Carol’s Chronicles – October, 2020

October 28, 2020

Halloween past and present – I’ve been doing some thinking about the differences between current Halloweens and the way they were when I was young. Some things are still pretty much the same – kids dress up as their favorite character, or they dress up to be scary, or some don’t costume at all. Some go to parties, and some stay home to give out treats, or do things with their families. Some go out and range through their neighborhoods, trilling out the old familiar refrain, “Trick or Treat!!!” When I was young, I think there were a lot more tricks played than nowadays – and that’s a good thing, as I see it. Some of those tricks weren’t nice, or were played on older folks who couldn’t manage to keep opening their doors to the hordes of young folks who wanted a handout. Where I live, I don’t see that – and I’m glad.

Our Halloween costumes back then were pretty makeshift – none of that spending a lot of money buying something at a store (online shopping didn’t exist in those days). We wore whatever we could throw together, and although I firmly believed that Halloween costumes should always be something scary, I often had to go out dressed in last year’s dance revue costume. At the time, it seemed fine. Now? Not so much!

Fast forward a few years and I was married with two little girls – and yep – they had makeshift costumes, too! I remember one year my older daughter was R2-D2 (credit: Star Wars films) and my younger girl went out as a potted plant. I managed to make both of those costumes in a day or two, and well – they looked pretty good. Not professional, but good enough! They still remember them – R2-D2 was made from a cardboard ice cream container for the body with some fabric additions and gloves, etc., paint, and face makeup, and the potted plant had a similar construction with sewn plant leaves (green fabric on bent coat hangers). I guess I can say – those were the days! Even though the costumes weren’t professionally made or cost a lot, they were fun, made with love, and served the purpose. And now, we have the memories to carry us through.

I don’t know what Halloween will be like this year – if we even have it – but I always find a good scary film to put on the TV (it’s for ME), and we have a simple supper and some good treats to celebrate. Not everyone “does” Halloween, but I hope each of you finds a way to make the day special and celebrate living joyfully. That is my Halloween wish for you all!

Happy Halloween!!!

October 15, 2020

Fall is definitely in the air here! Temperatures are cooler, a few leaves are beginning to change color, and the signs are there…lots of pine cones on the ground, leaves are falling here and there, and there are so many acorns on the ground from the oak trees! Every year, I collect a small number of the gorgeous BIG acorns from local bur oaks that are growing around here. I always plan to plant a few, and maybe a tree will grow. So far, I have not done that. I planted a little bur oak that my daughter snagged for me from some landscapers who were giving some away, but I’m worried it may not survive. Fingers crossed! It’s looking a bit better. Hard to tell as the season is changing. I am hoping it survives – I love those bur oaks, and they are ideal for my yard because they don’t get too big – at least not quickly. I’m a great one for trying to grow found items – like the seeds I harvested from these coneflowers growing nearby. I have to do some research so I know when to plant them (and where) – maybe in the fall next year, I will have a nice little area full of these pretty coneflowers, too.

Visited this “pumpkin patch” with my daughter and grandkids this week – and I came home with half a dozen of those gorgeous pumpkins. I’m so excited – right now, they are sort of “piled” on the porch outside the front door. I would love to spring for another half dozen to complement those…but I’m not sure. Thinking hard about that. Should I?

I’m absolutely crazy about pumpkin decor, pumpkin flavors in food, and that rich orange color and texture they have! Looking forward to baking some pumpkin bread soon, and also making a pumpkin pie! If you haven’t tried my pumpkin pie recipe – you should. You can find it here. If you make it, let us know how it comes out!

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