MISS PIGGY AND DRACULA—HALLOWEEN MEMORIES. Kids, I checked the blog archives and found out that I have not posted about the first of the two times we marched in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. I was Dracula that first time, in a black cape with a scarlet lining that my mother had made for Mary Jane. Mary Jane powdered my hair white and made up my face to a sickly greenish white with red blood make up trickling from the side of my mouth. Mary Jane was a cute white bunny rabbit.
The parade then seemed to be primarily for children, who were there in costume (if you ever need an idea for a costume, a hula hoop and aluminum foil can be turned into a serviceable Hershey”s Kiss.) While I was Dracula, I encountered a little girl dressed as a witch who expressed concern about the red near my mouth. I told her I was afraid of witches, and she smiled.
I posted here about the second year we marched. Mary Jane was Miss Piggy, with a very good store-bought mask, and I was the Swedish Chef, my favorite Muppet character. It was the only time in my life that I had a feeling for what it is like to be a celebrity—or at least the escort of a celebrity. Children were beside themselves that Miss Piggy was in the parade.
These are great stories, but they gloss over a crucial point–Grandma Schaefer made mom a cape?
Grandma Schaefer made a cape at the same time for Mary and one for Margo, with different color schemes. Mary Jane found a lot of use for her cape over the years.