Halloween In Woodstock

Thanks so much to Aunt Maureen for designing and making your beautiful space butterfly faerie costume. You wore it today on this warm uncloudy Autumn day, mad with sunshine, when we went into Woodstock to the wild & crazy Halloween parade. We met up with Henry the farmer, his mum, Kerrie, dressed as a cow and his daddy, Ted. At first, you were very guarded, not knowing what to make of all the kooky costumes, but you soon warmed up to the festivities and were dancing and clapping your way through a classic Woodstock drum circle set.

Thank you, Laura

Last Halloween, Devon, Gram was very sick and we knew it was close to the end. Mommy, Uncle Jon and Daddy were taking care of Gram, and that night, after we gave out the last candy to the last trick-or-treater, we knew something was wrong. Gram was leaving this world but we needed help. Daddy called Hospice, who had been so wonderful helping us, and they said that a nurse would come to the house. Soon enough we heard a noise outside so Glory & I walked out to the driveway and met Laura the Nurse. Glory barked loudly and kinda spooked her because she didn't know we were there and because she had come directly from her church's Halloween party in her costume - she was dressed as a cat - and was taking off her cat tail when we came upon her. It was a scary & sad night saying goodbye to Gram but it would have been terrifying without Laura there to guide us through it and she did it all dressed up and made up like a cat. Tonight we think of you, Laura, and thank you again for helping us through the most difficult night of our lives.

Happy Birthday, Gram

Dear Devon,
Today would have been your Gram's 63rd birthday. She died a year ago tomorrow, on Halloween - a favorite holiday. We were all with Gram last year, taking care of her and saying goodbye. Thank you, kid, you helped us all through it. We all love Gram, and miss her very much but are grateful that you two had some time together. One night in summertime Pemaquid, it was bedtime and you were supposed to be going to sleep but you heard Gram & Grampa; Mommy and we all ended up hanging out in Gram & Grampa's room, on the bed laughing with Gram.

This is daddy's wish for today: to always keep Betsy close to your heart, for the rest of your days, and please stay connected to all of us, keep this cosmic Betsy connection threaded, and then Devon will always have her grandmother close by, a guiding luminosity, our north star, a guardian ad litem for the lot of us, and then, "When she shall die take her and cut her out into stars and she shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun." (WS)

Top Photo: Devon, Unc JohnnyCakes, Gram & Grampa in LR, Pemaquid house, early autumn 2007.
Bottom photo: Devon hanging in her crib with turtle, a gift from Gram.

Halloween Preview

Looking back on Summertime in Pemaquid