Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, to all you kooky spookies out there! I've always enjoyed Halloween. I was raised to think of Halloween as a fun time, filled with candy, games, and spookiness.




It's a time for pumpkin carving, caramel apples, and hay rides.

I've never been one to focus on the "evil aspects" of it all, because I believe it's only evil, if you make it that way. I'm not an evil person. I don't do evil things. (Although, sometimes I conveniently "forget" to put a new roll of toilet paper on the roller, just to "make them see how it feels!")



Growing up, I think I only missed one or two trick or treat nights, due to illness.

Otherwise, I was out there full force, and ready to go!

My grandpa knew almost everyone around the area, so there weren't many houses we passed up.

But the best house of all, was my great grandma Maida's. Every year she had mini Hershey bars, Reese's cups, and homemade popcorn balls.

Those popcorn balls were a staple to our Halloween nights. It made the entire trick or treat bag smell like heaven! They were so special, that I rarely ever ate mine, because I wanted to be able to grab my bag, stick my nose down in it, and breathe in that wonderful mixture of candy and popcorn, every time I opened my bag.

The little memories like that are what make me miss my childhood.




Halloween night of my 8th grade year, was the last night I saw my grandpa alive. He was dying at home from the tragic disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). I remember feeling my throat swelling, from trying to hold back the tears when we stopped by. He was always such a strong and vibrant man in life. Now he was bed ridden and could no longer talk or swallow. He passed a few days before Thanksgiving.

I just realized the last time he saw me while he was alive, I looked like this! I'm sure we'll laugh about that together in Heaven.;)

(I'm the one in the flannel shirt.)

 I think that's probably why I took the next year off.

I even trick or treated my junior and senior year of high school! (That was back before they changed the rules to no trick or treating after the age of 13.) I think that was me trying to cling to my youth, as long as I could.

But now that I'm a parent, I get to experience the fun all over again! And even though I'm not the one actually earning the candy, (although I do steal some pieces. Like you don't do the same thing.;) I still get excited when the kids yell out, Look! I got a king size candy bar!!


Because you gotta admit, that's a pretty sweet reward.

Happy Halloween!! Now, on with November!!!