I have nothing new to report on locally besides our continued preparations for Samhain, and my continued hopes that the weather will still be good in a few weeks!

Well, I take that back. I did an interview with a reporter from AnnArbor.com (the descendant of our now-defunct local newspaper the Ann Arbor News) about our Grove's Samhain traditions. She told me she was hoping to write a piece comparing what we did with other area pagan groups, and in turn what some of the Christian and other non-pagan churches were doing, but apparently I was one of the very few people who got back to her about being interviewed, so we may get a larger share of the article than we'd expected. I'll post the URL in the comments here when the article goes online.

But the biggest news item for the week isn't local, nor is it good: Isaac Bonewits, ADF's distinguished founder (or "Extinguished Flounder"), has been diagnosed with colon cancer and is currently in the hospital awaiting further test results. Please keep both Isaac and his wife Phaedra in your thoughts and prayers, and you can check here for updates on their status: http://www.facebook.com/isaac.phaedra.bonewits

In the meantime, happy Halloween to everyone, and if you celebrate on the "official" date of November 1st, a blessed Samhain to you!

Rev. Rob Henderson
Senior Druid, Shining Lakes Grove, ADF

Quick follow-up: While the interview I mention here didn't make it into any article, I did another interview later in the week that did: http://www.annarbor.com/faith/witches-and-pumpkins-and-a-celtic-new-year-local-pagan-reverend-explains-halloweens-history-and-mode/