Can you guess who's who?
Okay, this one's not that tough...
And, here's Nana, aka "Mother Mary of the Perpetual Easy Virtue".
Through the woods they flew, as their screams for help
Were drowned out by a thunderous clash.
Into a tree did the buggy jolt
And split into a thousand slivers.
But sadly the Browns’ were never seen from again
Having drowned in the raging river.
Never laid to rest in a proper grave --
Their broken bodies never were found.
Until perhaps now has this mystery been solved
With all of these things that we pulled from the ground.
Unearthed from a spot along the riverbanks
Downstream from the accident site,
Was a collection of body parts that may finally rest
Our heroes from that dreadful night.
Can you help to identify these personal parts of Mr. & Mrs. Brown?
Have these items prepared ahead of time (mix any of the items with jello, pudding, clear syrup or egg whites to enhance the texture). Try avoid using items with heavy odors.
Body parts:
1. Steamed and sculpted cauliflower (brains)
2. Softened lasagna noodles – edges only (intestines)
3. Softened lasagna noodles - flat strips (skin)
4. Corn silk and/or dried lichen (hair)
5. Peeled grapes (eyeballs)
6. Large sculpted mushroom (nose)
7. Asparagus sculpted & notched (fingers)
8. Large beef leg bone from pet store (leg)
9. Boiled and sculpted tripe (lungs)
10. Peeled large beefsteak tomatoes (hearts)
11. (5) small plastic cauldrons (or Tupperware bowls)
Tell the above tale in a darkened room with smoke effect from dry-ice (or smoke machine). Dim the lights and use eerie music or background sound effects. Blindfold the children (or adults) and seat them all in a circle on the floor. After telling the story, pass around each of the items above in a cauldron and have the children try to guess the body part. Tell them if they can’t guess and pass around again.
Papa Bear went all out this year, preparing a spooky story and game for the kids to enjoy.
"The Tragedy of Mr. & Mrs. Brown" (written by Papa Bear)
Twas a hundred years or more ago,
When our eerie tale began.
In the sleepy hollow town of Buckhead,
Where fate took a young bride and her man.
On this dark night a vicious storm
Brewed dangerously around.
While Mr. & Mrs. Brown took their buggy
To go for a ride into town.
To a masquerade ball did these newlyweds go
On that All Hallows Eve.
And after a long spell, the hour was too late
When our heroes finally tried to leave.
Having had way too much fun at the ball
With much drinking and long dancing a jig,
Mr. & Mrs. Brown stumbled drunk
As they climbed back into their rig.
Their trusted steed knew the way home,
Upon which the Brown’s had to rely.
But the storm became dangerously worse
And the lightening blinded their eyes.
Past the graveyard they rode on into the night
With the storm swirling ahead.
Mr. Brown and his bride failed to make the right turn
And went the wrong way instead.
With the crack of more thunder, the howl of the wind
And the rain pouring down steep.
It is there and then when our friends lost control
Of their two-wheeled horse-drawn jeep.
The horse became spooked, he reared up in fright
And cart flipped with a sudden crash.
Twas a hundred years or more ago,
When our eerie tale began.
In the sleepy hollow town of Buckhead,
Where fate took a young bride and her man.
On this dark night a vicious storm
Brewed dangerously around.
While Mr. & Mrs. Brown took their buggy
To go for a ride into town.
To a masquerade ball did these newlyweds go
On that All Hallows Eve.
And after a long spell, the hour was too late
When our heroes finally tried to leave.
Having had way too much fun at the ball
With much drinking and long dancing a jig,
Mr. & Mrs. Brown stumbled drunk
As they climbed back into their rig.
Their trusted steed knew the way home,
Upon which the Brown’s had to rely.
But the storm became dangerously worse
And the lightening blinded their eyes.
Past the graveyard they rode on into the night
With the storm swirling ahead.
Mr. Brown and his bride failed to make the right turn
And went the wrong way instead.
With the crack of more thunder, the howl of the wind
And the rain pouring down steep.
It is there and then when our friends lost control
Of their two-wheeled horse-drawn jeep.
The horse became spooked, he reared up in fright
And cart flipped with a sudden crash.
Through the woods they flew, as their screams for help
Were drowned out by a thunderous clash.
Into a tree did the buggy jolt
And split into a thousand slivers.
But sadly the Browns’ were never seen from again
Having drowned in the raging river.
Never laid to rest in a proper grave --
Their broken bodies never were found.
Until perhaps now has this mystery been solved
With all of these things that we pulled from the ground.
Unearthed from a spot along the riverbanks
Downstream from the accident site,
Was a collection of body parts that may finally rest
Our heroes from that dreadful night.
Can you help to identify these personal parts of Mr. & Mrs. Brown?
Instructions to Grown-Ups
Have these items prepared ahead of time (mix any of the items with jello, pudding, clear syrup or egg whites to enhance the texture). Try avoid using items with heavy odors.
Body parts:
1. Steamed and sculpted cauliflower (brains)
2. Softened lasagna noodles – edges only (intestines)
3. Softened lasagna noodles - flat strips (skin)
4. Corn silk and/or dried lichen (hair)
5. Peeled grapes (eyeballs)
6. Large sculpted mushroom (nose)
7. Asparagus sculpted & notched (fingers)
8. Large beef leg bone from pet store (leg)
9. Boiled and sculpted tripe (lungs)
10. Peeled large beefsteak tomatoes (hearts)
11. (5) small plastic cauldrons (or Tupperware bowls)
Tell the above tale in a darkened room with smoke effect from dry-ice (or smoke machine). Dim the lights and use eerie music or background sound effects. Blindfold the children (or adults) and seat them all in a circle on the floor. After telling the story, pass around each of the items above in a cauldron and have the children try to guess the body part. Tell them if they can’t guess and pass around again.
I made this quilt many years ago, back in my single days. I had visited my father and step-mother at their home in Arizona, and my stepmother was in the process of quilting (see note below) a denim quilt she had pieced together. She had gathered up the worn-out jeans and the cut-off legs of jeans-now-shorts from a variety of folks she knew and loved, cut those bits into squares, pieced them all together, and was in the final stage of completing her quilt. She was quilting it by hand, so it was likely to take a while to finish, but could be gently used in the meantime, so it was lying on their bed. It was such a lovely idea, and the fabric from the long-worn-and-loved jeans was so soft and broken-in, it was nearly irresistable. So, upon returning home, I engaged in a quest to collect jeans.
