http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/ Halloween Discussion Forum, Haunts and Home Haunt Community. en Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:42:58 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.halloweenforum.com/images/afterdark/misc/rss.jpg http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/ http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/832-nothing-new.html Sun, 17 Apr 2011 01:46:11 GMT Howdy to all my favorite Haunters & Haunterettes!!

And so....NOTHING NEW....is the featured issue of discussion for this entry! To keep from boring everyone to death I'll just say that I got better during December & managed to get up all 9 of my xmas trees this year. I was actually well enough to do the work MYSELF!!lol

If only I could have been that well for Halloween, everything would have got done, at least according to my plans. Well January the good feelings & wellness started to dwindle & by February I was back to square one. The meds that worked so well made things worse in the long run with increasing stiffness in the joints that made arthritis look like fun.

So we are finally into the serious specialists now. Why do doctors always have to play with the meds & change things? Of course with my allergic problems & my "just make me sick" problems w/ medications.....the 1st things they started me on now have me back in bed.

So thats kind of where I have been.........for I would never neglect my haunter friends & to prove it I can admit that when I opened my email today there was an astounding 1086 emails. So I realized that I had better try and join civilization again and what better place to break out then with my trusted pals of Haunt! ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/832-nothing-new.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/680-hes-home.html Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:00:29 GMT Hi to all my little Haunter friends who come here to see what the Muffster is up to! Well hubby finally came home after 3 1/2 weeks in the the Va... Hi to all my little Haunter friends who come here to see what the Muffster is up to! Well hubby finally came home after 3 1/2 weeks in the the Va hospital & the other big hospital. Those folks finally got him straightened out yesterday when they shocked him for the 2nd time.

Heart rate finally bounced back & we brought him home with no pace maker. I like this doc's way of thinking, he said>>>" You're to young for a pace maker!". Hubby is 60.

So kids we are playing recovery day for today but I was able to drop a hint at breakfast about the decorations. I'm gonna take my time & start tomorrow with some things getting up. All these weeks of trying to keep going & getting back & forth to the hospital has pushed my health issues. Even tho I can't stand for very long I'm gonna start.

Jerry came home last week early from his vacation & thank God. I think 20 people said to him>>>"Thank God you're home Jerry!".

Jerry said maybe this year we just should hand out candy & do the outside & not the inside. OH MY GOD!!! NO WAY!!! COLLINWOOD 841 is about "the inside!!!!".
How could we not decorate inside!! We did not get one thing built this year but thats ok, there was a lot of other things going on.

Last year my family came for Halloween & that was a disaster....they got detoured in the mountains when we were having those slides up there which got them to my neck of the woods at about 8:00 pm, right in the heat of lines of people waiting to get in our place. On top of that it poured buckets of rain.....(never think the rain will keep the trick or treaters away!!) THEN>>>>>they got lost which made things worse yet.

They kept calling our house & we had people in the house shoulder to shoulder so I could not get to the phone to answer it....it was hysterical.

Still we managed to have over 400...it was thrilling!

So there is no way I'm leaving anything out this year!! Plus last year Family was taking me to Disneyworld the day after Halloween so Jerry started tearing stuff down before daylight & I GOT NO PICTURES of our new stuff. So this year I have to have pictures.

I been way to lax on my web site so some time this week I'll get back in there so people don't think I fell off the planet!!

36 days left...man I remember being nervous when it was 100 days left...lets see what we can pull off in the short time we have left.

I know you are all busy ....I better get busy too.

Happy Haunting

the Muffster ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/680-hes-home.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/657-more-health-issues.html Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:43:04 GMT Ok now its hubbies turn....he is in the VA hospital & his heart is not working right, been there a week already with no sign of coming home soon.
May end up with a pace maker.
To make matters worse I cannot drive anymore & Jerry is on vacation in Nebraska......finally called him to please come home. I need someone to just get me back & forth to the hospital, neighbor has been filling in. With my health problems, taking care of everything like the dogs & stuff has been rough. Its ok I need to be tough.
There has been whispers that I may be to sick to do Halloween this year>>>>********!!

I'm doing it no matter what!!

May the Force be with me!!

The Muffster

Hi to my family oif Haunters! Miss you all! ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/657-more-health-issues.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/560-am-i-back-perhaps-perhaps-not.html Tue, 18 May 2010 17:48:21 GMT Well this is my 3rd attempt to try & make a comeback here in the great halloween Forum. This is the place that motivates me so much to keep trying to get well.

This round the last 9 months has left me weaker & sicker than ever before. Right now I can hardly stand on my feet at all. Pain is 24/7 with no hope that there is some pain medication out there that is gonna work for me. Neurologist just keeps telling me I'm an unusual case. Great ....we have tried so many pain medications & truly some have left horrendous scars on my body.

For me when a medication makes me sick, which has proved to be most of them, I can't just stop taking it & whatever the problem was goes away. I suffer for weeks or months just trying to get the nerves to settle down from me taking this med they did not like.

Thats my nerves, they live in a world of their own. They don't like anything, food, when I get excited, when I get stressed or when I practice the art of experimenting with different drugs from the doc. And boy do they let me know how mad they are.

The disease is in its phase of crippling me now. Most of my day is spent in bed needing help sometimes to walk to the bathroom. I have no balance & the guys hate when I try to make it to the basement because they are afraid I'm gonna fall.

I'm learning to be more careful of things I always took for granted like running out the front door & down the steps, trying to actually walk around Walmart, no more baths in my big deep whirlpool tub, no more mall trips, i can't drive anymore, bending over to pet my dog....yup almost fell right over on my head. Muscles are deteriorating in my legs & the disease is spreading. Its in my hands now too!

Still I refuse to give up altho I have had to give everything else up even cleaning house.

I miss cooking & baking.

I felt it all slipping away from me this last Halloween & thats why I slowly disappeared from the forum. As "IT" got worse I started becoming embarressed. I had a great Halloween but a lot was not finished so I'll try once again to get more done for this year.

I'm trying something different now & have quit letting the doctors medicate the hell out of me.
Joined the YMCA. I got a trial membership just to see if I could get out of bed & get down there into the pool. WIth the pain raging I did it so I bought the membership. Gonna give myself till Sept. to see If I get in that pool & walk if I can get some strenght back. Gonna start very slow on the circuit. Gotta lose some weight & get a mind set that I won't give up.

I need to do this or there won't be any Halloween at my house any more. There is just to much to do & Jerry can't do it all. Last year he went on vacation & was gone Nov. & Dec.. There was nobody to put up my xmas decorations. I was lost, just lost. First time in 52 yrs. I had no decorations.

Halloween & Xmas are a major part of my life but as you all know we can't expect others to have that passion like we do. I know I must find a way to heal myself or these days are over for me.


Haunt On
the Muffster ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/560-am-i-back-perhaps-perhaps-not.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/401-its-been-awhile.html Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:18:36 GMT Yup its been awhile since I posted here in the blog, busy year getting North Carolina Haunters group started & then just trying to keep up with everything else.

I feel I'm still not gonna pull off my haunt this year the way I would like that, that economical thing goin on bit me in the butt too! Candy business barely selling much so thats always my extra money.

Its pretty close to Halloween now & it appears I'm just not gonna have enough funds to pull off what was planned. I'm down to the last few items needed.
PVC pipe seemed to be the biggest problem, I needed to make 9 props so need pipe & couplings for that, wanted to make the wedding cake, wanted to finish the background for the organ & had some other projects.

Big thing is we are leaving for Florida with my Aunt as soon as Halloween is over so had to put funds aside for that.

Still working on things tho so we'll see what I can pull off getting done before the big night gets here. ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/401-its-been-awhile.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/150-so-scary-scene-starts.html Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:01:51 GMT Well we got a great start today in the garage even tho its gotta be 100 degrees in there......takes more time to do stuff cause ya gotta keep going... Well we got a great start today in the garage even tho its gotta be 100 degrees in there......takes more time to do stuff cause ya gotta keep going in the house to cool off! We got the walls up & most of the spider webs & started moving furniture into place.

We got all our halloween boxes of stuff down to start looking for things to build the scene. I managed to get the story written but am still hestitant about posting it in the contest section because we have a story line that really does not go along with the decorations we have. So its a bit of a dilemma & I'm gonna move ahead a little bit more before I decide if we are gonna actually enter our scene. Still a lot to do out there.

Muffy ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/150-so-scary-scene-starts.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/149-starting-open-halloween-boxes.html Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:21:29 GMT Well one good thing about this "Scary Scene" contest is its causing me to dig into my Halloween stuff several weeks ahead of when I usually do. That creates a huge excitement for me!

We are plugging away in the garage & I'm still not sure if I can pull this off in time but we are gonna try. Tonight we start opening boxes...Halloween Boxes.....yeah!!!

Muffy ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/149-starting-open-halloween-boxes.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/140-scanning-old-halloween-pictures.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:21:08 GMT When we moved , I lost the software for our scanner, so we been without one for sometime. Last week Big Lots had Hp scanner, printer, fax machine for... When we moved , I lost the software for our scanner, so we been without one for sometime. Last week Big Lots had Hp scanner, printer, fax machine for $50.00, they were manufactuers rebuilds.

So I'm excited cause now I can scan all my halloween pictures from the past & post them in my web site!! Just gotta find time to hook it up!

Muffy ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/140-scanning-old-halloween-pictures.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/127-more-coffin-work.html Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:31:28 GMT Well last night I could not sleep so I went to my office & started working on making catalog sheets for the candy business. In between them printing I finally got a coat of mod podge on my coffins & lids I finished assembling & a 2nd coat on some that already were done.

I'm almost done w/ these & will be able to put them away in a tote to keep them clean till I fill them w/ chocolates for Halloween. I love these but man with the price of a box of ink cartridges for my printer ringing in at $61.00 I'll be happy when these are done, they sure take a lot of ink to print! Got 73 more to make.

There was discussion at my ranch this fine morn w/ the cowpokes as to whether we should enter this scare scene competition. I have everything I need to pull a scene together but the cleaning of the garage was the main issue. First response from the cow pokes about this project was ....."NO!!!"...I guess the coffin contest got them tired!!lol

When it got mentioned that I would not need to buy anything & THE GARAGE WOULD GET CLEANED!.....well that shown a whole new light on the situation. Only problem seems to be the time frame....sure wish we had till the end of Aug..

So we are still throwing it around.

Muffy ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/127-more-coffin-work.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/116-my-halloween-book-arrived.html Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:00:16 GMT I have been wanting a copy of "Martha Stewarts" Halloween Book forever. I just never came across one & I know they were pretty expensive.

I came across one last week looking thru some ebayers that I have bought from before. I felt so lucky...this item was a "buy it now" item & the shipping was only $2.50. It was a steal cause the book was $7.50.

It came in the mail yesterday & I was shocked.....its a brand new copy. I love it...its full of a lot of projects I had not seen before. Beautiful coffee table book for the month of October!!

one problem tho.....more ideas for halloween projects!lol

Muf ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/116-my-halloween-book-arrived.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/114-back-coffin-building.html Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:47:37 GMT Just a shortie today......I finally started building candy coffins again got a few more lids to go & I'll have 26 completed....still a long ways to 100!

Not getting anything else done tho cause I had big candy orders this last week & this week, plus getting sample bags ready for soliciting new accts..

I'm Pooped!!

the Muffster ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/114-back-coffin-building.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/96-nothing-done-yet.html Fri, 30 May 2008 12:56:14 GMT Well this is how it happens......how we find ourselves a month away from halloween & wonder why we are not done. We have all these great intentions & try very hard to schedule working on our halloween projects around our hectic everyday schedules, but then the best of plans can get blown to hell!

One week has gone by & I have been so busy with candy orders that the only halloweeny things I'm getting done is in the few moments I get when I'm taking a break waiting on kettles of chocolate to temper & I sit down here & pluck on the keyboard.

That my friends does not get projects completed even tho it keeps you in the frame of mind. Projects just don't get done "In the Frame of Mind".

I have to start working on candy for next week & this weekend Jerry promised to finish the arch for the cemetery pilliars. I think I break out in a sweat everytime I look at that countdown on our main page. Not sure if I'm nervous over the days left or its menapause!

OK I vow to get something squeezed in & worked on...notice I said worked on....not completed....this weekend. Everytime I tell Jerry we are gonna use the garage for halloween, he breaks out in uncontrollable laughter!! Sweet...huh?

I just want to mention I am sad cause my halloween ebay stuff finally arrived yesterday & the punchbowl & ladle were just cracked all apart. Something very heavy fell on top of this box in transport & just crushed this stuff. Amazing that the lanturn did not get broke or any of the cups or platter. I bought from a very good ebayer who refunded my money right away. The costume is great.She also sent me some extra items, 2 little skull candles...very neat. ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/96-nothing-done-yet.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/90-im-really-trouble-now.html Fri, 23 May 2008 15:13:10 GMT Last Fri. Jerry attended an art gallery showing that featured the paintings of his daughter, an up & coming artist. This was her 3rd gallery showing after winning some big contest in Charlotte, NC.

They always offer snacks & finger food for the guests that come to these showings & I made a deal w/ her. She wanted 100 of my chocolate truffles & I said ok ...can we make a trade......I'll provide the truffles if you make my candy shop witch sign. So her Dad cut out the frame for this sign & she is going to paint it for me. It has some witches on it & a full moon and says the witches candy shop.

While at the showing some lady was eating the truffles & told Jerry how good they were. She also asked ...."So what else do you do?" He said " I build coffins!". There was quite a chuckle until his daughter brought up our halloween web site & they were able to feast their eyes on his coffin from the contest. They loved it, really loved it!!

So a gallery owner from Charlotte ordered his silhouette witch with the blinking eyes and also 2 coffins to put in her gallery. Jerry was flattered beyond belief. She told him to charge her whatever he wants for these coffins cause she is retailing these for $3500.00 each. Yes my friends we are in shock also.

If she sells these coffins.....( cause I'm a believe it when I see it kind of chick) for that amount of money......I will never get him to build any of my halloween stuff again. He'll be working with her!!lol

Now I will keep you all posted on how this turns out. First big problem is Jerry does not have the money to build these. I bought everything to build mine & its on plastic! He's a retired gent without a nest egg!!lol So we are gonna see how this all pans out!

Guaranteed if she sells these for that much money we are bagging the candy business & becoming coffin masters.

ALso wanted to mention that my new hubby directly said......well lets take the coffin you built for Muffy down there........can you believe that...they want MY COFFIN>>>>>I said forget it!!Hope they don't load it up some night while I'm asleep!

And the saga continues....

Muf ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/90-im-really-trouble-now.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/89-my-coffin-contest-prize-arrived.html Fri, 23 May 2008 14:54:39 GMT So much thanks is given to Bodybagging for the wonderful & gracious prize he gave to the Halloween Forum for its Coffin Contest.

My prize was suppose to be 6 of his appliances & a DVD that showcases a number of different things that Rob's company does in getting actors ready for Halloween. He was gracious enough to also send along 2 additional appliances to the already 6 mentioned, these last 2 are new appliances that are not even presented yet in his line of products.

I was absolutely thrilled when I opened that box cause....welll....ya see I was not exactly sure what an appliance was......and after a few members that had watched Rob's DVD made some scars & such on their arms that is what I thought the appliances were.....so when I opened that box & saw those fantastic masks I went ape ****!!lol

Oh they are just great. The DVD has so many different things on it so my mind is already in high gear to start adding things to my haunt that I did not offer before!

Myself & my Family all Thank Rob for this great prize.

Muf ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/89-my-coffin-contest-prize-arrived.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/86-too-early-working-hard-halloween.html Thu, 15 May 2008 14:11:24 GMT Well I'm trying to stay on track so in the last couple of days I been working on these coffin candy boxes I'm making for the adults that come TOT to my house for the 2008 season.

I decided yesterday that each box will get a caramel nougat, a caramel, a chocolate truffle, a peanut butter bon bon and a orange caramel. I will also add a few little halloween novelty pcs..it will run about 600-700 pcs..

I sure hope I can get these done as we decided to make up 100 of them giving one to each family. Its tough w/ these coffins as it takes a lot of ink to make one plus the time to assemble. I enjoy doing them cause I just sit & relax. There surely is a nac to making them correctly as that is mentioned on his web site ..."Ravens Blight". The folds really have to be exact. The are finished with 2 coats of Mod Podge for that shiny finish.

Sunday my neighbor will come over so we can take pictures of the wedding gown I'm using for the funeral parlor scene & next week her brother is coming to help me put a 2nd coat of paint on the tombstones for our cemetery and to add the epitahs on them.

I'm going to also be starting my bottles that needed to be painted & labels made for them for my spell & potion table.

Next is the project to make the rocks to go over my flood lights. Then I start on PVC props. So we got a lot going on. That is my set of projects.

Jerry is working on the arch for the cemetery sign, he has more fence panels to make & pillars to handle the additional panels, he has skeleton cages to do(3 of them) and we have to work a little bit in the garage everyday to make way for the halloween rooms going on out there.

We are hard at it!!!lol ]]> Muffy http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/muffy/86-too-early-working-hard-halloween.html