“Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, Voices whisper in the trees, ‘Tonight is Halloween!'”
The day is chilly, in the high 40’s, but it is a sunny, pretty day. Last night I thought I heard something hit the house. It was loud, but the dogs didn’t run to check it out or bark at it so I figured whatever I heard was harmless, but, nonetheless, all of us stayed on alert. In retrospect, I think my Halloween vibes were in full force propelled by the creature movies I have been watching. The sound turned out to be from a heavy wind, not a creature of the night. We were all safe!
I don’t remember ever wearing costumes to school. I do remember how long the school day was on Halloween. It went on and on, endlessly. At recess we all talked about our costumes, what we were to be. Hoboes were big as were ghosts, the easiest of all costumes. You just had to remember to make big eye holes in the sheet. We hated cold Halloween nights. That meant bundling, wearing a jacket, even hiding our costumes. Maybe we should have given thought to being Eskimos.
When the front lights were out, we’d finally give up the ghost and go home. My mother would give us each a bowl for our candy. We’d empty the bags into the bowls, toss the apples and the popcorn balls into the trash then we’d begin the bargaining. We’d trade bar for bar, what we didn’t like for what we liked more. After that, we’d munch and watch a little TV then go to bed. We’d take our bowls upstairs with us and keep them handy under our beds. I remember the bowls were Fire King bowls with tulips. I have a set of the exact same three bowls which I bought in an antique store. They came with memories.
Nala just gave me a laugh. She was in the hall standing by the den door looking at me. She had papers in her mouth she had stolen from the recycle bag by the front door ready for the car. She looked so proud. She raced out the door to the deck. I yelled treat. She dropped the papers and came in. I gave her the treats and retrieved the papers. Treat is the magic word.
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October 31, 2023 at 6:03 pm
Hi Kat,
Today the sky is clear with a high of 58°. In the morning we might go down to freezing for the first time this season. Our handy folks showed up and when they climbed onto the patio roof they found more wood rot and a couple of broken shingles. They will complete the work tomorrow. It’s only money. The heater downstairs started to work last night. The HVAC guy fixed a lose wire which was giving us intermittent heat.
We are not celebrating Halloween tonight. We are turning off the lights and not answering the doorbell. We have a Ring doorbell so we can see who is at the door. 🙂 Sneaky eh.
When I was a kid I never wore my costume at school either. In our north Dallas neighborhood there’s an old cemetery which was always overgrown when I was a kid. Once my sister and I forgot and accidentally wound up on that street and then ran by the darkened cemetery as fast as our legs would carry us. In those days some people gave us small bags of opened candy. When my kids went out we wouldn’t let them eat anything that wasn’t wrapped in original wrappers.
Halloween is the night that dentists enjoy the most. All that candy eventually will provide the dentists with numerous caries to drill and fill. Even fluoride can’t overcome all that sugar. 🙂
October 31, 2023 at 9:53 pm
Hi Bob,
Right now it is 41 degrees. Scattered showers are forecasted through tomorrow. I’m glad they held off so the kids could go out. I had more kids than I’ve ever had. They looked great this year. I think every one of them even said thank you! They came in droves. Henry was a barking horror!
I’m glad the guy found the places needing to be fixed on the roof. Nothing is worse than a leak.
Our kid imaginations ran rampart. I think, like you, I would have run as quickly pass the cemetery. The slightest noise would have scared the heck out of me. We had an old farm house a few streets away from our house. We all swore it was haunted.
My dentist used to give out toothbrushes. He was never a favorite house!
October 31, 2023 at 10:31 pm
The Rangers are leading 11 to 1 in the top of the 8th. Go Rangers.
October 31, 2023 at 10:39 pm
I had just watched a bit!! Go Rangers!~