Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, October 2, 2026
Every October Shelley and I are curious to see what our neighbors far and near will put up for Halloween. This may very well be bare-faced hypocrisy on our part, because we ourselves are not decoration-putter-uppers (never having had kids). But we do enjoy speculating about what will sprout up on the lawns around us. From past years we often remember which display which neighbor erected, and in one sad situation we have seen a large house which its owner decorated for as many holidays as possible (Halloween, Christmas, Easter). But suddenly the decorations ceased. We think the owner died, and the house may have been sold to a less demonstrative family.
And gradually this year, the spooky décor is once more emerging, with some creative twists. Wednesday of this week I saw for the first time the above skeletal display. What was so charming was that these two skeletons aren’t leaping out at you trying to scare you. Instead, they’re reclining at leisure on a couple of rocking chairs, and the erectors have positioned their arms and hands as though they’re gesturing their way through a friendly conversation.
With the “fright-feature” removed, I found myself focusing on the structures. I don’t often think of it, but beneath our clothing and skin, we are superbly-designed structures, able to move at will, or just pause and rest. We are wonderfully made.
And as owners of our personal mobility machines, we need to take care of them, just as my Toyota is due next week for its 110,000 mile service.
And our Creator has provided us a detailed owners’ manual for our bodies and minds – the Bible. Check out some vital care tips at the link below.