halloween resolutions for 2009

I haven't made New Years resolutions in years. For the usual reasons. I think I've reached a plateau where attempts at self-improvement and good intentions are concerned. And yet . . . as I sit here in the early hours of New Years Day watching the snow pile up, hoping the power doesn't go out again, and roaming aimlessly around the internet encountering page after page of resolution-keeping advice . . . I think, why not? Perhaps I will make a few resolutions this year after all. Not the usual resolutions. No, they've proven to be dismal failures too many times. No, this year I will make (and perhaps even keep) Halloween resolutions.

So, with pen in hand . . . or with keyboard in front of me. Whatever. Here are my Halloween Resolutions for 2009 . . .

1] Create indoor props. In recent years I've spent my Halloween time and energy on outdoor props, beginning with my front porch and expanding into my yard. Meanwhile, my indoor decorations have consisted of a small (but growing) collection of candle holders and some tattered cheesecloth curtains. Pathetic. Soooo . . . this year I resolve to create more indoor props. Don't know what or how many yet. This is a resolution after all, not a strategic plan. That comes later. But if I can make them out of items destined for the garbage bin or random pieces of clutter I find around the house, my happiness will be complete.

2] Start earlier. Every year I feel like I'm getting an early start on my Halloween planning and prop-building. Some people who know me might even go so far as to say ridiculously early. Nevertheless, by the time the last week of October arrives, I'm in panic mode. And there's invariably something that doesn't get done or gets postponed to "next year". In 2009, therefore, I resolve to begin my Halloween preparations much earlier. Maybe tomorrow.

3] Develop a yard haunt theme. I love the idea of a unifying theme for a yard haunt. A colour, an image, a style of prop that pulls all of the elements together and creates a stunning impact. Alas, while my haunt tends to start this way, the best of intentions seem to go awry. New props are created, new ideas assert themselves, ambitious plans go up in flames (not literally, thankfully) and it all morphs into something more . . . eclectic. Yes, that's the word . . . eclectic. But this year . . . this year, I resolve to choose a theme for my haunt and, most importantly, I resolve to stick with the theme regardless of how many "better ideas" tempt me to stray.

4] Devote more time to the blog. I started this blog in the dying days of summer last year. Being new to the whole blogging experience (as is evident from some of the earliest posts) I decided it would be a seasonal blog devoted to Halloween. My reasoning was simple: if I ran out of blog-worthy topics or simply lost interest, chances are Halloween would have come and gone by then and I could just walk away. A project started and finished rather than tossed on a shelf somewhere . . . partly done. As it turned out, the reverse was true. I found myself with more topics than time. I've also noticed some of my fellow bloggers extending their love of Halloween throughout the year and this has served as inspiration. So, for my final resolution of 2009 . . . I resolve to devote more time to blog improvement. More posts. More often. Not every day of course (". . . that way lies madness . . . "). Let's just say "more often" and leave it at that.

Happy New Year.