Miss Jo's San Francisco

ON A MORNING WALK, MISS JO WANDERED AROUND HER GLEN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE how houses are decorated for Halloween, which really is just her dress rehearsal for celebrating Day of the Dead on Monday, Nov. 2, in the Mission.

Perhaps it’s the continued down economy, but compared to last year, there seemed like fewer houses had gone all out, with two exceptions. One was on Chenery Street, between the village and Glen Canyon, where a pirate ship, Los Muertos, looms large with skeleton sailors waving bayonets, ghosts flying overhead and a treasure chest spilling over with doubloons. Nearby on Brompton Street, a family of skeletons sits in a tableau by the garage, surrounded by psychedelic spider webs, which also creep over the side of the house.

There were doorsteps with artfully carved pumpkins and several giant spiders crawling up walls and bushes— all reassuring Miss Jo that San Franciscans hadn’t lost their knack for artistic self expression.

One house on Chenery had a pumpkin and sign in the window advocating “Universal Healthcare for Everyone Now.” It reminded Miss Jo of the days after President Obama was elected, when poetic celebratory signs, some just pen on copy paper, were displayed in windows and on doors. The best commentary that week was on 30th Street @ Chenery where a large banner in a window at first looked like a popular kids’ book, but was titled “Goodnight Bush.”

Feeling creepy crawly, Miss Jo scurried home and joined Jeff to open their Halloween and Day of the Dead box.

Seeing decorations after a year is like seeing old friends. The two Js’ Halloween favorites are painted, wood pumpkins and black cats made by Tony Cichielo, who’s also behind the pair of eyes in the photo of their kitchen window at the top of this post.

A self-taught painter and illustrator with a Charles Addams sense of humor, Tony lives in Bethpage, N.Y., long retired as bell captain at the Algonquin Hotel, where he met Jeff’s late mom, Virginia, who ran the hotel coat concession in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The two Js call Tony’s artwork “Tony Familiars,” and they are fortunate to have many of them for most holidays. One thing almost all familiars have in common are black cats that are likenesses of Bubba, 18, the two Js’ kitty who used to live with Virginia.

It’s in memory of familia and friends past that they’ll spend the next few days assembling a Day of the Dead altar on the kitchen table, with photos, mementos, favorite eats and drink of the dearly departed, along with lots of marigolds. It will be beautiful. Photos by Miss Jo