All Hallow's Eve, All Saints Day

We have four children and most of them are Scorpios... I'm not sure what the star sign characteristics are, but we have raised four fiercely independent individuals - and that includes the Gemini child.

Our youngest was born on All Saints Day. He came early. It was on a Sunday and we were not quite prepared. His first diaper belonged to his brother, almost exactly two years older and was akin to putting the poor child in a bucket seat.

We used to call him our 'Rainbow Baby'. First of all he turned blue and we had to rush him of to hospital. Did I mention that most of our children were born at home? We lived in the Netherlands. Children were born at home. So, with the labour beginning on Halloween... You get the picture. It was quite a night. Carrie was not the film Mrs G should have been watching.

So he turned blue and was whisked off and put in an incubator with   little portholes on the side and him in aviator sunglasses. Well that's what they looked like.

And then he turned yellow. Jaundice.

We always knew he would turn out to be an artistic child.

These days, I'm not sure what I think of Halloween. Despite the somewhat gruesome nature of my books, I am quite squeamish. But, in the mid nineties we lived in a large and sprawling Gothic school building out in the polders. And we gave the most amazing Halloween parties. Always fancy dress, always full of the most exotic guests in the most exotic costumes. The house would be lit only by candles, we would decorate throughout and with the dry ice machines and spooky music everywhere, those parties were the talk of the town for months.

The biggest problem was that, even though the youngest children were away for the night, they would arrive back the next morning for their birthday celebrations. And the house would be full of the evidence of the evening's doings. Gravestones, candle wax and the odd body lying around.

Those were the days.

Back in the UK, we just don't do those things any more. Plus, I confine my ghoulishness to the pages of my writing.

I will be using one of those parties as the backdrop to a scene in Red House - out in 2013.

So, tomorrow, we celebrate in gentler style. No party. And one of youngest son's gifts was a 'Knitting For Men' course at the local Art's Centre. Then on to brunch at our favourite cafe. What a Rock & Roll lifestyle we have!

Halloween. Scorpions and knitting. What a combination.

Enjoy your trick or treating, wherever you are. And if you were at one of our parties...I hope you found your way back home...

(an aside...someone who was at one of those parties contacted me last evening...oh, the power of blogging!)