I’m afraid that we may have crossed a line, gone too far, gone over the edge, exceeded all reason, reached a point of no return…well, you get the idea. We Gaineys get carried away. It’s Halloween, and my newly retired husband has made it his mission that this will be the most epic holiday ever at Chez Gainey. Aside from the impressive arsenal of decorations we have already amassed over our fourteen years together, Mr. MacKenzie (my husband’s hard-working home repair alter ego) has scoured the Halloween items at Spirit Halloween, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walgreens’s, as well as on-line options. I am impressed…and maybe a little frightened. Even more importantly this year, we now have our very own Halloween cat, and she seems to be enjoying every new creepy creature that Dan brings into the house.
Evil incarnate…oh, wait- that’s just Shiva…
Shiva is the perfect Halloween cat, scary enough even when there are no ghouls, goblins, zombies, or ghosts involved. If I was sure I wouldn’t come back with a nub for a hand, I would dress her up in a witch’s hat or some cute costume like I see people doing to normal cats on Facebook- but Shiva is no normal feline; and I am a musician and need all ten of my fingers, after all. Even sans costume, Shiva sends shivers up my spine when I see that wild look in her eyes, accompanied by the twitching tail. When that happens, we have no doubt that evil has been unleashed in our home. I often expect her head to start spinning around as she spews green pea soup at us a’ la Linda Blair in The Exorcist. It could happen.
We don’t just have your typical Halloween decorations- oh, no- we have cornered the market in spooky animatronics (I’ve lost count at this point). Our poor beleaguered Border Collie mix takes it all in stride, the sudden noises, the strange characters everywhere. After living with Shiva for couple of months, she thinks Halloween is a cakewalk. Shiva on the other hand? She’s all, “My tribe!”
We always have interesting guests at Chez Gainey…
A rare peaceful moment watching birds (aka, kitty tv).
There’s no coincidence that she gravitated to this animatronic…
Welcome to my world…my house looks like Halloween threw up in it. This is just a tip of the iceberg.
Seriously….help me!
These guys obviously need to eat some of this mound of candy…
My favorite of all…the Jinglin’ Janglin’ Trio!
Even Sophie is not safe from the Halloween madness…
Our one attempt at costumes…it didn’t go well.
I can’t wait to see what Dan does with our Halloween extravaganza – I’ll make sure to post a video of the final product. I know that the neighborhood kids (and parents) will enjoy the show, and I think Shiva will add some extra spice to one of our very favorite holidays. When she’s not being evil incarnate, she actually has a very sweet side, so we’re hoping she won’t pose a threat to any of our many trick-or-treaters…but we make no promises. Beware!
Double, double toil and trouble…
The View from Here 
I look forward to the Halloween video
I’m so glad- I can’t wait to see Dan’s finished product. 🙂
Love love it. Every year I would have a Halloween party for my kids so we too have tons of decorations…but you put me to shame! Decorations are just great fun; I put my Halloween stuff up on October 1, and even though it’s just me, the dogs, and the cat, every night I plug in all the lights, etc., and burn my scented candles.
I knew I liked you, Elle 😊. Life is so much more rich when we keep that childhood joy of the holidays in our hearts. My mom was the same, and I’m so glad that she instilled that joy (and love of fun) in my heart. Enjoy!
Ahhhh, the Shiva Chronicles, with a twist of Halloween……🎃
You, and your husband, bring so much joy into the world, with your creative
spirits. So much fun! Can’t wait to see the video. 😱👿👍
Oh my! I thought our neighbors did it up right. But even their life size coffins pale compared to your amassed decorations! I can’t wait to see the final display!
My husband is on a mission- it will be epic. 😜