Pumpkin Time

I've been reading other blogs with Halloween decorations and really cute ideas for fun like Deb at http://ourlifethisandthat.blogspot.com/ and I have to confess it makes me a little sad. I've always loved Halloween, especially when my kids were young and when I worked in preschools and elementary school.

I would always dress up to pass out candy, and have the front porch all decorated. Now we live on tiny lake with mostly seasonal residents. We have no trick-or treaters and I have even stopped putting out the pumpkins.

Last year we were invited to my daughter's and got to take the four kids trick-or-treating because their parents were headed off to Florida. I had such a terrific time. It was unseasonably warm and sunny when we headed out, just beginning to get dark and crisp by the time we returned. The kids were so excited, and laughed as the little guys ghost costume kept slipping over his eyes.

We are not invited this year as mom and dad have no travel plans, but we might just show up anyway, at least to watch the school parade. Or we might head north to see the singleton in the Tinkerbell costume I made for her.

I always have to pause at Halloween to be thankful for what we have. In 1981 we had a Thanksgiving baby that decided to arrive at the start of October. She had some real issues with keeping the heart beating and the lungs breathing, then got an infection that was tough on her. Nothing long-lasting, and I guess it was all just immaturity, but she had the doctors baffled for a bit.

We managed to get home to her two siblings and Daddy in our two bedroom mobile home with plenty of time to get costumes ready from my fabric stash. The baby could not leave the house due to infection fears, and needed to nurse every two hours, so my shopping time was really limited. And because of the medical expenses and all the extras of being at the hospital so much, there was no money to shop anyway.

The night before Halloween my seven year old asked why we had no pumpkin. I confessed that I had forgotten! I checked my wallet. Empty. Daddy's wallet. Empty. The day after Halloween was payday, and these were the days before everyone had charge cards, and before everyone took them. The kids and I began scouring the house and even the car seats for change and found enough for a pumpkin. Fed the baby and put her down. Left Daddy behind and headed out. We went to every store on our side of town: out of pumpkins!

We were just leaving the last store, very sad, when I spotted a cart off to the side with a bunch of signs stacked on top of one lone pumpkin. We dug it out triumphantly, sure that we could work around the flat side and the blemishes. We paid for the pumpkin, and nearly danced out to the car. Reaching into my pocket for my car keys I felt the pumpkin start to slip from my arm! The last pumpkin in town heading for the pavement, seemingly in slow motion! Plop. The unsightly gourd hit the top of my sneaker and rolled safely off. I got the kids and the pumpkin in the car and got everyone home. Daddy and the big kids carved the last pumpkin and placed it on the trailer steps. Life was indeed good. In an odd way, those are the days I yearn for. an early Happy Halloween to all of you with little ones, and all of you with memories.