Halloooooween

You know that Fall is well and truly here, and the freezing hands of Winter cold on its tail by the time Halloween comes round.   This year we have foregone the gutting of a giant pumpkin in favour of a lightweight styrofoam look-a-like that lights up at the flick of a switch - safer, cleaner, and far less energy draining.  The black cat - all arched back and fangs, the huge black spider dangling down, and the scary wreath deck the porch in anticipation of bunches of munchkins trailing pillow cases and garbage bags for all their goodies.  

As soon as the sun sets, the weird, wonderful and wackily dressed, trot up to front doors in the neighbourhood with a chorus of "Trick or Treat".  Of course, never expecting anything other than handfuls of candy plopped into ever growing sacks.  Little ladybugs, bees, princesses and Elmo's eyes grow wide if you challenge with "Trick".  On the other hand, vampires, soldiers and zombies eyes roll up in the teenage signal for the bored "whatever".  In all cases, loot bags are thrust forward anyway and all beat a hasty retreat once the prize is in their possession.  Be sure to give the teenagers a nice load of chocolate or candy - the more satisfied they are, the less likely you will wake up to eggs drooling down the brickwork and toilet paper wrapped creatively around your trees.
This year, we bought two boxes of chocolate bars well ahead of time.  Big mistake! It was far too easy to sneak a bar every time you walk past the offending enticement.  The pounds were settling in on the hips before I asked husband (he of much greater discipline and willpower) to hide the loot far enough away that the "Eat me, eat me" voices could not be heard.  Still had a hard time resisting, and spent some fruitless nights tiptoeing around with a torch peering under couches, opening drawers, lifting pillows and crawling under beds.  Felt like the Pink Panther!
Ah well, voodoo children have been fed, the house is thankfully left intact, and the last of the candy has been donated to more worthy causes than my tastebuds.  November is here and we are now officially close to Christmas....

Have a BOOOtiful night!