I’ve spoken about teepeeing before (some call it rolling, some spell it TP’ing, but spelling it the way I do makes me laugh). If you don’t know, teepeeing is taking rolls of toilet paper and tossing them into trees. It’s also one of the most prevailing pastimes in the Hoosier State. Now I can’t speak for anyone south of Indy (where you run into city folk or Kentucky), but in Northern Indiana, particularly rural Northern Indiana, once fall hits, yards, trees and bushes are fair game and decorated with glorious streams of Charmin (glorious only if you’re any good at it. Believe me, I’ve teepee’d with many a person who has hideous form).

Here’s the thing, if you were worth your weight at all, you had way more than just 12 rolls of tender tissue in your arsenal. You weren’t just bound to toilet paper when sabotaging a person’s property. You had soap (to smear on the windows). Toothpaste (to put on/around/under door handles). Shaving Cream (for anywhere). Toothpicks (for sprinkling in the lawn). Oreos (to smear on brick houses). Bologna (to eat away the paint on one’s car). And as I was reminded on the Facebook thread – roadkill … (only in Indiana, folks)

It was a 7^th grade Halloween slumber party at Mardell Kauffman’s house. There were, I don’t know, between 10 and 15 of us there? Everyone brought something to contribute. Now it’s been about 22 years, so if anyone reading this was there, please forgive the hazy details or any minute inaccuracies. In fact, I’d love for you to add your recollections of that momentous evening to the comments below.

I remember everything we brought being placed in one room. We had enough toilet paper to wrap the White House three or four times and enough “other stuff” to have us paying Bill-Gates-sized fines for the rest of our lives (because this is technically vandalism we’re talking about here). It was absurd.

At some point, we geared up to go. We piled into the back of Mardell’s dad’s pick-up truck. Again, we had a lot of girls, so we crammed into the truck bed covered by blankets to keep us warm (and hidden from the police). It was late October in Northern Indiana, for crying out loud. We were lucky we weren’t buried in two feet of snow.

I can’t remember whose house we hit first or second or third. But this gaggle of girls hit plenty in the sleepy little town of Millerburg that night. We would unload down the road a bit from our target, and stealthily make our way to the yard. There really is a technique to getting a long stream of cotton white paper flowing in the wind. For instance, if you don’t leave a long enough tail when you toss, the paper stays close to the roll and you get nothing from your throw.  You also need to have decent aim. You have no idea the number of times I’ve teepee’d alongside those with less aim than a Storm Trooper. Many a roll of toilet paper has been lost in the trees or on a roof top through the years, never to be seen again.

That particular night, chock-full of giggles while dashing from one dark corner to another, the wind in our hair and the solidarity of fast friends breaking the law, binding us together for one night of fun, was only intensified by a Hatfield/McCoy style feud between the Kauffmans and the Rinks.

Enter: the roadkill. I never really wondered about the bucket and shovel on the back of the truck bed when we left the house. But as we moved from one locale to the next, Mardell’s dad would stop the truck and Mindy Sark (bless you my sweet Mindy!) would hop off the back and shovel up whatever possum or raccoon happened to be laying in our way; then she tossed it into the bucket for safe keeping. SO NASTY. My understanding was this was going to be a bold move by the Kauffmans in the next round of “back at ya” antics between the two families. Roadkill on the Rink’s doorstep. A highlight of any 13 year old’s Halloween bash.

The most memorable moment of the evening, though, was our last stop. The finale. It was Jeremy Delcamp’s house. Jeremy lived down a long long lane. This is not exactly optimal when you are trying to do a quick chuck and run. Now Jeremy had been hit pretty recently, so he and his brother were a bit more aware of any out-of-the-ordinary noises being heard on a Friday night. Long story short, we were made.

I remember hightailing it back to the truck, piling in, and Mardell’s dad taking off at the speed of light down the back country road. Then sirens rang out. Whether the Delcamps had called the cops or we were just that unlucky, we found ourselves being chased by the local Fuzz.

Now Millersburg is notorious for their speed traps. They would clock you for nothing over and you’d still get a ticket. So the ante was certainly raised by teepeeing in this particular neck of the woods, which I won’t deny was a little bit of the thrill. And suddenly that thrill was about to get us busted. But Mardell’s dad was a king of subversion – and apparently at maneuvering a speeding pick-up with a throng of tweens being tossed around on the back bed.

It felt like we were flying 80 mph through the town. The cops were right on our tail. And I don’t know how he did it, but somehow Mardell’s dad got us safely to the house where we promptly exited the back of the truck and hid in the Kauffman’s garage. We watched as the flashing lights sped past the property. Somehow, we did it! And without getting caught.

The funny thing is, yes, this was a party so there were a few more people than per usual, but I remember almost every other weekend (during football season particularly) being dedicated to crazy antics like these. Fun times with our friends, that’s for sure. And not always with roadkill – thankfully.

Here’s the thing – never mess with a Hoosier when toilet paper is on the line … we will win that war. Every time. I promise.

What’s your best teepeeing story? Email it to me or share in the comments below. I’d love a good laugh.  

And I wouldn’t exactly say I excelled in my sculpture classes at college. I may have gone to art school, but that by no means makes me a Renaissance Woman. Clifford had a heavy hand in many a 3D project.

Given all of that, I don’t exactly know how I got roped into this particular event, but I did help my niece carve her pumpkin last night. It was kind of a fail. Let’s break it down:

1. Pretty sure I picked the wrong knife.

It was shiny and yellow …

2. Pretty sure my technique was extremely dangerous.

My sister said this wasn’t right …

3. Scooped pumpkin guts with a 2 year old (Poor partner choice. She was kind of messy and I question her work ethic)

She was such a hindrance really.

4. Switched to a box cutter. It just felt right… at the time.

Razor blades are so much better than knives …

5. Filmed my sister demonstrating how difficult carving a pumpkin truly is. (Mad props to my dad after all these years.)

6. Nixed the other three teeth in the design. It was an artistic choice – not a lazy way to end the ridiculous experience.

Ta da! Artistic license is everything.

7. Lit. It. Up.. Got that one right.

Yay!!! It glows!

For all the effort, it was great to see it on fire and all aglow.  These are moments we can never get back. Halloween 2014, baby!

I would love to see your pumpkin! Email me your pics and I will share them with the world!

I am not one to dress up my pets (unlike a certain Mrs. Adams that I know).  Now, are dogs cute when they are in costume? Absolutely. I’m just not one for warm sweaters and rhinestone collars on a daily basis.

However, when I adopted Churchill, the best little Chow Chow in Georgia, he was my everything. He was so handsome and fluffy.

So handsome and fluffy! (I mean the dog, not my father-in-law)

He was an absolutely gorgeous puppy.  So when I saw there was a local Halloween Costume Contest, I knew he was a total shoe-in.

Of course, Clifford rolled his eyes at the idea and openly mocked me. He thought I was ridiculous, but then he usually does. Still, I was determined to show the world how wonderful Churchill was. That and I knew my little boy was a winner.

How was this little cutie pie NOT  be a winner?

*** WARNING: probably some socially insensitive material ahead ***

So what costume do you pick when you have a fluffy black pup? An afro wearing hippy! It fits, right? …  So I bought an afro wig (though he probably didn’t need it), I used my sunglasses and some tie-dyed Tybee tee and Churchill was good to go. Except the wig wouldn’t stay on. There is a reason human wigs are not designed to be worn by our furry friends.

Best pic I could do with the fro falling off. Trust me though, it was a rockin costume.

I drove him to the contest. I feel like it took place in some random parking lot somewhere in Savannah. The animals were divided by categories and age groups. Churchill was of course in the puppy category.

We waited and watched as different groups walked across the makeshift stage. There were some adorable costumes to say the least, but I was pretty confident my dog was dressed to impress, too.

Finally they called the puppies to the stage. Most were being held by their owners but not mine! Churchill strutted his stuff across the stage – afro flopping in the wind. Everyone oooohed and awwwed. I loved it. Maybe that’s how kiddie pageant moms feel?

Anyway, after everyone finished, it was time for the awards. Winners here and there, yadda yadda yadda, and then the puppy group was up next!

“Third place goes to …. Churchill the Hippy!” OMG! We won! We Won!!! I was so excited I jumped out of my chair! This is TOTALLY how kiddie pageant moms must feel!

Churchill and I made our way to the stage through the happy crowd and enthusiastic applause. We graciously accepted the white ribbon and bag of puppy chow as his prize. My baby had done it! He was having his 15 minutes and showing the world how amazing he was! Repeatedly falling afro wig be damned!

Really, could you deny this face his fame?

THIRD place!!! (out of 3 dogs Clifford constantly reminds me)  For some reason he wasn’t as ecstatic about the results as this Stage Mom was. But I will concede it was probably the worst costume I could have possibly used.

Tell me! What is the best pet costume your animal has ever donned? Send the pictures my way!

For instance, it’s Halloween. I love Halloween. I used to read (back when I read) novels by Stephen King and John Saul and watched horror movies any chance I got. I love haunted houses and ghost tales and fog machines. The smell of burning leaves, the taste of fresh cider, and the chill in the air complete the perfect October 31^st picture in my mind.

Now that I’m a little older, I rarely take time to watch The Great Pumpkin let alone anything else. I haven’t seen a solid scary movie since Scream (I don’t count Cabin in The Woods. It’s one of the most awesome movies I have ever seen, but I kind of place it in the comedy camp).

Well, today I am seizing the day with my little sis. We will be hosting our own little scary movie marathon this evening. I am embracing the season and a fun holiday that, sadly, is becoming overlooked.

The Exorcist File, The Conjuring and Hocus Pocus (don’t judge) are the lead-ins to our Halloween celebratory mini-film-athon.

Maybe I’ll even Live Tweet. Never done that before either. Today is the day I take back Halloween and embrace the fear factor. We’ll see how I do.

Do you love Halloween? What epic scary flicks would you pick for a Halloween happening?  Thoughts on the movies mentioned above? Share in the comments section below.