SUPER Cool, I say!
So October was a very busy month. Between edits, plotting, projects, work, conferences - The New Jersey RWA conference was really wonderful and fun - campaigning and costuming... I'm exhausted! But it's a good tired. Here are a few Halloween Awareness Month Highlights!
THE GREAT PUMPKIN BLAZE! Every year at the historic Van Cortlandt Manor thousands of pumpkins are carved and the outdoor display is just amazing. Marcos and I have made it our October tradition. It is SO cool. The pumpkins are beautifully elaborate!
Then came the New Jersey RWA Conference, where I met up with a bunch of friends, made new ones, schmoozed and signed Crescent Moon Press's bestseller DARK NEST - check out Kate at Babbling About Books for her take and thanks for that lovely picture of me at the signing, Kate!
Then immediately after the conference, it was on to Philadelphia where my awesome other half Marcos and I went campaigning for Obama for a couple of days to try and do our part. What struck me most about the City of Brotherly Love, a place I'd never been before, was the generosity of our hosts, the excitement of the campaign volunteers, and the gorgeous murals all over the city, in both the nice downtown areas of the city and the economically harder hit outer areas. 
Two of the countless treasures.
Viva Puerto Rico!
And soon... before I could catch my breath, it was Halloween day itself...
The day being spectacular, and the day being Halloween, the lovely and talented Hope Tarr and I, always up for a little outer-borough adventure, headed up north into beauteous Bronx territory to the Woodlawn Cemetery.
It was magical weather. The trees were turning gorgeous shades, the sky was a brilliant blue...
The stained glass glimpsed while peeking inside the mausoleums were all breathtaking. (I have a stained glass and an angel obsession, put them together; heaven). I'm particularly moved by the weeping angel.
And then... HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!
Most of my camera's pictures didn't come out so well, but here's Marianne Mancusi and I, her as Little Dead Riding Hood, me as Little Dead Muffit, replete with spider. The Rebels of Romance will have more pictures of our evening's adventure, INCLUDING my Muffitt Halloween Jig (tm), and the impeccable camera-wielding hostess Morgan has great pictures HERE.
The Halloween Parade is my annual tradition.
The huge skeleton puppets are always worth the wait!
This was a great post, Leanna! I loved the costume pictures of fall, and everything else. I wish I could go to the NJ conference. It always looks like it's so great! I used to be stationed at Fort Monmouth, but way before I was into writing! :) Except for letters home! And, uhm, they were like books!
ReplyDeleteHey Terry! Thanks for dropping by! Hope your Halloween rocked! NJ is always a really nice conference, manageable in size but with the nearby pull of NYC. And hey, with all those bookish letters you were writing, perhaps an epistolatory novel is in your future. ;)
ReplyDeleteHey There Leanna,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Your pictures of Woodlawn turned out great, and it was both a privilege and a pleasure to celebrate Halloween with you on yes, the actual day.
Okay, here begins the countdown to Halloween 2009...
Hope
What a time you had. Thanks for sharing you wonderful pics. You look so cute in your costume.
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies! I find that theme costumes are really fun. Strength in numbers and all that. Indeed, 362 days until next Halloween! Happy Dia de los Muertos!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you guys had a blast. I love wearing costumes and I think your story book zombie theme was great! (I would have done Rapunzel if given a chance.)
ReplyDeleteOoh, Cindy, undead Rapunzel... come to NY next year and party with us, there are many more Fairy Tales to Zombify!
ReplyDelete