through my storage room with all my holiday decorations and it came to me. The white spiral formed trees used for Christmas decorating. I had two choices of heights, but I decided to go with the shorter tree so that all the lights would be covered by the sheet.

I have to admit I felt pretty silly when my husband came home and saw me assembling the holiday tree. I think he thought I had finally lost my mind and was getting my holidays mixed up. I finished assembling the tree then had to decide what to do with the star that was at the end of the string of lights that attaches to top of the tree pole. I started to visualize and thought that the star would probably make a very good head for my ghost; give him something to keep the head more round, not just a pointed pole top. I put the sheet over the tree, arranged it so the felt eyes fell properly down the front side and stepped back. I was very pleased to say the least. I may take out a couple more trees and dig for more white sheets and make a whole ghost family. Happy decorating!

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