Halloween Confessions

Confession:  yesterday I bought a case of white 100 bulb Christmas lights at Target.  Regular incandescent bulbs.  Energy zappers. It set me back $36.  Calvin quickly did the math--that's 1200 lights.  It's just that when the moment comes, next Thursday, in the post Halloween candy hangover, I want to be ready.  No cursing when last year's lights don't work.  I just pull the new box off the shelf and away we go.  They are not just Christmas lights, they are "winter" lights.  Here in Minnesota we are now driving to school in the dark. We need all the light we can get.  L.E.D. just doesn't cut it for me yet.  It's not the same wave form, the light doesn't make me happy.  I need a real filament.  Just like I need real fire in my fireplace.  No judgements.  It's just what works for me.

Other confession: I hate Halloween.  Really.  I hate the decorations, I hate the costumes, I hate the candy.  I just hate it.

I realize this officially puts me into the no fun category, and I probably won't be invited to any Halloween bashes. The most redeeming thing about Halloween is that I get to visit with my friend while our husbands take the kids out trick-or-treating. That was part of the deal when we had kids. I'll carry the child for nine months and go through labor and delivery, you get to go trick-or-treating. It's worked out fine so far.  Remember, the average October 31, 6:00 p.m. temperature here in Minnesota sometimes pushes five below. . . who wouldn't want to stand shivering on the corner and watch their kids knock on the doors of strangers and get whole cans of pepsi thrown into their little orange plastic pumpkins.  Yes, last year folks gave out cans of soda pop.  Tra la la.

I do love Fall. We did carve pumpkins this weekend and that was fun.

My kids have been the same thing for Halloween every year.  Mary has been a bunny since she was three.  There was the angel year, and then the angel bunny year, and THEN the bunny angel year.  This year--it's a white bunny instead of a pink bunny.  She is satisfied and so am I.

There is no good Halloween music.  I don't wait all year to get out those Halloween CDs.

I did volunteer to help with the school's "Fall" party.  Getting costumes on 25 second graders and then playing bingo games with candy corn--watching them sneak the candies that 25 other little sniffly children have touched.  That's why they have conferences after Halloween.  Because the whole class has a cold anyway.

November first starts pre-advent.  I'm holding out.  I will not get out Handel's Messiah before then.  I promise.  Or Amy Grant's Breath of Heaven. . . I'm transitioning with classical recorder music as I write this.  It sounds Christmasy but has no Christmas tunes or themes.

I will enjoy Fall. . . for at least ten more days. . .