A Great Halloween Pumpkin Stew Recipe--Enhanced with Images of Department 56 and Lemax Halloween

Lemax Collection,
"Broom Dealership," #14326

I admit it, right here, in the first sentence.  I do not display, nor do I collect, Halloween village pieces. (Storage issues!)  That does not mean, however, that I did not drop by Michaels on Saturday to see their Lemax Halloween display.  I did, and it tickled me green.  I liked several of the pieces, especially the Rest in Peace Railroad and the Broom Dealership. Broom Dealership

Lemax Collection,
"Broomstick Manor," #289284

What made me chuckle the most, however, was Broomstick Manor.  The house is suitably creepy with heavy stone construction, a warning to beware of witches landing, and crossed broomsticks and a candleabra above the dormer window.  But even better are the little details.  Instead of a welcome sign, tacked on the door is a warning:  A Curse on All Who Enter!  Next to the front stoop is another sign, hung with chains:  Beware of Kitty.  Good idea, that suggestion, because on the stoop is a kitty carnivorous with every hair standing out in ferociousness....a really kitty creature!  The best detail may be the green witch washing her cloths on top of the turret.  On the clothes line hang pants, red and white striped socks, and ....are those pink bloomers?  This witch wears pink bloomers!!!

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Jack's Pumpkin Carving Studio," 54600

Since I don't decorate for Halloween with villages, then what do I do for this holiday?  Well, almost every year, when the pumpkins are ripe, I put on my perpetually like-new apron and make a really delicious pumpkin stew, which I serve from the pumpkin itself, which I place in the middle of the table during dinner.

Here is the recipe!  Don't let the ingredients list put you off.  Nothing is exotic, and it makes a lot of stew that can be reheated or frozen.  The only hard part is cleaning out the pumpkin, but you do that for jack-o-lanterns!!

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"1031 Trick-Or-Treat Drive," #55343

I think it would be really cute if you surrounded the pumpkin stew pumpkin with some of your Dept. 56 or Lemax Halloween buildings and accessories, nestled among red and orange and brown fall leaves.  I'll sprinkle some additional pictures of halloween pieces with the recipe, to give you inspiration.

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Pick Your Own Pumpkin," #55244

Pumpkin Stew
A 10-12 lb. pumpkin
¼ C butter
½ C brown sugar
3Tbl. cinnamon
2Tbl. olive oil
2 lbs. lean stew beef
3 Tbl. brandy
1 C onion, chopped
½ C green pepper, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 C beef stock
1 C sherry
3 medium tomatoes, chopped

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Preparing for Halloween," #54982

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

½ tsp. oregano

1-1/2 lb. White potatoes, ½ inch cubes

1-1/2 lb. Sweet potatoes, ½ inch cubes

½ lb. zucchini, ¼ inch slice

3 ears corn, cut in 1-inch rounds

12-16 dried apricots

12-16 prunes, pitted

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Gross...Pumpkin Guts," #4020236

Directions

Prepare the Pumpkin:  About 4 inches down from the stem, slice pumpkin to form a lid about 6-7 inches in diameter.  Clean out inside of pumpkin.  Brush inside of shell with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Harvest Mailbox," #53169

Replace lid on top, set on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 45 min., or until almost tender, but not too soft.  Reserve juices from pumpkin to add to the stew.  (I also scrape out some of the pumpkin meat to put in the stew.  Be careful you don't take too much from any one place, or the  pumpkin skin will become too thin and it will crumple during the final baking. Then you can't serve out of it!)

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Building the Scarecrow," #55203

Prepare the stew:  In large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add beef cut into 1-inch cubes and brown on all sides.  Transfer to a bowl and pour off any fat.  Add brandy and bring to a boil.  

Add and simmer onion, green onion, green pepper, and garlic about 5 min.  Pour in beef stock and sherry and boil briskly, scraping up the cooked bits on the bottom.  Return meat and pumpkin juices to the pan and stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, oregano, and pepper.  Cover pan and simmer over low heat for 15 min.  

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Gathering the Pumpkins," #55200

Add white and sweet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes.  Cook for 15 min. more.  

Stir in Zucchini and cook add’l 10 min. (This is when I add the pumpkin “meat’ with potatoes,etc.  It provides a nice flavor and thickens the stew.)  

Add corn, dried apricots, and prunes.  Cook covered for 5 min. Place pumpkin shell on an oven-proof platter.  Spoon stew into pumpkin shell, replace lid and bake 15 min. Serve the stew from the pumpkin.  Everyone will love it.

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Halloween Pumpkin Stand," # 52956

Vegetarian Option--I have made this stew without meat as often as with meat.  I just substitute 2 pounds of additional vegetables for the 2 pounds of stew beef.  If you use zucchini or other "soft" veggies, be sure and add them just before you add the apricots and prunes, so they don't wilt.  If you use additional white or sweet potatoes or carrots, of course, you add them when potatoes are called for in the recipe.

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Spooky Farmhouse," #55315

Many Thanks to Nancy Allen, who shared this recipe with the PEO Chapter OY, who published it in their unbelievably fabulous cookbook, Stars...Stellar Recipes.  In the book Nancy recounts a dinner party, which I attended, where the pumpkin theme was complemented by white chocolate Cinderella slippers for dessert, filled with champagne. What a event dinner event that was. Unfortunately for cooks, gourmet and those like me, the book is no longer in print.  If you can't find it, keep looking. If you would like a copy of the Pumpkin Stew recipe in a Word document, please email me. 

Part Two: Popular Toys by Decade, from 1960-2010, with Buildings from Dept. 56 and Lemax

(If you haven't seen Part One:  Popular Toys, please scroll down to the Archive.  Click on September.  A new screen will come up, and you have to scroll down to the archive again.  There is a list of articles from September, including Part One on toys.  It chronicles some of the favorite toys from Victoria Times through 1950.)

This blog continues, with popular toys from the 1960's through 2010.  Enjoy!

Dept. 56, North Pole Series,
"North Pole Board Games Factory," p. 389

1960's  This decade sees a continuation of board games and dolls, with just the beginnings of some electronic toys, some manufactured at the "North Pole Board Games Factory!"

1.  Easy Bake Oven-a happy homemaker   image for girls!, 1963
2.  Operation, a board game with a simple     electronic buzzer, 1965
3.  Etch-a-Sketch, 1960
4.  Twister, 1966
5.  GI Joe, dealing with the Vietnam War,  1964
6.  Life, the board game, 1960.  This actually was a game based on a similar one produced exactly 100 years earlier, called The Checkered Game of Life.  It spawned a book called The Game of life:  How to succeed in Real Life No Matter Where You Land.

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Hot Wheels Custom Car Shop,"  #56784

7.  Hot Wheels, 1967.  Introduced by Mattel in 1968 as a competitor to Matchbox, until Mattel acquired Matchbox in 1996.  The original die-cast cars were about 1:64 scale.  Roughly 10,000 or more different models of Hot Wheel Cars have been produced over the years.  Car makers such as GM, Ford, Chrysler, Ferrari, Mazda, and Toyota have al authorizedHot Wheels to make scale models of their cars.
8.  Ray Guns  Inspired by 1960's science fiction, these guns beeped, whizzed and banged.  They were given in love by parents who wanted to inspire the imagination of their children, then hidden when the kids actually used them to torment their sibs.
(http://santamail.com/1960s/toy4-Ray-Gun.htm and
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/toys.html)

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Marie's Doll Museum," #56408

1970's
1.  Cabbage Patch Kids, first created by art student Xavier Roberts, that was introduced in 1978, but became a craze in the 1980's. Parents scrambled to find them in time for Christmas, year after year, unfathomably.  Some found them at the shop at Marie's Doll Museum.
2.  Rubik's Cube, 1974
3.  Pong, from Atari, introduced into arcades in 1972 and homes in 1975.
4.  Star Wars Action Figures, first sold in 1977, inspired by the Star Wars franchise.
5. Battlestar Galactica Figures, based on the 1970's TV show.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Anne Shaw Toys," #59390

6. My Baby Beth, topped many Christmas wish-lists, 1978. Parents loved browsing at Anne Shaw Toys for dolls.
7.  Slime, 1976.
8.  Skateboards, 1972, an orthopedist's dream.
9.  Nerf toys, 1990, finally, kids could have a ball indoors.
10.  Pet Rock, 1975.
(http://yellowmagpie.com/about-1970s-toys-still-popular-to-this-day/ & http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/toys.html)

Lemax Collectibles,
"Toy Emportium," #95825

1980's
1.  Care Bears, 1983.  Originally Care Bears was introduced by American Greetings for greeting cards, based on the original artwork by Elena Kucharik. The Toy Emporium had a good selection.
2.  Masters of the Universe, 1981.  The franchise has launched 6 lines of action figures, 4 animated tv series, comic series, and a film. (Source: Wikipedia.)
3.  My Little Pony, 1982 and 3, including Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus, Sea, Rainbow, So-Soft, and Brush n'Glow Ponies, Pony Friends, and Baby Ponies.  Oh, I loved these, and bought so many for my girls.
4. Pound Puppies, released in 1985 in the US by Tonka.  One poll found that 98% of mothers were aware of the brand! Over 5 years the toys generated $300 million in 35 countries. (Source:  Wikipedia and http://askville.amazon.com/pound-puppies/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=12259934)

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Arctic Game Station," #56779

5.  Nintendo Game Boy, 1989.  Upon its release, it sold its entire shipment of one million units within weeks. (Source:  Wikipedia.) Parents saved money because their kids didn't spend so much time in arcades, like the Arctic Game Station
6. She-Ra, 1985, a Mattel toy line that was marketed through the animated tv series, a spinoff of Filmatron's popular He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series. She-Rah-Rah?)
7.  Teddy Ruxpin, 1985, best--selling toy in 1985 and '86.  It was animated, story-telling bear that featured a cassette deck in his back.
8. Atari's Space Invaders
9.  Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1980's  "Heroes in a half shell, Turtle Power!"
(Source:  http://www.liketotally80s.com/80s-toys.html)

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Polar Roller Rink," #56764

1990's
1.  Tamagotchi, 1996, a handheld digital pet. ??? One must ask why??? You hatch an egg (on the digital screen,) give the toy a name, feed it, and raise it, put it to bed, and if it is uncared for, it will die.  Not soon enough.
2.  Rollerblades, late 1980's.  They were originally developed for use by a Russian ice skater who was training on solid ground.  Because the rollers were all in a row, rather than in front and back sets, as in roller skates, rollerblades are also called inline skates.  Rollerblades could be used on sidewalks or in rinks, like the Polar Roller Rink.
3. Beanie Babies, 1993, first introduced 9 animals, a dog, a platypus, a mosse, a bear, a dophin, a frog, a lobster, and whale, and a pig. Only when they retired 11 Beanie Babies in 1996 did they become a collector's item.

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Sesame Street Building," #56799

4.  Tickle Me Elmo, 1996.  Based on the Sesame Street character Elmo, our red friend at least made you smile.  If you squeezed him once, he chortled.  Squeezed him three times, he shook and laughed hysterically.  And parents lined up in droves for the short supplies!  Fortunately the Sesame Street Building had adequate inventory.
5.  Power Rangers, 1993  This is a whole franchise built around a live action children's tv series featuring costumed heroes.  It has succeeded beyond belief:  19 tv seasons with 16 different series and two films.  Wow.
6.  Teletubbies, 1997.  Again, why?  Why?  A chubby creature with a tv in its stomach? With the names Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po? No.

Lemax Collection,
"Christmas Wonderland Toy Store," # 05070

7.  Magic Eye, 1993-Remember these books, first released in the US by Andrews and McMeel, which spent a total of 73 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List?  They feature patterns that are two dimensional that have a three-dimensional image hidden within.   You have to stare at it, slightly blur your eyes, and hope that your mind takes over and lets you see the 3-d image.  If you would like to see some of these images, try this website: http://www.magiceye.com/samples.html  The Christmas Wonderland Toy Store carried a large, dizzying selection!
8.  POGs, 1991. Game discs I didn't understand then, don't understand now, and don't want to.
9.  Furby, 1998
10.  Bob the Builder, 1998.  If I had a grandkid, boy or girl, this is what I would buy!

(Sources: http://www.drtoy.com/toy_history/toy_history_timeline.html and Wikipedia.)

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Robbie's Robot Factory," #799998

2000's-The Decade of Toy Technology.  Sadly, I could find virtually no Christmas Village pieces that reflect this huge part of our lives.
1.  Teksta (Tekno), 2000.  One of the first popular automated robotic dogs, Teksta Puppy walked, barked, talked, and could even learn a few tricks.  He also attracted a lot of buyers....(maybe at Robbie's Robot Factory, to the left!)
2. iPod, 2001.  The iPod fueled a toy revolution, a music revolution, and a stock price explosion.  By 2009, over 220 million iPods had been sold.
3.  Nintendo Wii, 2006.  The Nintendo video game console competes head-on with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, and in 2009 broke the record for the best-selling console in a single month.

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Santa's Toy Company," #56893

4.  20Q  I listed it in the 200's, because in this decade it was named the top "Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year," the "Oppenheim Platinum Toy Award," and the Canadian Toy Testing Council's "Energizer Toy of the Year."  20Q asks the player to think of something.  The game then poses a series of 20 questions before making a guess about what the player is thinking, and 98% of the time 20Q is correct!  Santa's Toy Company was the only source for many popular electronic toys.
5.  Zu Zhu Pets, 2009.  More robotic animals, but this time a hamster that coos and purrs and explores and runs.  The Pets, with names like Chunk, PipSqueak, Mr. Squiggles, and Num Nums, were also sold with sets of customized habitats.

6.  Leapfrog Leapster, 2003.  A best-selling education hand-held device aimed at 4-10 year olds that teaches basic educational subjects like the alphabet, phonics, and basic math.

7.  Robosapien, 2004. A sophisticated robot that fuses technology and personality, who can walk, run, turn, grip, motion, kick, belch, rap, and more, in response to remote control.  They have even held Robosapien soccer contests!

8.  Bratz, 2001.  A series of 4 original dolls called Bratz were issued in 2001, named Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin, and by 2006 Bratz held 40% of the fashion doll market.
9.  Thunderbirds Tracy Island--Try as I could, I could not find a release date for this popular toy where children can pretend to use advanced technological toys to thwart evil and do good.

Part One : Popular Toys by Decade, with Lemax and Dept. 56

Toys....Toys....TOYS

Lemax Collection,
"Toy Palace," #45093

Many of us define our best Christmases by the toys we found under the tree when we were children.  I remember my best Christmas.  I must have been about 4 or 5 years old.  Our bedroom was off the living room, and the tree was outside our door and to the left.  It was dark and it was cold and my brother and I were in the room together, whispering, trying to decide if we could go out.  Finally, my parents tapped on the door, and it was time. We ran around the corner, screaming, heading for the tree and the cache of Christmas toys.  I didn't know it at the time, but I know it now.  It was the best Christmas ever.  A red Flyer wagon!  A sled! A small bike with training wheels! A doll in a high chair!  And there were other packages concealing toys I don't even remember.  A haul.  A haul of everything  a 4 year-old could image possible.

Dept. 56, New England Village,
"Christmas Valley Toys and Dolls," #56677

I also remember my worst Christmas, at least in terms of presents.  I was probably old enough to be in junior high or high school.  Maybe the year was bad for my parents, and they didn't have as much money.  Maybe I had reached an age where they no longer understood me and what I wanted. Maybe I had changed and the old thrill was waning and I didn't even know it.  In any event, I remember a terrible letdown after opening my presents.  There were no surprises.  No fun and interesting new things.  Nothing I could call my best friend about.  An hour or so later I thought I must be missing something.  I went through the short pile again, and the best gift was a white slip.  A slip.  A white slip.  No, I still think it was a disappointing Christmas.  I don't know why, but it was, and still is.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"A New Bike for Christmas," #53409

You may think that, after many decades of living and working, much experience raising children, and a masters in humanities, that I should equate Christmas with something other than presents.  Of course I do now.  But my "memories" are of childhood excitement and joy and expectation and fulfillment, not of profound assumptions and concise logic.  My memories are of rushing and shouting and laughing and playing, not discussing the true values of Christmas.  I was a kid then!

Lemax Collection,
"Kringle's Toy Shop," #65395

So I started thinking: what toys were the most popular Christmas presents in decades past?  And when were some of our favorite and historic toys introduced?  I uncovered some surprises, which I enjoyed.  Hope you do too!

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Santa Comes to Town-2007," #55428

I have created a list of the most popular toys produced in every decade from the Victorian Age to the present.  The list was really long, so I am splitting it into two blogs.  In this blog, you will find the toys that children might have received for Christmas from Victorian times through the 1950's.  In several days I will put out a second blog, which I think is even more interesting, about popular toys from the 1960's through the present.

Dept. 56, Alpine Village,
"Spielzeug Laden," #56192

Information about the toys discussed in this blog came from two primary sources:   http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/toys.html and http://www.drtoy.com/toy_history/toy_history_timeline.html.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Noah's Stuffed Animals," #799990

Victorian Times  If you were born with a silver spoon in Victorian England, you might have received Christmas presents from a real toy store like  J.D. Nichols, to the right.  Some of the toys offered:
1. A rocking horse dappled gray, with a mane and tail made from real horse hair
2.  A factory-made train set
3.  A factory-made toy soldiers
4.  A factory-made doll
5.  A Doll houses with toy fruit and vegetables, hats, and medicines inside
6.  A soft toy produced by Gund
7.  A set of Noah's Ark.  (Children were not allowed to play with toys on Sundays in Victorian times, unless the toys had something to do with religion.  Hence, the popularity of Noah's Ark figures, because they represented a story from the Bible and could be played with on the Sabbath.)

Lemax Collection,
"Toy Peddler," #62316

If you were a poor child in Victoria England, you might have received the following Christmas present:
1.  A doll made with clothes pegs
2.  A carved wooden boat
3.  A ball made from rags stuffed with dust.
4.  A  cheap factory-made toy, purchased from a market stall, like the ones shown in the Lemax "Toy Peddler," to the left.

Lemax Collection,
"Boys v. Girls," #74677

On the other hand,  poor and rich alike could play outdoor games, including tug-a-war, shown in the Lemax "Boys v Girls," to the right. Other games:
1.  Marbles
2.  Hoops
3.  Ball games, even football (soccer,) using a blown-up pig's bladder for the ball.
4.  Tiddlywinks, which became a craze in the 1890's!

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Lionel Electric Train Shop," #54947

Toys in 1900 To 1920  The early 20th century produced an explosion of marvelous popular toys.  The building of Scottie's Toy Shop, pictured left, has the date 1904.  And here is a blockbuster list of toys that would have been available:
1.  Teddy Bears, 1903, approximately
2.  Erector Set, 1913
3.  Lionel Trains,1900, a big event for model train and miniature village collectors!
4.  Lincoln Logs, created by the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lloyd Wright! 1916
5.  Raggedy Ann
6.  Radio Flyer Wagon
7.  Tinker Toys, 1914
8.  Crayons, 1903
9.  Tin Toys (wind-up toys), early 1900's
10. "Sorry," trademarked in 1929

Dept. 56, Christmas in the City,
"Topsy's Toys," #799995

Toys 1920 to 1940-Though the US was in the middle of a recession, a few toys were introduced.
1.  Madame Alexander Dolls, 1929
2. Yo-yo's, 1929
3.  Miniature golf, 1926
4.  Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938
5.  Monopoly, 1934, though there were predecedessors dating from the early 1900's
6.  Baby stacking rings, 1930
7. View Master, 1939

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"LEGO Building Creation Station," #56735 

1940's Through the war years, toy production was specialized and profitable.
1.  Chutes and Ladders Board Game, 1943
2.  Silly putty
3.  Tonka Dump Truck, 1949
4.   Little Goldenbooks, 1942
5.  The Slinky, 1945
6.  Candyland, 1949
7.  Legos, 1949 (plastic interlocking bricks first introduced.)

Dept. 56, North Pole,
"Barbie Boutique," #56739

1950's  Just look at this list!
1.  Mr. Potato Head, 1952
2.  Hula Hoop (Started as a bamboo exercise ring in Australia, until Sham-O made it in plastic and introduced it in 1958, as the hula hoop!)
3.  Frisbees, 1957
4.  Ant Farms, 1956
5.  Barbie Dolls, 1959









REMEMBER!  Check back in a few days to find lists of the popular toys, listed by decades and years, from the 1960's through 2010!

SECOND LIST of Ten Best Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween

I had so much fun with my previous post, Best 10 Belly-Laugh-Inducing Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Series, that I vowed to inflict upon you my second list...which, honestly, contains some items that probably should have been on my first list.  All college football scouts know that sometimes their top drafts are overshadowed by walk-ons....

Therefore, please enjoy my Second Best 10 "Walk-On" Puns in Department 56 Snow Village Halloween Series!

Depat. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Lady and the Vamp," #809390

#10:  "Lady and the Vamp", #809390 As far as I can make out, this vignette combines three stories:  Lady and the Tramp, because of its name only; Dracula, because that is what he looks like in every Halloween costume and bad horror movie made; and Cinderella, with her long blond hair, baby blue dress, and association with going to sleep....but will she wake up to a kiss...or a bite....tee hee. Department 56 Original Snow Village Halloween Lady and the Vamp Accessory Figurine

Bela Lugosi as Dracula,
Image from
www.draculas.info/gallery

Nice details include the bat hovering in front of the motorcycle, the Transylvania rode marker, the sidecar oozing blood, and oh, yes, it is very politically correct that maybe-Mina is wearing a leather helmut!

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Hanging Around," #53214

#9:  "Hanging Around", #53214:  This old fella is getting ready to climb on the rickety picket fence and just hang around on Halloween night. This guy's got a noose loose, though.  His friend, the hissing black cat, is warning us to just leave him alone--he wants to make it back up on his own.  Department 56 Hanging Around

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Made to Be Wild," #809381

#8:  "Made to the Wild", #809381:  The pun "Made to the Wild..." doesn't really flow, but it's a nice piece.  The Frankenstein Monster, made, not born, is straddling the motorcycle, presumably his bride riding second.  The motorcycle's light is in the mouth of a skull, and the steeing mechanism is structured from chains.  It's amazing how friendly the monster looks, and his gal is having a lot of fun. Department 56 Original Snow Village Halloween Made to be Wild Accessory Figurine

1931 movie poster,
owned by Stephen Fishler,
image source:
www,universalmonstersblog.tumblr.com/

By the way, this is a copy of the only extant full-color, 6-sheet movie poster of the 1931 film.  It is the most valuable movie poster in existence, and is owned by Stephen Fishler, a New York poster Collector.

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Bone to Be Wild," #53221

#7. Bone to be Wild, #53221  Another take-off on the same pun, but this is cuter. This "Bone" is clearly at the other end of life than "Born!"  In fact, he's at a "dead end."   Our rider's skeletal frame shows through his torn pantleg, and his boney hands grip the horns of the rams-head handlebars. (Georgia O-Keefe would have loved this!)  Even the steering mechanism is composted of stainless skeletal arms, and the tires have spider webs.  I wonder what is under the back wheel of this the devil-may-(not)-care rider!  I also wonder if this is a nod to a Halloween Hog, but I'm not operating on enough cylinders to know. Department 56 Bone To Be Wild

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Lazy Bones," #810634

#6. "Lazy Bones," #810634:  Apparently mowing the lawn made our good friend Bones dead tired.  He may be dead to the world for the moment, but he may also be at a dead end if the vulture perched at the foot thinks he's really dead in his tracks.  Dead as a doornail, that one.  And I'm dead serious that I'm dead certain about this. Department 56 Lazy Bones

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Killing Time," #53164

#5.  Killing Time, #53164:  More Bones. This time the gent is hung up on Halloween....tee hee.....and he's hung up in a bat-tree sort of way.  Bones' body is trying to get a head if the noose makes him lose his own, and the bodiless jack-o-lantern above is the perfect replacement if his own cranium is caput !  Just lovely, that gnarly tree. Department 56 Killing Time

Dept 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Graveyard Shift," #810637

#4.  "Graveyard Shift," #810637  These two guys don't have to work at night to work the graveyard shift. And in this case, they have gotten a head on the job. Again, no poetic 'Oh, Yorick, I knew thee...."  But in this case, the sitting grave digger is scared to death, or maybe sick to death, of skulls.  At least he isn't bored stiff like those he's planting. Department 56 Graveyard Shift

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Halloween Rat Race," #53226

#3. "Halloween Rat Race," #53226:  Three rats are in the race of their lives this halloween, and hot on their tail is a broom-wielding witch and her hungry cat.  Of course, the cat's ahead of the witch.  He's more motivated, because if he loses the race, the rats go in the brew and the cat's lost both the race and the prize.  What both the wtich and the cat are missing is the spectator rat who is peeping out his hole, watching the live action. Department 56 Halloween Rat Race

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Chilled to the Bone," #809380

#2.  "Chilled to the Bone," #809380:  Of course our character is Chilled to the Bones.  He's standing in a frozen puddle and his umbrella is so shredded it offers no protection.  And he has no clothes on; it's a bare bones situation. The cat's concerned, and the crow has a feeling in HIS bones that this is going to work out A-OK. I have no bone to pick with this piece. Chilled To The Bone

....And #1 on my SECOND BEST LIST OF "WALKD ON" PUNS...

Dept. 56, Snow Village Halloween,
"Skeleton Crew,"  #53243

"Skeleton Crew," #53243  Our fella is certainly a skeleton crew, all alone out there in the boat, except for the vulture who might have picked him clean.  And the way tires are biting, our thin lad may not put any weight on, for all his fishing.  But don't give up on him.  He has all the accouterments for a fine fishing trip, nice hat with flies hooked into it, a bobber on his line, and a boat named SnowVillageHalloween10(Oct.)31.  And best of all, replacements are the way to relieve our skeleton crew.... why else would a bony hand be holding on to the anchor?  And why would the vulture be so interested? Department 56 Skeleton Crew