My Thoughts

GlowNStroll in Albuquerque: A Great Halloween Tradition!

Larada Horner-Miller
GlowNStroll Banner

The GlowNStroll had its premier last year at the Albuquerque Garden Center. What a smashing success it was! And they had a repeat performance this year!

GlowNStroll, 2023

Last year, Lin and I had a blast dressing up for the first GlowNStroll at the Albuquerque Garden Center. The garden center houses sixteen different flower clubs, and each club decorated a section of their garden with spooky Halloween decorations. Families and couples came in droves to enjoy this new activity.

Lin dressed in his frock coat and hat. I donned my flapper girl dress. I handed out candy and interacted with the children. Lin and other club members answered any questions about the garden center and/or specific clubs.

Here’s a list of the sixteen clubs housed at the Albuquerque Garden Center:

GlowNStroll - List of garden clubs

Last year, the weather cooperated, making it a memorable evening in the cool New Mexico October star-studded night. Food vendors provided many delicious choices for the crowd. Also we enjoyed live music.

As the night progressed, the line to get into the garden lengthened. They realized their first event was a smashing success. When the dust settled, over 900 visitors enjoyed their pre-Halloween celebration.

GlowNStroll, 2024

Fast-forward to October, 2024. Last night, the second GlowNStroll occurred in a cool October New Mexico evening. I didn’t get to go because of my leg wound—it’s a lot of standing which I can’t do. Also, Lin and I were concerned it would be too cold and it was! I had bought a woman’s pirate outfit last week—I’ll have to decide whether I take it back or keep it for a future Halloween.

But Lin dressed up with an eye patch, red bandanna and a bloody sword! The club members wore pirate costumes, so Lin really got into it.

Lin dressed up as a pirate for the GlowNStroll
Lin dressed up as a pirate
Lin ready to capture you!

The members started decorating the garden on Friday morning—they really go all out with the decorations. They had a good turnout last night with families enjoying the GlowNStroll once again.

Hopefully it will be continued, so my Albuquerque friends, keep your eyes open for the event date for next year.

My Halloween History

I have always loved Halloween and the craziness that goes with it. As a child, we enjoyed the scary Vincent Price movie, “House on the Haunted Hill,” at the school on Halloween afternoon. Then we dressed up and enjoyed the wonderful tradition of “trick or treating” when we never worried about the candy being tainted. Our neighbors enjoyed our costumes and gave us more than candy—sometimes hot cider or hot chocolate!

When I attended Colorado State University much later, a group of students went to Boulder near Halloween for the Pearl Street “Mall Crawl.” I invited an international student from Mexico who I was working with to join us. His facial expressions captioned all the shock and awe I felt at the adult costumes and craziness.

When Lin and I held offices at Duke City Singles and Doubles Square Dance Club, our club members fully participated in the holiday with fantastic costumes! I love it when adults let their guard down and participate.

Finally, New Mexico has great Halloween traditions: La Llorona and Día De Los Muertos. New Mexicans really get this holiday. After a second GlowNStroll this year to get us ready for Halloween, what are your plans for a spooky evening on Halloween? Be sure to be safe and enjoy!

POETRY BOOK UPDATE:

is my truth universal? book cover
My Final Book Cover

I am waiting to get my chapbook to be FREE on Amazon. It’s quite a task for sure! As soon as it becomes free, I will let you know. Then I will publish the first book in the four-book poetry series, Was It a Dream? So there’s lots coming—all ready for Christmas gifts!

NOTICE:

Hopefully, next week you will receive this blog from a different email provider. I am changing from MailChimp, the program I have used for years, to Mailerlite. Let me know if you have any problems with it or any questions!

Podcasts & My Interviews

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

Published by Larada Horner-Miller

Larada Horner-Miller is a poet, essayist and accomplished multi-genre author who holds a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Spanish and a master of education degree in Integrating Technology into the Classroom. She is the accomplished author of eight award-winning biographies, historical fiction, memoir, and poetry works and three audiobook’s plus three self-published cookbooks. Her most recent book, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry is a finalist in the Global Book Awards. As is our book released last year, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir. Horner-Miller has also been a past national presenter at the Women Writing the West Conference and is currently the creator of Memoir Workshops for others who want to share their family’s legacies through words. Larada and her husband, Lin, enjoy being nestled in the mountains above Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the village of Tijeras. When not writing books, this passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic woman loves to spend time kicking up her heels at square dancing gatherings, traveling, knitting, and reading. As co-manager of her family’s southeastern Colorado ranch, she enjoys spending time exploring her family’s historic ranch and reminiscing with her brother and his children about their mom, dad, and granddad.

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