Today is Halloween and I am all by myself, sitting on my couch watching Christmas programs. There is something wrong with this picture. Really I have a sore throat, a fever, a bad cough, and I have lost my voice. I don't feel like being around anybody and I'm sure no one wants to be around me.
But there is something wrong with watching Christmas shows on Halloween. I want a good old scary program. Not too scary, though.
Growing up in the 1950's I loved Halloween. It was a day we would look forward to. We didn't have store bought costumes. We would dig through our parent's clothes and figure out our own costume. We had those old black half masks and we would become princesses, gypsies, pirates, cowboys, super heroes from the comic books. We would get a pillow case or a big brown paper sack to hold all of our candy and have so much fun. We would wait until it got dark. You didn't have to be scared of the world then and I'm sure everything wasn't innocent, but it sure seemed more innocent. We would usually go with our siblings or friends in the neighborhood. And usually our treats were popcorn balls, apples, homemade cookies, bags of popcorn, suckers, or penny candies. There was a farmer that lived up the road from us and he would always give big candy bars. That was a really a treat.
Also we would have fun get togethers with our friends. We'd have donuts and bob for apples, have costume judging and just have fun.
I miss those days. I can't remember the last time I had a trick or treater knock on my door on Halloween. I miss that. Seeing all the imagination and excitement of the little kids.
When our boys were growing up we would always have a Halloween Party for them on October 31st or we would call it a Fall Party. We would have chili, crackers, corn bread, a brownie cake in the shape of a pumpkin with orange icing and eyes, nose, and mouth made from M&M's. And then we would watch the old scary shows like Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Werewolf with a big bowl of popcorn or caramel corn. All of the really old scary movies that would almost make you laugh instead of scaring you. That was our tradition and I miss it so much. We made a lot of good memories.
My sons are grown now and I'm hoping they are making good memories with their families.

