Re: Holiday lights/Irving St. decos/Roofrides

01/27/05 - posted by jpulizzano

Boy were Halloweens great. Parades and parades of kids down each and every block. It was a rarity to come upon a darkened house. We went for hours and hours and came home with our homemade trick or treat bags bursting.

Yes, costumes were homemade. My mom didn't sew either but somehow we put together some nifty and memorable costumes. My favorite was when I was a hippie in 1968 (I was 8 and in Mrs. Quinn's 3rd grade class). Used old play clothes and cheap Halloween make-up from the Irving 5&10 to create a dirty, unkempt look. Made a placard sign, "Make Love Not War" with peace signs. My brother, who was 15 at the time and a hippie wanna-be, let me borrow his "real" hippie beads.

OK---one more memory from Lawton...Elsie the Cow and her calf coming to school? I guess it was a way to bring the country and dairy/agriculture to City kids.