Well, here it is, October 31st already. This year is just about done. In 2 months we will be celebrating New Year's Eve. It has just flown by. I feel like we just got back from our trip to the Outer Banks and here we are--starting the holiday season. I have already been doing some Christmas shopping. That is because I: A) like to avoid the crowded stores as much as possible--the closer we get to Christmas the more crowded the stores get. B) need to spread out the shopping as much as possible because everything is so expensive.
Anyway, back to Halloween. We don't get too many kids at our house, but I do like being here for the few we do get. I remember how excited we used to get on Halloween, so, I don't like to disappoint the kids and not be here. I used to love to help Sarah and Shawn decide on costumes, Bob helped carve the pumpkins according to their directions. When we lived in the Dallas area, we used to go to the Dallas farmers' market and let the kids pick out huge pumpkins. It was the best farmers' market I have ever been to. Then Bob usually took the kids out trick or treating and I gave out candy. The only time it was frustrating was when Bob was away (he was in the Navy) and I had to figure out how to take them trick or treating and give out candy at the same time. I usually took them out early for about an hour or so, then we went home to give out candy. It worked ok.
It's kind of sad, sometimes, too, though. With the kids all grown up, we don't carve a pumpkin anymore. We used to bake Halloween cookies, with the cookies cut into shapes of witches, pumpkins, ghosts, etc. Sometime early in October the kids and I would bake a few batches of cookies. Scotch shortbreads, St. Nicholas cookies, chocolate chip, just to name a few. We'd decorate with sugar sprinkles and frosting. It was a lot of fun. Now it takes a lot of energy to bake a few batches of Christmas cookies.
I used to have Thanksgiving cookie cutters, too. I don't make T'day cookies anymore, either. I used to make pumpkins, turkeys and football-shaped cookies.
Hmm, funny how things change. Oh, well, at least I can still enjoy the neighborhood children coming to the door--the big brothers and sisters teaching the little ones how to trick or treat. They are cute. And, I love the teens, too. A lot of people complain when the teens come and especially when they don't have a costume. I don't care. They don't bother me and they just want candy. Bob and I don't need all that candy anyhow---so I give them the candy. Doesn't make a difference to me.
Although I don't bake cookies with my kids anymore, I still enjoy baking some Christmas cookies to give to them to enjoy. Especially Shawn. He's the "poor college kid" - away from home--sharing with a bunch of guys. Most of you know how that is. So, I do like to buy or make him cookies from time to time. His roommates always enjoy it, too.
Well, time to fix dinner for Bob and I then get the candy ready for the kids.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
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