Happy Halloween!

Halloween in our new house, our new town. This is the 5th holiday we’ll spend here, if you call Halloween a holiday and if you celebrate. I like Halloween, not like I love the Thanksgiving to New Years Eve season. I don’t decorate like I do for the November through December holidays. I did purchase a small pumpkin this year for the porch, un-carved of course. The last couple years I'd use a battery operated Jack-O-Lantern, blinking from within the poly-resin sphere.

When Christopher was little, I would take him to a farm and let him pick a pumpkin. By the power of a knife and little hands (to scoop out the seeds) the former pumpkin would become a “Jack-o-Lantern”. Usually a week before Halloween on a Sunday after church we would head down to the canal in Valley View and see who had pumpkins for sale. One or two Jack-O-Lanterns would be the extent of my decorations.

Our first house was on a hill with 20+ steps leading to the front door which was a deterrent to most Trick-Or-Treaters. Only the heartiest candy grabbers would make the trek to the house on the hill. If we got little ones it was because the evening was warm and the parent carried them. If it was cold or rainy I could plan on taking candy to work the next day to place in the cafeteria for coworkers to enjoy. Most years only a handful of ghouls and goblins would come calling. Those hearty enough to endure the stairs would receive a handful of treats. I figured if you did climb the stairs you deserved a little something extra for your endeavor.

As a tot, Christopher would dress up and venture out for about 45 minutes to an hour. A pumpkin, ninja turtle and batman for a few years. He’s not a big candy eater, butterfingers and peanut butter cups are his favorites, and let’s not forget about the money. He liked the change at the bottom of his bag or Jack-O-Lantern bucket.

Here's Christopher in his first Halloween costume, a puppy dog. His partner for the evening was Brittney, my best friend's daughter, born 12 days before Christopher. September 2nd and the 14th respectively. It was nice being with child with a friend.

Christopher's second Halloween donning a homemade pumpkin outfit. His partner this year was his cousin, my brother's daughter Stephanie. Peeps, a name given by my father when she was born because she had big blue eyes, was wearing the hand-me-down puppy costume.

When he got older and would go out with his friends and the costumes went from cute to ghoulish, as scene here in 2001 with "Broken-Bike-Mike" his school buddy. Here's their attempt at the Insane Clown Posse, a musical group. This night was more for show and maybe they hit a few house's for a snack. It was a night to walk the neighborhood with friends incognito. Good times!

I wish everyone who celebrate this holiday, the old fashioned way that is completely politically incorrect, a safe and Happy Halloween!