November 25, 2013

Creepmas is coming!!!


The official word came out today.... Creepmas is coming!

W.T.F. is Creepmas, you may ask?

As posted on the official blog...

CREEPMAS is a good-natured push back at Retail America for trying to force Christmas down our throats as early as July. Something has gone seriously wrong with how holidays are marketed to us in the last 5 years. When you go to a major retail store in mid-October only to find they've gotten rid of all their Halloween merchandise in favor of snowmen & Santas, well, it's time to take action!

Something as utterly ridiculous as Christmas trees in August deserves an equally ridiculous response!

CREEPMAS is for those Halloween lovers and Monster Kids who want to say "enough is enough" - if they're going to put their Christmas into our Halloween, then let's put our Halloween into their Christmas! Tim Burton showed us that it can be done with marvelous results, and we're definitely following his lead.

The 13 Days of Creepmas is an online Celebration of Spookiness from December 1 - 13. The idea is to bring a macabre twist to Christmas and the holidays. Get creative and post it on your blog - share your twisted yule visions with the world!


I've been doing some thinking, too.  
Between the Countdown to Halloween and the fun of the 13 days of Creepmas, 
I'm not going to sign this blog up for the A-Z Challenge in April this year.  
My other 2 blogs will be plenty! 

November 24, 2013

Maple Grove, North Branch

My sister went on vacation back in October and asked me to horse-sit for her.  Since I happen to love being around the horses, I always help her out when needed.  
This was a lovely fall day.  And since I really didn't have any place to be and I had noone except the dog with me, I decided to go check out another Maple Grove Cemetery.  I mistakenly thought it was much closer than it really was.  I thought it was only 5-10 miles up the road from Laurie's house.  WRONG!  It was about 30.  I stopped at 2 other cemeteries that day, but those are for another post. 

This gorgeous old house was on the corner behind the gas station where I stopped to fill up.  Happily - they had it done up as a haunted house!  Complete with hearse out front. 


 LOL, someone got TP'd! 


 First thing I noticed was all the crazy orange moss. 



 Most of the stones were facing west, but there were a few sitting at an angle.  Not sure why. 




 




 This looks like 2 rows of stones, 
but it is 3 connected stones in one. 
Flora, Charlie & Wallace Hayes, siblings. 






 Close-up of the emblem for the Daughters of the American Revolution.











 Funky moss!

If I had to guess... L to R
Younger son, USMC, Vietnam / older son, US Army, Vietnam (bronze star) / father, USMC, WWII  

Interesting tidbit (I was enlisted Navy and this interests me) .... The Bronze Star Medal is an award presented to United States Armed Forces personnel for bravery, acts of merit or meritorious service. It is the fourth highest combat award of the Armed Forces.


 I like shuffling thru the leaves!

 The flash on the camera lit up the mushrooms growing in this hole. 







War of 1812
I didn't see any other stones for him around. 




Someone needs to replace her stickers!




 This little guy came running over from the house right next door.  He really wanted me to let Jack out of the car, but Jack is a moron and won't listen if he's loose.  So he stayed locked up and I got an escort!  He walked along with me as I explored and stopped when I stopped and just looked at me.  


Hmm, Someone with the last name Smith called Smitty.  
How original! 





 These mosaic stones are pretty neat.  Some have pressed brass name plates & others have cement.  



There was a shallow culvert dividing the much newer back section from the older front.   
Must less populated back there! 



Looking toward the front. 

Overall it was a very nice day to be exploring!