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| Oct 2003 Kerri & Connie at a Halloween Concert in Tucson |
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| We picked up a couple of Wizards after the concert. |
Really never was much of a big Halloween fan. Oh, when I was a child I was a huge fan just because I had a ton of dance costumes to choose from recitals – so what to wear was never a problem. And since it was back in the 50’s and 60’s, we could roam for hours by ourselves collecting candy from strangers with no worries. We knew which houses to hit first as they always gave out real size candy bars! One Halloween, Mom made all of the fixings for popcorn balls of all colors. Kids could come right inside the kitchen (front door wide open) and plunk down their bags and take off their coats and dig in to the warm gooey popcorn concoction and make their own treat adding bits of candy or nuts or even fresh coconut. When they were done, Mom would hand them a flat sheet of waxed paper (Saran wrap back then – never heard of it) and they could roll it around to cover their own home made treat and shove it in their bag. it was okay to grab a handful of the popcorn all warm and gooey and pop it in your mouth to tide you over during your long night of making the rounds.
Another year, Dad decided that we would all make homemade pulled taffy. We would make our way walking backwards across the kitchen with warm taffy strung from our hands to Mom or Dad’s hands. It was a constant motion of pulling the taffy one direction and then the other with buttery hands until it reached the perfect consistency. Mom would cut the taffy rope into pieces with scissors and we would wrap the little pieces in torn wax paper. If they were so inclined, kids and adults alike had an open invitation to join in the fun to make their own. And lots did.
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| Oct 1998 a 6 year old Tristan sans costume sorts out her bounty at our dining table. |
Many other Halloweens followed with carmeled apple make your own treat night. Our home was turned into a haunted house by my parents and Al & Dorothy LaCount, complete with scary music and cold spaghetti brains and peeled grape eyeballs and jello-y guts. Even though Janet and I had watched the entire thing come together, we still got creeped out when actually going thru the dark house. When I got home from trick or treating and was tired and ready for bed, that proved impossible as the adults had turned all 4 bedrooms, the family room, dining and living room and kitchen – all into scary little dark rooms. So, I made my way to my bedroom and dug my pillow from the closet where it had been stashed in order to make the scary guts and blood room – made my way to one of the bathrooms and sat in the dry tub, pillow propped up on the edge and tried to get some sleep in between the screams of terrorized neighbors!
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| October 2004 baby Mateo visits his first ever Pumpkin Patch and tries a taste of straw!
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| October 2007 Katia and little princess Marluce |
When I had kids of my own, I was horrible at making costumes. Did not have a sewing talent to my name and no imagination whatsoever. So the poor kids were relegated to being clowns or hobos or Fonzie. When Jeffry was in Taekwondo and would be testing for his black belt at the tender age of 8, he firmly reminded me that his Taekwondo gi was NOT to be used as a Halloween costume. Orders from Master Rex Veeder! Hmmm. Apparently Master Veeder was aware of my past costume endeavors.
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| Jeffry inherited his mother’s talent for costumes. |
I have had other memorable and enjoyable Halloweens as well. Halloween dinners on the driveway at the Dunham house …
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| October 2003 at the Dunham halloween Spooktacular Dinner |
Enjoying the Tucson Zoo Halloween night with Tristan and Chase … Tristan had my phone headset and was a Rock ‘n Roller and Chase was skull to toe bones dressed as a skeleton. We toured the Zoo, watched dancers, got lots of candy and treats and were exhausted by the time we got back to Grandma’s to spend the night.
And we just had a visit from Thomas Train. Nana (me!) decorated the little front yard just for him as we had ZERO trick or treaters. Sign of the times, I guess.
Yeah – still not so much of a halloween fan – but with Grandkids and friends and family in the picture – well, what could be better than that?
a gdovin girl's perspective 