From the Vault: Creepy-Crawlies
The time is near. Soon, the chimes will toll midnight, and the veil between the worlds will part. Spirits will travel freely between their realm and ours, often with messages to impart to the living, often just for the mischievous thrill of the midnight journey. In the mundane world, trick-or-treaters will be in a state of heightened excitement all day as they show off costumes scary and sweet for school parades. Hands will reach out for fistfuls for treats from popcorn to candy. Once the little ones are put abed to awaken to the etched beauty of November, chaperones will indulge in adult celebrations of the witching hour, from drinking grown-up libations to talking with elders and ancestors.
Halloween embraces the magic of all creatures fantastic and mundane. We give due respect to beings supernatural and extra-terrestrial, but on this holy night let us also remember the creatures that inhabit the dark side of this plane. Halloween is a night of reversals, wherein the spiritual becomes physical, the non-corporeal becomes material, the frightening becomes fun. Let us embrace all scary creatures, for the magic of Halloween teaches us that to be scary is often just to be misunderstood.
Bats. Anyone who knows me would bite my neck if I didn't lead with the importance of bats to the ecosystem, the challenges they face, and the simple things every one of us can do to help these important, misunderstood creatures. Not all bats are vampire, but Dracula urges us to read Dark Banquet
, Bill Schutt's entertaining and educational discussion of sanguivores -- those curious examples of evolution that feed on blood, a group that includes leeches, mosquitoes and, yes, vampire bats. Bats are among the wonderfully preserved specimens for sale at Evolution in SoHo, but for our gothic library, I'm hinting for one of John Derian's decoupage bat trays. I would guess that the Halloween imps would be glad to oblige, but if they don't, I will have to try Santa's elves.
Insects. Bugs evoke an almost-universal "Ick!" but once you learn to appreciate it, insects are marvels of design. Click here to read about insects and design. Of course, there are many bugs that every homekeeper, my-bug-loving-self included, does not welcome into the living environment. It is important that every homekeeper educate ourselves about household pests, including the media's current darling, the bedbug. Click here to learn simple things you can do to protect your home and family from them. Spiders are not insects but just try telling that to anyone who encounters one creeping along the floorboards. A multi-legged cast-iron cooking pot is called a spider, but if you haven't one or the hearth to nestle it in, at Pottery Barn I found spidery cast-iron votive holders for Halloween.
Rats. No creature is more adaptable or determined to survive than the common rat, and no creature is more unfairly vilified. Click here for an engaging news report on these smart, sweet-natured survivors. From it I learned, among other things, the delightful piece of trivia that the practice of rats clustering together for purposes of warmth or affection is called huggermuggering. Of interest to foodies is Ratatouille, in which a spirited rat who discovers he can cook turns a legendary Paris kitchen into his own turf. This film is a standard in our urban home, as is Ikea's darling, whimsical Ratta -- a pile of them huggermugger on our bed.
Snakes. PBS recently broadcast an hour about the African black mamba -- fitting for the Halloween season, as serpents have long been an important symbol of transmutation. Snakes periodically shed their skins, emerging as new, stronger creatures. Aesthetes have always appreciated the beauty of snakeskin, but there are additional ways to welcome serpents to your Halloween festivities. Gummy snakes are ubiquitous at the candy buffet, but adult revelers will appreciate a pub drink appropriate to the night's revelries: the Snakebite. To make a snakebite, pour a stout draught of stout and add half a bottle of hard cider. The foam from the stout will rise while the cider snakesssssss downward. To make a Snakebite and Black, top your Snakebite with a shot of black currant juice
. And if you want to turn your Snakebite into actual Snake Venom, top your Snakebite with a shot of Pernod.
Halloween embraces the magic of all creatures fantastic and mundane. We give due respect to beings supernatural and extra-terrestrial, but on this holy night let us also remember the creatures that inhabit the dark side of this plane. Halloween is a night of reversals, wherein the spiritual becomes physical, the non-corporeal becomes material, the frightening becomes fun. Let us embrace all scary creatures, for the magic of Halloween teaches us that to be scary is often just to be misunderstood.
Bats. Anyone who knows me would bite my neck if I didn't lead with the importance of bats to the ecosystem, the challenges they face, and the simple things every one of us can do to help these important, misunderstood creatures. Not all bats are vampire, but Dracula urges us to read Dark Banquet
, Bill Schutt's entertaining and educational discussion of sanguivores -- those curious examples of evolution that feed on blood, a group that includes leeches, mosquitoes and, yes, vampire bats. Bats are among the wonderfully preserved specimens for sale at Evolution in SoHo, but for our gothic library, I'm hinting for one of John Derian's decoupage bat trays. I would guess that the Halloween imps would be glad to oblige, but if they don't, I will have to try Santa's elves.Insects. Bugs evoke an almost-universal "Ick!" but once you learn to appreciate it, insects are marvels of design. Click here to read about insects and design. Of course, there are many bugs that every homekeeper, my-bug-loving-self included, does not welcome into the living environment. It is important that every homekeeper educate ourselves about household pests, including the media's current darling, the bedbug. Click here to learn simple things you can do to protect your home and family from them. Spiders are not insects but just try telling that to anyone who encounters one creeping along the floorboards. A multi-legged cast-iron cooking pot is called a spider, but if you haven't one or the hearth to nestle it in, at Pottery Barn I found spidery cast-iron votive holders for Halloween.
Rats. No creature is more adaptable or determined to survive than the common rat, and no creature is more unfairly vilified. Click here for an engaging news report on these smart, sweet-natured survivors. From it I learned, among other things, the delightful piece of trivia that the practice of rats clustering together for purposes of warmth or affection is called huggermuggering. Of interest to foodies is Ratatouille, in which a spirited rat who discovers he can cook turns a legendary Paris kitchen into his own turf. This film is a standard in our urban home, as is Ikea's darling, whimsical Ratta -- a pile of them huggermugger on our bed.
Snakes. PBS recently broadcast an hour about the African black mamba -- fitting for the Halloween season, as serpents have long been an important symbol of transmutation. Snakes periodically shed their skins, emerging as new, stronger creatures. Aesthetes have always appreciated the beauty of snakeskin, but there are additional ways to welcome serpents to your Halloween festivities. Gummy snakes are ubiquitous at the candy buffet, but adult revelers will appreciate a pub drink appropriate to the night's revelries: the Snakebite. To make a snakebite, pour a stout draught of stout and add half a bottle of hard cider. The foam from the stout will rise while the cider snakesssssss downward. To make a Snakebite and Black, top your Snakebite with a shot of black currant juice
. And if you want to turn your Snakebite into actual Snake Venom, top your Snakebite with a shot of Pernod.
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