Happy Halloween ~ Yesterday and Today

Happy Halloween. I've always loved Halloween and even though my participation is now pretty much down to handing over candy as I 'ooh' and 'ahh' over children's costumes, it's filled with so many memories for me that it all sort of mixes into one long happy holiday recollection.

As a child, coming up with and wearing the costumes fed my dramatic persona. I loved pretend games ~ pretending I lived in Medieval times, pretending I was a pioneer woman, and so on, as a daily activity. We played dress-up in cast-offs and many of those outfits formed part of my Halloween costumes. With my brother and my friends, I roamed a wide area and knocked on many doors and recited, "Trick or Treat" over and over and I ate all of my candy. All of it.

My dad would carve a giant pumpkin and put it on top of the porch awning with a black cape around its base and would light it up. It was totally cool.

My son was born on Halloween about 9AM. I'd bought especially good candy to hand out that year anticipating that I'd be in the hospital and would be enjoying the candy myself after Halloween, and that's exactly what happened. Both of my sons have been a blessing to me and I am a fortunate woman. For several years, my sister would bring her children to visit for Halloween. We'd have a birthday party in costume, then go out together to watch over the children as they moved from house to house. The pumpkins on the bench were carved by her children.

One year I sewed a black cape for the birthday boy and we topped his costume off with a genuine top hat and white makeup on his face. For my older son...I wrapped him, head to toe, in splints and strips of muslin, not realizing it would make it nearly impossible for him to navigate stairs. Still, it was a fabulous costume. Probably the best I ever created. Thank you my son for being such a good sport.

So, these days my Halloweens are much quieter and that's okay, too. I'm grateful for my memories and I spend the holiday with them, as well as with a bowl of candy and the children who'll be knocking on my door later today.

Happy Halloween!

Grace