Trick or Treat!

Ghosts and Goblins and Witches, oh my!  Remember how excited you used to get at least a month or more before Halloween?  We spent more time deciding what our costume would be than we did doing homework!  I remember going as a hobo one year and my mom cooked spaghetti in old coffee and then put it in a used tin can so it looked like worms.  Now, of course, I wonder why a hobo would be carrying a can of worms but back then it made perfect sense.  And our costumes were made at home from all kinds of silly things -- daddy's old tie, his socks on our hands for puppets, lots of makeup on our lips and cheeks, long skirts that belonged to an older sister, short pants from a younger brother, shoes that were waaaayyy too big - anything that looked funny and made us laugh. We were so excited about the Halloween party at school where we would get lots of candy and treats from the mom's who would bake for days just so there was enough to go around.  And the costume parade!

We never worried about what we would get from the neighbors for treats -- no one ever thought about hurtin' a child by putting razor blades in an apple or adding drugs to the candy.  But things have changed so much -- even the containers used to collect candy.  I love the vintage paper-mache pumpkins that I once used.  Now they are so expensive in the shops but they have such appeal.  The ones shown here are reproductions but they certainly bring back great memories.  And if I am old enough to remember what is now "vintage" then I guess that makes me "vintage" too.  Better than being just plain old I guess!  The photo in the center is a sap bucket that has been made to look like a Jack-O-Lantern.  For years it has burned brightly on Halloween night to welcome the kids from the neighborhood. Be safe and enjoy the time with your children -- you are making memories with them that they (and you) will remember for many years to come. Trick or Treat!