People have been making Jack O’ Lanterns at Halloween for centuries. This originated from an Irish myth about a blacksmith and drunk named Stingy Jack. According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him and true to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that he could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such a man into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with an ember from the fires of Hell to light his way. Jack put the ember into a turnip he carved out to light his way through the dark night. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then later known as the “Jack O’ Lantern.”
In Ireland and Scotland many people started to make their own carved lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes to place in their windows and next to doors to scare away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. The Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800’s prompted a massive immigration to the Americas.The Irish brought this tradition with them and discovered that turnips were not readily available in the Americas and it was then that they found pumpkins we larger and easier to carve.
So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed learning the Legend of the Jack O’ Lantern!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
We adjust our clocks every spring and every fall, but why?
Have a great photo that represents what Halloween is all about?! The best Halloween photo wins a Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera!!
PRIZES:
Normally I’m kind of sad when summer is over, but these last few days of cool weather have actually been sort of nice. The rain was a pleasant break from the intense heat wave we’ve had lately in LA. For once I’m actually excited about Fall. Halloween and Thanksgiving are really fun times of the year and Fall is definitely one of the prettiest seasons. 
Today, this season has a different feeling. People don’t dread the winter’s arrival. People are excited for thanksgiving feasts, the pretty leaves turning different colors, and fun Halloween parties. Even though the weather can be kind of gloomy, we don’t dread the winter coming, because it means family gatherings for the holidays, good food, and fun winter sports in the snow. Fall doesn’t have to be cold and melancholy, it can be bright and cheery, full of vibrant colors.
Halloween may be a big deal to children and adults in the United States, but our neighbors to the south celebrate another holiday this time of year: Dia de los Muertos.
Dia de los Muertos means Day of the Dead. It is a ritual that started more than 3,000 years ago in Mexico with natives such as the Aztecs. The holiday, which falls on November 1 and 2, honors loved ones who have died. To join the festivities, prepare early by asking yourself how to scan my photos. Displaying images of the dead is a significant part of the ritual. This photograph features an altar that pays tribute to the deceased.
h large Mexican-American populations, including California, Arizona and Texas. In the United States and urban areas of Mexico, people are more likely to host parties and build altars at home honoring their loved ones. They attach photos and other items similar to what you would display at the cemetery. If you have an old picture you would like to include, send them to a company that knows how to scan. My photos or yours, the process for transferring to digital format makes them easier to share and use as you wish.
Pumpkin patches, hayrides and haunted houses. When did October become such a fun-filled month?
With October comes the start of the holiday season. For many people this is a time when, if you’re not careful, budgets, exercise, healthy eating & overall life-balance can all too easily get…well… out of balance.
Card List: 
Gift List:
Food List: 
Every fall, schools all over the country celebrate homecoming. The exciting mix of students, alumni, football games, dances and parades is a week that’s eagerly anticipated not just by schools, but by the communities that support them.
Just for fun, Jon, our video pro made an animated scene using leftover photo and home movie materials. As you’ll see, oval-cut pictures formed the cloud, old slides became the rain, a reel of film posed as the sun and strips of negatives created the flower’s stem. Creativity at its best!
The crisp fall air is a pleasant reminder that the season for enjoying apples is upon us.
