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Music on my Halloween playlist:

“Rattlin’ Bones,” by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

“The Boogie Man,” by The Cadillacs

“Secrets of the Castle,” by John Williams

“Ghost Town,” by The Specials

“Spooky,” by The Atlanta Rhythm Section

“He’s a Pirate,” by Chris Joss and Klaus Badelt (Ship Ahoy Tribal remix)

“This Magic Moment,” by Lake Street Dive

“Sugar Buzz,” by k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang

“Bring Me to Life,” by Evanescence

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Birds splashing in an improvised bath (an oversized clay saucer).

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Pumpkin Brownies, so yummy

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New scary bling for my witch costume: a skeleton cameo necklace, tastefully accented with additional skulls. Scarier still: Last born likes it and suggests I wear it all year.

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Prescription diarrhea medicine for dogs. Beef-flavored. Don’t ask.

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Sparkly vampires, skeletons, cauldrons, and black cats levitating over my dining table. (Ignore the raffia strings.)