Halloween Capitol Hill

We drove in to DC for a program at the Library of Congress earlier in the week. When we drive, we usually park somewhere in our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill. I worked at the Library for ten years and walked to and from that building many, many times. It was just three blocks away. For whatever reason, the parking was worse than usual - no one was moving in or out. That’s one of the reasons we moved to northern Virginia six months ago - we at least have a designated underground parking space! Anyway, we drove around and around until we decided to try near the park by Whole Foods where the freeway passes overhead. Luckily we finally found a spot. It was next to one of our usual walking paths, and on the way back to the car after the program, we took a closer look at the Halloween decorations. A lot of them looked familiar from years past. There were a lot of webs and spiders, several skeletons, a few pumpkins, and of course a pair of witches. I was also looking for some hints of fall and the mums didn’t disappoint and one of the trees in the park was glorious. The last time we were in the neighborhood things looked pretty stale. This time was so much better. And tonight, with the World Series being played just a short distance away, will make it really packed. Good luck finding any parking then! 

Wall Vase Transformed Three Times

We have a glass wall vase that I use for flowers and other things based on the season or mood. I have oftentimes used flowers from my patio garden as well as sticks and stems. The hydrangeas sometimes work nicely. Once in a while I’ll freshen it up with flowers from the grocery store. For Christmas I’ll add some battery operated tiny lights to the greenery. In the Midwest I would get branches and sticks from the yard and fill window baskets and pots with them so every room had a touch of the holiday. Over the last few weeks the wall vase has been changed over three times - primarily in fall foliage. The first time we prettied it up because we were having an out of town guest - a great reason to showcase the space. That included tiny pumpkins, gourds, and flowers. The next update was the gourds and pumpkin with a few mums. Today I picked up a bunch of colorful leaves from the patio and cut a couple of branches. The mums are starting to fade but will do for another day or two. Next week we will probably get some cut flowers for the Thanksgiving holiday. I always like to be creative -  using natural elements always enhances the display. It always makes the fake stuff seem real. 

Capitol Hill Halloween Decor

Along East Capitol Street and Eastern Market, Halloween is a very big deal. When we first moved here, we walked along the streets in the evening and it was very difficult to navigate around the hoards of goblins and ghosts. But closer in to our neighborhood, there is less evidence of Halloween, but occasionally an interesting landscape catches our eye. I can't say we ever did a lot of decorating for Halloween. We always had at least a pumpkin, and I remember my candy bag broke - leaving me devastated as a four year old - but the bag and all of its' contents were miraculously replaced by my mother. There are certainly a lot of kids in the neighborhood, but being in a condo, we don't get the foot traffic we used to when we lived in Milwaukee. And since our grandson no longer lives nearby, there's even less of a reminder - although he may be outgrowing the candy stage at his age a d moving in to the party arena. But it is fun to see what types of decor springs up. I do know the squirrels love the pumpkins, and probably there will be more decor on display in the next several days. It's just another reminder of the seasons and time passing... It all has a very different affect on us as we get older. What do you do for Halloween?

On the Hunt for Halloween Decorations in Alexandria and Capitol Hill

It's a pretty sad state of affairs. I thought since this weekend is the last one in October before Halloween, certainly the decorations would be up in full force. Boy, was I wrong! Either the economy has gotten everyone down, or we were in the wrong places. My husband told me that Halloween sales were down about 25% and it became quite obvious as we searched for interesting haunts on Capitol Hill and Alexandria. In years past, there was always something quite unusual to gaze at. If a decoration was up, it was quite lame... just a few pumpkins and mums. The only places that had something a little more festive and interesting were the shops, and even they didn't have much to show. I don't know which one was worse...Alexandria or Capitol Hill. The fake spider webs were overwhelmingly the product of choice, but just didn't pack the punch of the season. Or maybe it's just us? What happened to all the spooky stuff? Maybe everyday life has taken it's place!

Fall Frenzy McLean Decorate for Fall and Halloween

Having been cooped up all week in the apartment for a variety of reasons, we decided we needed to take a ride and stock up on wine and cheese at The Total Wine Store in McLean. Perhaps we could drown our house sorrows (water leaking) with a small sip or two! Along the George Washington Parkway the tourists were getting restless and removed the barricades to the scenic overviews. The parking areas were full of "lawbreakers" who have been prohibited to enter the parks and monuments due to the government shutdown. I don't think anyone is enforcing the signs. We saw another family scaling the fence to Roosevelt Island. The Potomac River was weirdly empty of watercraft. Even though it is in the 80's today, it was a delight to see the Fall Frenzy "store" set up on the corner by the wine store. Away from the deadbeat Washington DC neighborhood, life goes on for the majority or people. The kids were having a great time trying to locate the scariest ghost and scarecrow. I always liked the fall season, and it's going to happen regardless of what goes on in our Capitol Hill  neighborhood. Looks like I won't need to go to work again tomorrow.  Maybe now I can start to enjoy the time off.