Many people like to decorate their yards for Christmas. You can drive through the streets of any neighborhood and see houses with twinkle lights, colored lights, icicle lights, and many variations on that theme. Some houses have nativity displays, or snowmen, even Santa and his reindeer complete with sleigh. My family is a bit different; we like to decorate for Halloween.
The first weekend in October my front yard magically transforms from a green space with grass, pine trees and bushes into a creepy old graveyard. My husband and I try to add something new to the display every year. It’s fun to check out the Halloween supply stores and catalogs to try to find another item that will enhance the experience for our neighbors.
This year I thought I had found the perfect item. My husband is into blacksmithing and knife making which means we go to a lot of auctions looking for tools he can use in his hobby. At one auction I found a horse drawn hearse from the 1800’s. It was absolutely beautiful. Someone had gone to great lengths to restore it to its original condition. The glass windows that surround it were all replaced. New red satin material lined the floor and the entire exterior had been repainted black. I thought it was the perfect addition to our Halloween theme. However, my husband balked at the idea of paying five thousand dollars for a seasonal lawn ornament. Now it’s a running joke between us. Every time he goes to another auction I tell him to bring me back a hearse. I’m trying to persuade him to build one. He doesn’t know it yet but he’s getting some new wood working tools for Christmas.
I hope everyone enjoys this Halloween season. What does your family like to do for Halloween?
Augustina Van Hoven
Proving Love is Strange
THE KISS OF A ROSE – Now available
www.augustinavanhoven.com
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Twitter: @augustinavhoven
A DISTANT PAST
In 1882, Rose Van Buren loved the wrong man and paid for it with her life. Now, more than a century later, the angel Gabriel has granted her another shot at living. In exchange, she must convince a smart, handsome, up-and-coming lawyer to set aside his lofty ambitions.
A FUTURE PRESENT
Stephen Winship is headed straight for the governor’s chair. He has a brilliant career, solid allies, and a seemingly perfect girlfriend. But night after night he finds himself dreaming of a heavenly beauty, a luminous but long-dead girl. Like some altered Ghost of Christmas Past, she shows him her own tragic tale in order to “save him.” And he’s beginning to see Rose is risking her heart as much as baring her soul. Yet falling for her will cost him everything—and open him up to a happiness he never imagined.
The second book in the series, THE THORN OF A ROSE, coming in December.
