BOOO! Happy Halloween Everyone!

**luckies4me** · 10-31-2002, 11:57 AM

Originally posted by lbaker
A special treat for bunny lovers tonight, luckies4me are you handing out parsley instead of candy perhaps

That was so funny! Can you imagine?

Actually I meant for all the Pet Talk bunny lovers.

**All Creatures Great And Small** · 10-31-2002, 12:29 PM

We like to answer the door for trick-or-treaters with our daughter's pet rats crawling all over us - some kids find that really scary! (Poor ratties - stuck with that bad sterotype)

LOVE the picture of Miss Edwina - I wish I could get my kitty to pose so nicely with clothing on!

**All Creatures Great And Small** · 10-31-2002, 12:31 PM

Oops, Luckies4me, I forgot to mention how cute your Halloween picture is! What a sweet little face! Ah yes, I remember when my daughter was little, and still cute

- now she's a scary teenager

**wolflady** · 10-31-2002, 01:31 PM

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Every year, it's tradition to read some Edgar Allen Poe poetry at my house on Halloween, and this is one of my favorites:

The Raven

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping - rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -
Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly yours forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping - tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you" - here I opened wide the door: -
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" -
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore! -
Merely this and nothing more.

Then into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above this chamber door -
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before,"
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his Hope the melacholy burden bore
Of 'Never-nevermore.'"

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this Home by Horror haunted - tell me truly I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? tell me - tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore.
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting -
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting - still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a Demon that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

**lbaker** · 10-31-2002, 02:09 PM

When my husband was alive I would go to the library and get several copies of MacBeth and we would invite some friends over for a "reading" We would do the witches scene or some such. The kids would add sound effects (wind blowing etc) and we had a great time......... oh those were the days.
Laurie

**The Cat Factory** · 10-31-2002, 02:28 PM

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

**wolflady** · 10-31-2002, 02:58 PM

Click here to view a Halloween Greeting to you all from me!

Miz Edwina, you make a devilishly adorable kitty for Halloween

Happy Halloween again everyone!!

**Pam** · 10-31-2002, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by wolflady
Click here to view a Halloween Greeting to you all from me!

Too funny!! Happy Halloween to you too Karen and Pet Talkers everywhere!

**tatsxxx11** · 10-31-2002, 03:13 PM

What terrific greetings! Thanks all for the great pics, sharing your traditions, even a little Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe!! I love MacBeth; actually played one of the witches in Elementary School!

Miss Edwina, you are just too precious for words!! What a devilish little girl you are!!

Karen, what a great card! Thanks so much for the laugh!!

Pam, I never thought about removing the top half of the storm!! Great idea!

All Creatures....now THAT is great Halloween scare! Crawling ratties!! LOL!

Luckies4Me...What an adorable, beautiful baby you've got there; great picture!!

Sadly, very few trick or treaters around here. Mostly school parties, organized events etc. Guess we'll enjoy a scary movie or two, a fire and eat the candy ourselves!! Have a safe and happy Halloween all!!

**luckies4me** · 10-31-2002, 04:32 PM

Thanks to all who think my baby is cute! Yes the teenage years, I can relate only because I have siblings, lol!

It seems like tomorrow I am going to wake up and my son will be married with kids of his own. He is turning a year November 25th.

Time goes y too fast.

Anyways, must I say cute kitty!

Hva efun tonight everyone, time to go check out the virtual card, hehe.

**koxka** · 10-31-2002, 06:29 PM

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YOU ALL!

**RockyRoad** · 10-31-2002, 07:43 PM

Yes, Edgar Allen Poe is an excellent writer, that poem is one of my favorites as well. Maybe next year my mom will let me dress up the pets and stand at the door and greet the trick or treaters! I would rather do that than trick or treating any day, I can get all the extra candy, that is getting candy but not having to go to a single door!

**Aspen and Misty** · 10-31-2002, 09:26 PM

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
(And we don't even have kids)

And all jenluckenbach's cats say WHAT ABOUT US??? Are we not your spoiled rotten kids???

**Crikit** · 10-31-2002, 10:08 PM

We had five whole kids tonight

I can't think of Macbeth without thinking of the Drama tradition that happened in my high school if you said "the name". You'd have to turn around, say a chant about potatos and walk backwords out the door then ask permission to enter the room. We were a little nuts. And the Raven all I keep getting the Simpsons version running through my head.