Day 270
It’s All Hallows Evening … otherwise known as Halloween. And I know there is a bunch of history about this day – but when it comes right down to it, it’s really all about costumes, parties, bonfires and bobbing for apples, haunted houses, carving pumpkins, Linus in the pumpkin patch, scary stories, horror films and of course, trick or treating.
Oh yes, those things conjure up visions of Halloween but isn’t it really pretty much all about the candy?
If for no other reason I am ecstatic that Halloween is almost over (technically there are 19 minutes remaining) it is because I have gotten rid of my candy. (Well, with the exception of a few pieces.)
And thank goodness for that because if I had to eat another snack sized Kit Kat bar I’m pretty sure I would keel over in a diabetic coma. No lie.
My neighbors came over late and I nearly thrust most of the remaining pieces on these unsuspecting children. I’m not sure who was happier – the kids or myself!
No more Snickers. No more Kit Kats. No more Tootsie Pops, Dum Dums or PayDays. No more Twix. And no more Reeses. Hallelujah.
My blood sugar can now begin to get back to normal. I should be at that level in about a week. Egad.
Tonight was, honestly, a bust. A very boring Halloween here in these parts. A couple handfuls of kids and none of them in great costumes. I had to prompt them to say Trick or Treat, I heard ONE thank you, and I actually caught a little guy kicking my singing skeleton down the stairs – while his parents watched! What was with that?!
I sound like an old-timer when I say …
I remember Halloween when I was a kid … back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth ….
Well, no dinosaurs – not even dino costumes … but we had witches and ghosts and your variety of princesses. Hobos and gypsies were very popular, too. I think we were more creative back then. Granted most moms stayed home … so, many costumes were homemade or put together from actual wardrobes items.
My favorite costume was a cannibal. I blackened my face with a burnt cork (I guess we thought cannibals were all darker skinned!) … and strung bleached steak bones around my neck, wrists and ankles. I wore black leotards and a skirt I had made out of burlap. My hair was atop my head … ala Pebbles … with a bone in it. I think that was 4th grade. I loved that costume!
We used to have fabulous Halloween parties as a kid and when my kids were little I carried on the tradition. Great fun … and though I think of those parties I don’t think I, personally, have ever bobbed for an apple. Not once. I’m not big on horror films or scary stories, either. Never lit a bonfire. Went to a few haunted houses … but usually ended up wetting my pants … so, I stopped doing that!
And, up until the last few years, we always carved pumpkins. I haven’t done it in a while. Maybe I’ll carve one for Thanksgiving and start a new tradition!
Anyway … Halloweens as a kid were tremendous fun. Parties at school, parties at our house, hoardes of kids traipsing through the neighborhood in the dark – bringing home pillow cases FULL of candy. I think back and wonder, other than counting the candy and inventorying it … what did we DO with all of it?! I can’t imagine we actually ate it all!
Tonight I went to Chipotle to get my $2 Boo-rito. I wore a dinosaur mask … and when the girl asked me what I was I told her I was a Technological Dinosaur – inept at social media and most computer programs. I thought it was pretty funny. I got nothing but a look of pity from her. Wonderful. I don’t think she got it!
Well, I’ve got 3 more minutes before All Hallows Eve, otherwise known as the night of candy eating and costume wearing, is over. I still have time to eat one more snack sized candy bar – diabetic coma be damned!