Last Monday, J and I made a day of the dead altar for my grandmother, Bee. I have been telling him about her lately because our fair city has gone Baseball Crazy, and  I always remember her life as being bookended by the Red Sox:  she was about a year old the last time they one before the next time, and she died the year they one the next time. She always said she wasn't much interested in Baseball, and really, who could blame her. But now, what with watching games every other night with an ever-widening circle of neighbors, and with Giants t-shirts bestowed upon him by superfans,  J is an affirmed Baseball fan. He wants to learn how to play, pretends  everything is a baseball stick, calls the stadium "Baseball's house", "Where Baseball live" (I should send that into the Giant's, right?).

So we've been talking about my grandmother, and drew some baseballs for her, and covered our alter in pink tissue paper roses. She loved pink, and always pretended to hate roses... so she wouldn't be disappointed  when they didn't come. She was a bit perverse,  a tough old lady, a proud New Englander, and I  still miss her.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of the alter before we took the cookies to the procession,  before J tore the papel picado,  but we enjoyed having it on the table on Monday, and talking about our memories of her.

J got quite scared at Halloween, quite unexpectedly:first of the dark at the Jack o Lantern walk in the Community Garden-- so fantastic, on the top of the hill. Panoramic view of the city. In the dark the city lights looked like a thousand more pumpkins, a chorus to join those on display in front of us.

Then at teh neighborhood Halloween party, someone showed up in a Scream/grim reaper costume-- and J asked "why monster here?", and tried to run away.

But then the Day of the Dead fixed everything: little girls (big girls!) with painted faces playing with him on  the merry go round, on the swings, the see saw. When we left, as we drove home, J asked me why  the monsters had left, why had they gone home-- he liked them he said, they were nice monsters.

Posting  this as a bit of a reminder to recycle, and for some inspiration.



Last year J was Max from Where the Wild Things Are. I bought a white bunting-y two piece fleecy outfit from Old Navy-- the top had ears, already. I made a crown out of yellow felt, M bought a faux fox tail from Etsy at the last minute. The dinosaur feet slippers came from the Gap, J had them already.

I am thinking a similar neutral body suit type thing this year, a felt ruff and head piece, and re-using the tail. Hopefully that will = LION.

I just saw these on PurlBee: