Read Online Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs - Free Book Online

spooked by the crime-scene tape. “My grandkids have been begging me to go.”
    Pleased that everything now seemed copasetic, Carmela grabbed one of the cheesecloth rolls and said, “This particular cheesecloth is one hundred percent bleached cotton. And, as you’re about to find out, it’s not just for making cheese or waxing furniture anymore.”
    Gabby reached in and set a large piece of fluffy, cotton batting on the table.
    â€œFirst,” said Carmela, “we’re going to make gossamer ghosts.”
    â€œOooh,” said Tandy, getting into the spirit of things.
    â€œTear off a nice piece of cotton batting and shape it, more or less, into a ghost head,” said Carmela.
    They all did so, as Gabby snipped off pieces of cheesecloth for each of them.
    â€œNow,” said Carmela, “drape your cheesecloth over your ghost head and arrange it however you want. Then take a snippet of thread and tie it fairly tightly around the neck of your ghost.”
    Six pairs of hands worked fastidiously away, shaping their ghost heads, ghost bodies, and then tying the thread.
    â€œThis is very cool,” said one of the women.
    â€œNow some of you might want to leave your ghost just as is,” said Carmela. “All nice and flowy.” She grabbed a can of spray starch, shook it, and said, with a mischievous grin, “But I always like to give my ghosts a little added dimension.”
    The women all chuckled.
    â€œShow us,” said Tandy.
    Carmela spread a newspaper on the table, laid her ghost on top of it, and spread out the ghost’s “skirt.” “Once I’ve got my ghost arranged just so, I spritz a little spray starch onto it to give some heft and definition to its body.”
    â€œBody,” said one of the women. “That’s a good one.”
    â€œEctoplasm, then.” Carmela smiled. “But it works like a charm.” She gave her ghost a couple of good spritzes, moving the spray can up and down and then across. “Then, once you let your ghost dry for a couple of minutes, you have a perfectly presentable member of the spirit world.”
    The women oohed and aahed as Carmela picked up her ghost and showed them. There was still some fluttering going on, but the ghost did look a lot more formed.
    â€œI adore this,” said Baby. “In fact, if it’s okay with you, Carmela, I’m going to make a couple more ghosts and use them as decorations for my masquerade party!” Every Halloween, Baby held a huge masquerade ball at her Garden District mansion, complete with fortune-tellers, live music, great décor, and spectacular food. This year was no different, and Carmela, Gabby, Tandy, and Ava had been planning their costumes for months.
    â€œDo you have a special theme this year?” asked Gabby. One year Baby had gone with a skeleton theme, and once she’d gone with actual games, like dunking for apples and pin the tail on the ghoul.
    â€œThis year’s theme is just over-the-top deliciousness,” said Baby. “I’m using those caterers I like so much, Alex & Athena Catering.”
    â€œMmn,” said Carmela. “You’ve used them before.”
    â€œI have and they’re wonderful,” said Baby. “They’re this amazingly inventive couple that graduated from the Culinary Institute in Napa Valley. But it’s not like they serve sprouts and wheat shooters. They’re planning to serve Gulf shrimp in sherry sauce, crawfish and gouda cheese in puff pastry shells, crabmeat Charlene en croustades . . .”
    â€œStop!” said Carmela. “I just ate lunch and you’re making me hungry all over again!”
    Baby just chuckled as she applied starch to her cheesecloth ghost.
    â€œWhile we let our ghosts dry,” said Carmela, “let’s move on to making some nice sachets.”
    â€œDo we use the same type of cheesecloth?” asked one of the