07.12
This Halloween craft project is similar to a Christmas snow globe, although the liquid used in the jar is clear corn syrup. It’s a great project for preschoolers, with the help of an adult. Watch for more “…in a jar” projects to come!
Materials:
Instructions:
1. Add a layer of marbles or aquarium gravel to the bottom of the jar.
2. Add a selection of Halloween confetti pieces.
3. Coat the inside of the lid with silicone caulk, almost to the edges. Press pebbles or gravel into the silicone to create the “ground”. Glue your Halloween figure to the center. If using a decorating pick, break all but about 1/4 inch of the “stem” off with a pliers and insert the remaining stub into the silicone, to secure it.
4. Pour in clear corn syrup to fill the jar. If you are adding a figure glued to the lid, remember to allow space for this so the syrup doesn’t overflow.
5. Screw on the lid and invert the jar. For safety’s sake, you can run a bead of silicone caulking around the lid to secure it permanently. Activate your Halloween scene by shaking or inverting the jar so you can see the confetti and marbles floating slowly around.
Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate forces, was heartened by recent victories and convinced President Jefferson Davis that it was time to take the pressure off the south, and take the war to the north. Moving in secret, and using the mountains as a shield, he marched his troops into the Shenandoah Valley. Skirmishes happened along the way, but the Confederate army was undaunted. In the meantime, the Union army, which had been concentrated in Virginia, under the leadership of General George Meade, became aware that Confederate troops were on the move, and they turned their attention back to the north. On June 28th, the Confederates crossed into Union territory, and although still widely scattered, were moving to converge on the Pennsylvania capital at Harrisburg. Although General Lee was informed that the Federal army was wise to his plan, neither army had any idea of the location of the other. 
On June 30, the Federal cavalry under the command of General John Buford, rode into Gettysburg and set up a picket line to guard approaches from the west. On that same day, a unit of the Confederate infantry, commanded by General John Pettigrew, was sent to scout the same area. With two large armies in such close proximity, they were bound to bump into each other somewhere. Gettysburg was the somewhere. The battle raged for three days, in the fields, on the hills, through the woods, and even into the streets of the town. By the end of the third day, the battle was over. It was the bloodiest battle of the war, claiming fully one third of the men who fought in it. The dead lined the streets and littered the fields. The wounded filled the homes to overflowing. The Confederacy alone had lost 28,000 men. Lee retreated. General Meade, against the urgings from Washington, did not pursue. There had been enough death in Gettysburg.
If you should visit Gettysburg today, and go into any local business and ask where the battlefield is located, don’t be surprised if you are told that you are standing in it. No part of the town or it’s surroundings were untouched by death during those three days. Many believe that spirits of the dead still walk the hills and fields. The streets of Gettysburg are still, often said to smell of peppermint or vanilla. Ladies of the area complained, in the days after the battle, that with the thousands of dead lying in the streets, decaying, the only way to relieve the stench was to hold a scented hanky to one’s nose and mouth. 
We are sure you will find a creative way to use the following Halloween riddles, but here is an idea for a great party ice breaker. Print them out and cut the sheet into strips, separating the question from the answer. Put all of the questions in one bowl, and all of the answers in another. Have each guest choose one strip from either one bowl or the other, but instruct them not to look at it until you give the signal. Once all the guests have arrived and all Questions and Answers have been distributed, give them 5 minutes to either find the Answer to their Question, or the Question to their Answer. They may read their strips aloud to get another guest to respond to them. This makes for a noisy, but fun way for guests to mingle and meet each other. 
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Our project for this week will help you provide atmosphere and charm to your Halloween decorating! Luminaries are most traditionally made from small paper bags, and contain a small votive candle or tea light to add the soft glow with which to line walkways and stairs. Our luminaries will be sturdier, reusable, and nearly free! They can be used for any occasion, but lend themselves particularly well to the Halloween season. 
Choose a simple Halloween graphic to use as a pattern. Clip art, which can be found for free online, is an excellent resource for patterns. Using the permanent marker, draw your pattern on the clean, dry soup can. Any marks will eventually be covered by paint. Fill the soup cans with water, and freeze them overnight. 
Once your pattern has been “punched”, put the cans in warm water to melt the ice inside, and then dry the cans thoroughly. Spray paint the sides and bottom of the cans. If you are making hanging luminaries, cut a length of coat hanger wire about 12-14 inches long, and thread it through the top holes on either side of your lantern, like a bail handle.