“There are three things I have learned
never to discuss with people...
Religion, Politics, and The Great Pumpkin. ”
~~Charles M. Schulz
Hi again!
Seems like I just did this. ;-) Anyway, this is
what I wanted to send Sunday but events conspired to prevent
that so... Happy Halloween!
God bless,
Jenni
Ask the Angel of Angels: Halloween
Edition
Dear Angel of Angels,
My husband and I plan to go over to Willowveil on Halloween
night for a movie marathon with Andrew, JenniAnn, etc. I
know we'll watch family-friendly stuff like Hocus Pocus
and Casper, both of which I love. But... I'd like
to bring something truly spooky for after the kids'
bedtime. I don't want to upset Andrew, though.
Especially since he's my father-in-law now! (Which is
still kind of weird to think about.) Or Adam, Henry, and
Eli if they're present. I'm not talking anything
over-the-top like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. More
like The Woman in Black. Something to inspire a
little snuggliness with the husband, ya know?
Do you think that would be okay?
Frightfully,
A Rose by Any Other Name
Dear Rose,
I think it's sweet that you have your father-in-law and the
other angels of death in mind. I haven't seen the film in
question although a quick perusal of its IMDB page reveals it
stars a certain former bespectacled wizard. No wonder you
want to watch it, eh? It appears to be your typical ghost
story and not something that features the Grim Reaper or similar
ghouls. I think Andrew and the others will know that
you're not out to hurt them or wanting to promote anything that
makes them look bad. And, who knows, maybe they'd enjoy
snuggly time with a special someone themselves. Bring the
movie. See what they say. If no one voices complete
unease, I think you should proceed with watching Mr. Radcliffe
battle a ghost lady.
Best Scary Wishes,
The Angel of Angels
Dear Angel of Angels,
Suppose one lives with an angel of death... And suppose
one loves Halloween while he merely tolerates it... And
suppose you've both lived peaceably every October because while
you love Halloween, you're mostly drawn to the pumpkins,
spiders, witches, and bats side and less the ghouls, skeletons,
and bloody side. But then, while at an art fair with some
girl-friends and your brother from another mother and his
boyfriend, you see this really lovely, romantic Maiden &
Death themed art print. And you buy it... And Death
*is* wearing a black, hooded robe but he doesn't have a scythe
and there's no blood or gore and he's so gently carrying the
maiden who is resting her head against his chest and looking at
it just makes you all dreamy and romantic and wanting to grab a
certain someone and slow dance to "Dark Waltz" with them.
Anyway... do you think it would be okay to hang the print in
your shared home... or is that insensitive?
With Starry Eyes,
The Maiden
Dear Maiden,
Wow. I don't think I've ever had such a reaction to even
the great masterpieces. I think your AOD will be fine with
you hanging the painting as it doesn't seem to vilify
death. I would suggest that you display it somewhere a
little out of the way... not because I think Andrew will be
upset but because I fear you'll not get anything done (save
dancing and swooning) if this piece of art holds such power over
you. That being said, I can't imagine Andrew being opposed
to a few turns around the dance floor with his maiden. I
trust you won't ask him to wear a dark robe, of course.
Dance the night away!
Best,
The Angel of Angels
Dear Mr. Angel of Angels,
I was with some friends when they started telling spooky
stories. And they insisted that some were true. They
talked about stuff like killer clowns and ghosts that come
through mirrors and kill people and creepy kids with all black
eyes and some really freaky guy called Slender Man. I want
to know if they're true and I want to ask Andrew because I know
he'd never lie. But I don't want him to get mad knowing
some of us were telling and listening to these stories.
What should I do?
Scared,
A Tunnel Kid
Dear Tunnel Kid,
If the idea of asking Andrew is difficult for you, I'm sure any
of your teachers would be honest with you. Still, I don't
think Andrew would mind. I will say that Slender Man is
most assuredly fictional. I wouldn't suggest you do a web
search about him but, if you did, you would eventually discover
that he was the result of a photo manipulation contest and that
his creator is named and known. I'd say more but I think
it would be more comforting for you to have a heart-to-heart
with Andrew or another of the adults about this. Just
remember one thing: whatever creatures do exist, not one of them
is more powerful than the Father's love for you.
With love and assurance,
The Angel of Angels
Dear Angel of Angels,
Does anyone actually like candy corn?
Curiously,
A Snickers Fan
Dear Snickers Fan,
Ah, a question that breaks the concern-for-AODs mold!
Yes. It's especially tasty when mixed with peanuts.
Sweetly,
The Angel of Angels
More Halloween and Other Spooky
Tropes in Dyeland Stories (because I'm still
pretty addicted to tvtropes.org)
So I did this last Halloween in JABB
474 but I just couldn't resist doing it again.
Afterlife
Express- While not a train, a bus with similar features
is ridden by Yehuda in "The Carpenter"/"The King." It
seems only to go to/from Sheol and Earth and not to Heaven.
Ancient
Evil- Well, Dyeland stories contain references to Satan
which is a holdover from TBAA. In addition, Nen and
Tzila were quite long in the tooth. The vampire who
turned Isolde may also be this although an age is less certain
there.
Eerie
Pale-Skinned Brunette- Isolde. Although she's always
been a nice person, she no doubt fit this trope quite well
when she was a vampire. Given she's 100% Irish, she's
likely still quite pale although, one hopes, a bit less pale.
No
Immortal Inertia- This is completely subverted in
Dyeland stories. When the vampires become human again,
not only do they NOT turn into dust but they revert to their
age when they were turned, complete with whatever health and
fertility they had at the time.
The
Power of Blood- I don't know that the Dyeland stories
have a particularly unique take on this. There are the
vampires, of course, and ALL the significance of Joshua's
blood. I suppose one unique example is that, in "The
Carpenter," JenniAnn comes to truly recognize Joshua whilst
putting on his bloody Crucifixion make-up for Jesus Christ
Superstar.
Theatre
Phantom- I hadn't ever really thought of this before
but Yehuda was totally this! I wonder if he can sing
"Music of the Night"? Religion
of Evil- Whatever the heck Nen and Tzila had going on
back in Nogah was definitely this. I chose not to
delve too much into how they used religion to guarantee
compliance because I wanted to sleep! Death
and the Maiden- See above. :-) While
JenniAnn tends to keep her clothes *on*, there are overtones
of this in her and Andrew's relationship. At the end
of "Chava," they're even posed in a manner similar to many
of the artistic depictions: JenniAnn leaning against
Andrew's chest, his dark coat wrapped around her.
Granted, it's supposed to be a throwback to Esther and David
but still... I've sometimes wondered if I'd have been
as interested in the pair if Andrew had been merely a
caseworker. Hmm...
And I'm gonna end it there because, who knows, I may want to
do this again next year!
This newsletter is dedicated to John Dye
for looking darn cute in the cop uniform in "The Sky is
Falling." Swoon...
(Photo
Credits: The photographs used on
this page are from Touched by
an Angel and owned by CBS
Productions, Caroline Productions,
and Moon Water Productions. They are
not being used to seek profit.)