My trick or treaters – the practical carpenter and the comical, creative Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. (We had to create a new one who wore pink.)
Happy Halloween!
Are you ready for the big night or has your family already celebrated? We trick or treated Sunday afternoon, and Halloween night has never been particularly exciting. We live in the country. Random trick-or-treaters don’t venture out this far.
I’ve never passed out candy on Halloween. Feeling grateful for that when I see the bags of candy priced at $20.00. Wow! My sister, brother and I didn’t spend too many Halloweens walking the streets either. Instead, we’d pile in the van and visit the homes of grandparents, aunts and uncles. Once in a great while Dad would let us walk in Lee Center, a town of 200 people with two streets affectionately named Front Street and Back Street.
I think country-style trick or treating was our best option considering my mother went all out on costumes. One year I was a flower and my sister the bee. The actual flower was so big I remember folding it around my face to get in and out of the car. Another year we were the California Raisins. My mom carried a boom box and hit play as we shuffled to the Raisins’ dance up to the front door.
My children are now part of this tradition, traveling the county to trick or treat instead of just picking a town and walking the street. This year we spent four hours on the road visiting grandparents, great grandparents, family friends, aunts and uncles. I think that’s what I enjoy the most – the visiting. Taking the time to actually stop and say, “How are you?” and really listen to the answer. Giving my kids time to talk to their great grandparents and hear their stories of Halloweens past.
Regardless of how or when you trick or treat, be safe, don’t eat too much candy and take some time to enjoy the walk or drive.
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