What are you going to "be" for Halloween?

I'm going as myself, the long straight black-haired version of myself. Black leather, tall black boots, and a certain attitude. See a little glimpse in this photo. It should be fun.


I dressed in the style of Janis Joplin a couple of years in a row, when A.J. was little. Had so much fun layering on the hippie clothes (and there are plenty in my closet) and beads and letting my wavy hair go wild. A.J. didn't seem to mind. It was in the days when I would accompany him on his door-to-door trick-or-treating adventures. Parents in our neighborhood generally would walk their kids on the sidewalks and then stand there while the kids went up to the individual houses for treats. I remember standing on the sidewalk with some dad I didn't know; he sized me up and said "Are you Janis Joplin?"

Loved it.

That was also the year my friend Kevin suggested I carry a bottle of Jack Daniels with me, to be truly Janis'y. But of course I'm WAY too conscientious a parent for that part of the ensemble. And Janis deserves to be remembered as way more than that. I actually think of her as some kind of a princess. In her own way. I really love Janis. I hope it's not irreverent to talk about dressing up as the Pearl. Her voice is so imprinted in my mind's ear, I can hear her as I type this. Isn't that amazing? One woman, one voice, she's been gone for decades, and I can immediately conjure up the sound of her singing?! Powerful!

Listening to Pete T. talking about Mama Cass last night, I was thinking about her beautiful voice and Janis's, as well. They both had such soul and both wildness and tenderness in their singing. It really touched me the other night when a girl A.J.'s age told me she loves Janis Joplin. The kids are growing up listening to a lot of the same music we loved at their age, except that in our cases it was happening right then.


A.J. and I bought a doggie Elvis jumpsuit costume for Polly last night, but it doesn't fit her! Drats. I'm rather hopeless at sewing, so there's no hope of altering it. She's just bigger than I thought.

What are you blogging dog-owners doing for your dog's Halloween? I can see some of those cute pups dressed up...Storm, your little cutie Stormy comes to mind!