October 2020
Hello friends, and welcome to a special spoopy issue of Connect, a newsletter made for YOU. It’s October, the most wonderful time of the year. And also my first themed issue! Please enjoy and share it with your friends. Remember you don't need to live in Batavia to subscribe!
Let's Laugh
Create Something
Halloween crafts are NOT just for children. Get crafty, witches & wizards.
  • Mason Jar Luminaries from Jennifer Maker: Great for the entire autumn season and you could easily adapt to other seasons!
  • Emoji Ghost Balloons from Aww Sam: If you want to seem cool and hip with the Snapchat generation.
  • Felt Candy Corn Garland from Hey, Let’s Make Stuff: Garland is such an easy way to make a boring doorway or window very festive. Happy festooning! 
  • Neon Paint Dipped Pumpkins from A Night Owl: The ‘80s are BACK! These are a great addition to your totally ‘80s Halloween decor.
Learn Something
Do you know the history of Halloween? Follow the links to get a spooky lesson!
  • From History.com, a broad history of everything Halloween.
  • From GoodHousekeeping, another broad and fascinating history of Halloween.
  • From National Geographic, a short video explaining the history behind the traditions of Halloween.
  • From pbs.org, the history and cultures of Dia de los Muertos.
Read Something
October is the perfect month to pick up a horror novel. Nights getting cooler. Days becoming shorter. Nighttime envelopes the neighborhood earlier and earlier. Here is a list of horror novels published in 2020.
  • “Clown in a Cornfield” by Adm Cesare
  • “Death in her Hands” by Ottessa Moshfegh
  • “Devolution” by Max Brooks
  • “If It Bleeds” by Stephen King
  • “Out of Body” by Jeffrey Ford
  • “Malorie” by Josh Malerman
  • “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • “Survivor Song” by Paul Tremblay
  • “The Ancestor” by Danielle Trussoni
  • “The Boatman’s Daughter” by Andy Davidson
  • “The Deep” by Alma Katsu
  • “The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones
  • “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires” by Grady Hendrix
  • “The Sun Down Motel” by Simone St. James
  • “The Wise Friend” by Ramsey Campbell
  • “Wonderland” by Zoje Stage
Watch Something: a Silly-Little Hoopla Review
Hatchet
 
Looking for a good, old-fashioned hack-n-slash? Want something that feels like an old-school horror movie, much like Friday the 13th? Look no further than Hatchet.
 
A group of friends head to New Orleans for some fun, a break from reality and the stress of normal-life. But Ben doesn't want to just party on Bourbon Street. No, no. He wants to take a dilapidated pontoon boat tour down into the swamps to find Victor Crowley. Victor Crowley being an urban legend in town. A deformed local who was tragically murdered with a hatchet while his house burned to the ground. Many think he's dead, gone for good, but there are few who know the truth, and live to tell it.
 
Fans of insane, almost comical, murder scenes will thoroughly enjoy this film. It's a little outrageous, but all good horror movies are. Fans of Jason Vorhees will appreciate Victor Crowley. Kane Hodder, the actor who portrays Victor Crowley, also played Jason Vorhees in 4 Friday the 13th movies, and the Friday the 13th video game. His stance, his walk, and his mannerisms are all very similar between the two characters. A very scary, murder-y, persona. Very terrifying. Very appropriate for October.
Go Somewhere from Home
Halloween isn’t cancelled because of COVID-19. Is trick-or-treating discouraged? Probably, yes. At the time of this newsletters creation, it’s unclear as to what Batavia and surrounding areas are planning in terms of trick-or-treating. If you are not comfortable taking candy from strangers just yet, there are plenty of trick-or-treat alternative activities you could do to celebrate Halloween. 
  • No trick-or-treating doesn’t have to mean no candy. You were going to buy candy to hand out anyway, so instead of handing it out, sit on the couch, open the bag, and start eating!
  • Do you have kids? Why not do Halloween Easter-style? Hide candies around the house or outside. Tell your kids a scary witch or a skeleton hid them. Get the kids decked out in their costumes, grab your buckets, and find the candy! You could also create a special Halloween Basket, filled with little toys or treats picked especially for your little ones.
  • Set up stations around the house or yard with people you know and trust. For example, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc. Ask your kids to run from station to station, adult to adult, trick-or-treating in a safe, confined environment.
  • Obnoxiously decorate your house and front yard. Go completely over the top. Encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. Then go for walks and enjoy the spooky scenery. A perfectly healthy, socially distant, October activity.
  • Who says October 31st is the only day you can wear a costume? Dress up. Every. Day.
  • Are you quarantined or being extra careful this season? Bring friends and family with you virtually. We should all be experts on FaceTime and Zoom by now, right?
  • If you’re comfortable going to stores, visit a Halloween Store in the area. If giant animatronics are too freaky for you or your kids, visiting the Halloween section in Target or any craft store works just as well, too.
In Conclusion
Stay happy. Stay healthy. Wash your hands. Watch your back.
 
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Batavia, Illinois 60510
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