Trash-picked Tuesday: Pumpkin Man

If you think about it, Halloween is a rather strange holiday. Celebrating death, monsters and creepy crawly things is a bit bizarre, let alone going out of your way to be scared by haunted houses or gory costumes. That said, sometimes I think its very telling of the times we live in. It seems that as a society, we need more and more shock value in order to pay attention.

And I have to say that as Halloween mania has increased over these last 10 years or so, I'm all for it. It's mostly all in good fun. However, the increase in Halloween consumerism is beginning to mimic that of Christmas, and I really dislike that aspect of any holiday.

So what is a vintage, thrifty, Halloween-lovin' gal to do?

Trash pick someone else's old Halloween decorations!

I spotted this poor soul out for the trash this summer. I don't know if he didn't sell at a yard sale, or his family was just tired of keeping him around the rest of the year, but he has found a home with us! We propped him up back by our barn where we can keep him tied up and plugged in (because that's how he likes it, LOL). He runs on one 5W candle bulb, which was still in place and working when I brought him home.

I was never real big on lighted lawn decorations until I had kids. I always used to turn up my nose at those people with lawns full of blow-molded Frostys and Santas. But once those horrid inflatables became popular, the older stuff took on a new charm. (It just goes to show that in the realm of lawn ornaments, something worse is always right around the corner!) And my kids love it- they even have a song to sing about him that my mom taught us as kids. This song is part of a game she taught us in Brownie Girl Scouts that is probably at least from the 1960s if not before (maybe you know this one, too?):

Pumpkin Man, Pumpkin Man,

Catch a Brownie if you can.

"Yes I will, yes I will-

But the Brownie won't stand still!"