My spooktacular Halloween countdown starts Tuesday!

I've been blogging a few years now—and I have to admit, I'm proud of my commitment. Coming up with things to blog about isn't always easy, though—except at a couple of key times of year. One of those times starts next week with

Superman Duffy's Annual Halloween Countdown

Yup, that's right—31 blog posts to celebrate the most spooktacular time of the year. I'll write about Halloween traditions and history, share some of my favourite ghostly stories, indulge in creeptastic treats, dive into some crafts, and post about some of the events my family plans to attend throughout the month. I'll even show some pics of our yard—Dad always goes all out with the animated props.

It's no secret I love Halloween—and by the number of you that post on my blog during October, or send me messages, I don't think I'm alone.

I'm kicking things off Tuesday with pumpkins—but what exactly I'm going to write about is a bit of a secret. You'll just have to check out the blog to find out more. And hey, if you have a Halloween countdown blog, or you know someone that does, shoot me a link (or post it in the comments)—I love reading about how others are celebrating the most spooktacular time of year.

Gotta jet—I have a lot of blog planning to do this weekend. Which might not be a bad idea since we're expecting—gulp—snow (SNOW) tomorrow. Brrr. Time to cozy up.

See you next week!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Can you guess the origins of these famous sayings?

We started learning about "fables" in Language Arts this week—but of course, I'm pretty well versed in them. Not just because I like to write (and fables are a cool storytelling method), but also because the sixth book in the Superman Duffy series of graphic novels—Cut! To the Chase... is actually a re-telling of Aesop's classic tale, The Tortoise and the Hare.

You probably know that story—the whole who wins the race, the supposedly fast rabbit, or the sluggish turtle idea—but some of Aesop's other fables might not be as common to you. What is, though, are some of the sayings that originated from his stories, the kind we use in our everyday language.

For instance, “Slow and steady wins the race” is obviously from The Tortoise and the Hare. But, did you know that “Honesty is the best policy” is from Aesop’s tale Mercury and the Woodsman, or that “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” is from the story, The Mountain in Labor?

My parents are always telling me not to “count my chickens before they hatch”—they probably doesn’t even realize that expression comes from Aesop’s fable, The Milkmaid and her Pail. And sometimes, I forget to “look before you leap” which is, you guessed it, another expression from an Aesop story, The Fox and the Goat.

“Birds of a feather flock together” comes from the Farmer and the Stork and to have “sour grapes” was first used in Aesop’s tale, The Fox and the Grapes. Who knew? Well, I guess we all do, now, right?

Huh. Aesop really did write a lot about animals! I guess it comes down to “quality, not quantity”— <grin> see what I did there? That saying is from Aesop’s tale, The Lioness and the Vixen.

Gotta jet! I'd say I'm planning to spend the weekend reading more of Aesop's stories but it's supposed to be nice—maybe one of the last nice weekends before the cold snap hits, so I'm going to spend as much time outdoors as I can. Be safe and have fun!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Are you very superstitious?

If you're the superstitious type, today might be a challenging day for you. Not only is it Friday the 13th—dun dun dun—it's also a full moon. A double whammy!

Which is scary...for some people, I guess. Not me, though. This "double whammy" is just gearing me up for Halloween, my favourite time of year. (Don't miss my Halloween countdown, starting October 1...31 days of spooktacular crafts, recipes, tricks and treats!)

In honour of the day, I've decided to list 13 common superstitions. Which ones are you most superstitious about?

1. Black cats
Apparently you're doomed to bad luck if a black cat crosses your path, but my friend Sophie has one, and I think it's really cute.

2. Mirrors
If you break a mirror, it's supposed to mean seven years of luck. I'm not sure how true this is because I've never broken one...but I'd probably be more afraid of cutting myself than having bad luck.

3. Ladders
Okay, so maybe walking under a ladder is considered bad luck but in my opinion, it's just a bad decision. Seriously, what good could come from that?

4. Salt
If you spill salt, you're suppose to throw it over your shoulder to avoid getting bad luck—which seems a little messy. I don't think my parents would appreciate it either.

4. Purses
You should never leave your purse on the floor if you want to avoid bad luck. If this is true, my mom is in for a lot of bad luck. Dad always tells her to put it on her chair but I think that's just so it doesn't get dirty.

5. 6.66
If a bill total $6.66 or you receive that much change you're supposed to add a penny to round it up and avoid bad luck—but that's not much of a problem in Canada anymore. We don't have pennies and prices are always rounded up!

6. Umbrellas
Opening an umbrella indoors is said to bring bad luck. No problem there, I don't even own an umbrella!

7. Cutting Your Hair
If you cut your hair on Friday the 13th, legend says someone in your family will fall ill. That's probably just a myth...but I'm not chancing it.

8. Funerals
Some believe that if a funeral procession passes you on Friday the 13th, you will be the next to die. Another myth, I'm sure. But just to be safe, I'll steer clear of them today.

9. Babies
A child born on Friday the 13th is said to be unlucky for life. I know for sure this isn't true—my arch nemesis on the track team, "Lightning," was born on a Friday the 13th and he's one of the luckiest boys I know...I mean, that's pretty much how he beats me on the track.

10. Floor 13
Many hotels and hospitals have eliminated floor 13 in their elevators to eliminate bad luck. But if you're staying on floor 14, isn't it really 13? Just saying.

11. Cemeteries
To avoid bad luck when passing a cemetery, you're suppose to hold your breath until you see a black or brown dog. But what if there isn't one around?

12. Getting Out of Bed
To avoid bad luck, you're suppose to get out of the same side of the bed you got into. I guess I'm destined for good luck then, since I always do this...not because of superstition though. It's just habit.

13. Number 13
Many believe the number 13 is bad luck. The singer Taylor Swift disagrees, though, and says it's her lucky number. Not only was she born on the 13th, she turned 13 on the 13th, and her first album went gold in 13 weeks.

You can always spin around seven times to break any bad luck, but you'll have to worry about what you look like to those around you. It may be easier to carry a rabbit's foot or a four leaf clover (if you can find one!)

Whether you're superstitious or not, I hope today brings you all kinds of good luck!

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy.

Celebrating my awesome grandparents this weekend

Did you know that this Sunday is Grandparent’s Day?

Don’t worry if you didn’t—it’s not as well known as Mother and Father’s Day, and it's only been a couple of years that our family started celebrating it. Apparently, way back in 1970, a lady from the United States came up with the idea to set aside a day to encourage families to visit their elderly relatives. It took eight years for it to become official, but now there’s even a song—but no, I won't be singing it.

Not even to my grandparents—who would probably cover their ears if I tried. I'm a terrible singer.

But I am going to visit them again, and not because it's Grandparents Day. Mom will make a big dinner (and Grandma won't be able to stop herself from helping), while Grandpa, Dad, and I work on a new soap box racing car. Don't know what that is? Here's a picture. (If you have the Superman Duffy graphic novel Gotta Jet! there are instructions at the back on how to make one—you can order the book from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission here.)

Dad says I'm pretty lucky to have such a great relationship with my grandparents, and I agree. But I sometimes wish I'd had a chance to meet my dad's parents...they died before I was born.

Anyway, I should go—it's the last day of school this week before a fun weekend full of hanging out with my family. I can't wait!

How about you? Are you planning anything special for your Grandparent’s this Sunday?

Gotta Jet! Have a great week.

~ Chase Superman Duffy