Day 22: Sweets and Memories

Have you ever been walking and stumbled upon a scent lingering in the air that made you stop in your tracks? A scent that caught you by complete surprise and triggered a memory or made you smile? That happened to me yesterday. It was completely random. There was no way this particular smell should have been lingering but it was, and sniffing it took me right back to my childhood.

I can't accurately describe the smell. It was a pleasant one is about as close as I can come. It smelled like the candy my grandfather used to buy at the corner store when we went for walks. Since I know that much I should be able to describe if it had caramel overtones or a chocolaty vibe, but the best I can say is that I smelled a memory.

The minute my nose came into contact with that phantom scent I was instantly transported back to standing by my grandpa at the candy counter in the corner store. The particular goodies he liked came in bins and he would fill up a small plastic sack with a mixture of them. Sometimes he even let me pick what went into the sack. There were chewy things like taffy but not. Candied orange wedges, spice drops, butterscotches and other hard candies. Hands down, those were the best candies I have ever eaten. Maybe it was because we walked a couple miles to get them. Maybe it was because of the company I was in, or the fact that my taste buds were different then. Either way, I have never been able to find those same candies since.Sure, there are the modern day equivalents. They can still be found in bins. They may even be from the same company as when I first tried them, but they just don't taste the same.

But that got me thinking about candy. On the radio last week the DJ took a poll of what were listeners favorite Halloween candies. Before that I’ve seen countless web tallies of favorite candies by state. I disagree with almost every tally or poll I hear, but when I try to think about my favorite Halloween candy I am stumped.  

I don't think I actually had, or have a favorite. Ok, that isn't true, it will always be candy corn, but you really can't compare that to other Halloween candies, so for arguments sake we will leave it out. I know what I didn't like to get in my trick or treat bag. I wasn't fond of the houses that gave out health food. That's the equivalent of getting socks and underwear for Christmas. Sure, you may need them, sure, health food may be, you know, good for you, but you don't hand it out on holidays. That's like the dentists who give out toothbrushes. Buzz kill man. I also wasn't overly fond of popcorn balls. I like them more to play with than eat. They are just too messy.

I remember when I was done trick or treating, I would come home and dump all my loot out on the floor. If it wasn't wrapped it went in the trash. If it was waxy like those lips or some of the really hideous caramels they also went in the trash. I sorted my candy by type, chocolate, fruity, gum, licorice, suckers, stuff I don't want and other. Once my piles were sorted I called my parents in and they took their share. It worked out well. Most of the time my parents loved the things that I couldn't stand and I would happily hand them over, but when it came to the good stuff, I would haggle a bit.

If I had to narrow it down, I would say that my favorite Halloween candies would be the peanut butter cups and tootsie rolls. Wow. It is kind of sad that I can't remember what candy I liked as a kid. I know I had definite favorites, but tastes change. I know that I hated Almond Joys when I was little and now I love them. I also liked pixie sticks and now I can feel my teeth rotting just looking at them. If someone had given me a package of Red Vines back then I probably would have asked if they could adopt me. Twizzlers not so much. Cheap fruity knock offs.

Isn't it interesting what we remember? I have a fuzzy recollection that I liked the candy bars best. I think probably Snickers and Hershey. Dad got the Mr. Goodbars and no one wanted the Krackle unless the candy supply was dwindling and it was the only chocolate left.

So now that I have put some semi serious thought into it, what was your favorite childhood candy? Or if you are having trouble remembering like me, what is your favorite candy now?

Day 17: Dressing It UP

I am not a girlyl girl. I don't like dresses and I’m not overly fond of skirts, though they are growing on me. I will take an action film over a romance any day. I can't use make up in a convincing fashion and my only hair styles are up, down or in a hat. That said, I LOVE to play dress up, or as I like to call it, make believe. Some little girls wanted to be a princess when they were growing up. I wanted to be a pirate...or Indiana Jones. My heroes were Mr. T, Hulk Hogan, Batman and Fragles. My poor mother had to be on constant alert lest I attempt to tear my shirt down the middle whilst shouting "I pity the fool."

When I was growing up, there weren't very many worthwhile costumes for girls. I could either be Barbie (too much pink), Strawberry Shortcake (too frilly), a princess (ugh yuck no), or a ballerina (too much like a princess). What I really wanted to be, they never had costumes for. No Neverending Story (and how does one dress up like the Nothing anyway). No Dark Crystal (ask for a Gelfling costume and people look at you funny). Mom wasn't really into me being a Ninja Turtle, so for years I settled for being a really hideous clown. I am ashamed to even admit it. I hated that costume. I still do in fact. I think I inherited it from my older cousin. It was itchy, came with a truly vile mask that I really couldn't see out of and it made my face sweat.

I don't remember what happened to the costume. I'd like to say I took it out back one dark evening and buried it, but it probably got donated to Goodwill. Poor kids. I pity the fool. The hideous clown was replaced by a leopard unitard that came with a snap on head piece and already affixed tail. It was my favorite costume of my childhood. Mostly because I had a tail to twirl and the fact that I felt compelled to make the cutest growling noises known to man while wearing the costume. I did it so much in fact that dad had to threaten to take my candy away to make me stop. It was no use telling him that the suit was making me do it. I wore that costume until I couldn't squeeze into it anymore. At some point my head got too big for the hood and the leggings that used to go to my ankles started to reside somewhere past my knees. It was a good run and a great costume. Plus I really enjoyed having whiskers drawn on with eyebrow pencil.

Costumery in our house was pretty low key until I started going to college. Then I could choose my own costume. My favorite college costume was Queen Amidala from Star Wars. I did the full make up and everything. I looked so convincing in fact that at my part time job (where they encouraged us to wear costumes on the day) little kids kept coming up to me to get their picture taken. It was a blast. 

I love costumes. I love that now there are so many more things to choose from, in a way. But it is still hard finding things to my exacting specifications. For years I have wanted to be Charlie Chaplin, but I can't quite find the right bits. One can't simply stick on dark pants, a hat and a fake mustache and call it good. They have to be the right corduroy pants with a black bowler, a rounded cane and big, slightly clownish black shoes.

I also don't like to settle for mainstream. Why be Katniss Everdeen when I can go as Charlotte from Making Fiends. I like elaborate or quirky, or a combination of both. I can't wait to find a good steam punk costume. As soon as Halloween is done and I have had time to appreciate the month, I start searching for next year’s costume. Sometimes I buy two or three out of season just so I have options if it comes down to the wire and I still haven't found "the one"?

But why do I like costumes so much? I think it is because I live more in my imagination than most people. Getting to wear a costume is a way to express that after a fashion. How cool to suspend disbelief for just one night and pretend you really can fly, because you are Peter Pan or Tinker Bell. For one night you can be a princess if you want (ugh yuck). You can be a mummy without the nasty side effects of being dead for years. You can be a dashing pirate or a super hero. You can walk around shouting "I'm Batman" and people will only think you are a little crazy.

In one of my favorite TV shows, the characters dress up for Halloween and due to a little magic snafu, find themselves stuck as their costume for the night. When picking a costume I always have that idea floating around the back of my head. Sure, I want to be a Twister game board. How funny. But what happens if I get stuck this way?  It is an interesting idea to think of. Maybe this year I will go as rain. Not quite sure how to pull that concept off. Maybe paint myself blue and stick clear beads all over to show moisture.

Whatever I choose to be, I know I will have fun doing it. What is your favorite costume past, present or future?

Day 7: The Joy of October

October to me is pure joy. I don’t know for certain when I really started to identify October with all that is good, (I think it was somewhere between 4^th and 6^th grade) but I know that in this month I am happier than at any other. That doesn’t mean that all is wine and roses in this most special of months, but I simply seem to have a different outlook on life. I’m energized and excited, cheerful, bouncy and an abundance of surprises managed to find their way too me. Yesterday was no exception.

I made up my mind on Friday night that since I had an honest to goodness day off for a change I would capitalize on it and excavate the storage pod that has been holding my decorations hostage for two years. I didn’t know what sort of shape I would find them in, I didn’t know how long it would take, but I would move every last box if it meant that this year all my stuff could be reunited. I really needed a “win” and I was going to manufacture one for myself.

I had visions of being crushed by all my precariously balanced boxes. I dreaded the hours it was going to take. I even dreamed of how I was going to move everything. I made an offhand remark to my roommate about it and when I got up the next morning she said she was ready for me to put her to work. She was going to help me get my stuff. I told her no, it would be really hard work and I appreciated it but it was too much to ask. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and cut to 3 hours later, not only do I have ALL my October décor, but I have all the rest of the holidays too. I can finally decorate again! Now to you that might not be a big thing, but to me it is. I can’t properly convey how wonderful this makes me feel. I was singing as we moved things. I was giggling and laughing and thanking her profusely. It took 4 trips to get it all back to the house, but it was so worth it.

After we got everything settled I put on some of my favorite October films, sat down on the living room floor and started unpacking things. I didn’t get as far with that process as I would have liked because I kept exclaiming over each thing, here was my monster mix-tape; there was my old plastic pumpkin. Over in that box was the dining room table décor that I had been missing. New treasures, old treasures, and as I sit in a glittery, spooky pile of décor I look around and wonder, where the heck is all of this going to go? I am so happy that I don’t think I will even care if this year is tacky. I want everything up. I want to sit in my cozy blanket and relive the memories. I want to feast my eyes for the time I have left of this wonderful month. I want to walk down memory lane, I want to share it with friends, I want to bask in the overabundance of October, and you know what, I’m going to.

 

To add to my decoration joy, tonight was the premier of my favorite zombie show. I got to watch it sitting amidst all my treasures. Then there was the most perfect orangey sunset that I have seen in a while. It must have read yesterday’s Thoughts because it was all different hues of orange and I put the show on pause and watched the splendor of it till the night descended into black. How marvelous. How wonderful, how October. Ok, enough of this, I’m going to go play with my decorations……

October Thought Day 27: Sweet Nostalgia

My favorite thing about Halloween when I was little was the candy….ok, my first favorite thing was the costume, but my hands down second favorite thing was the candy. My dad and I plotted and schemed and did dry runs through neighborhoods to see how we could maximize our sugar gathering potential. One year I came away with three pillowcases full, it was marvelous. There was nothing as satisfying as sorting it all out at the end of the night and divvying it up. The popcorn balls, apples, raisins and stickers all got shoved to the side and then I got down to the good stuff. My parents never exacted a candy tax; and even if they had I thought it was only fair to share, and by share I meant that I kept the good stuff and gave them the left overs. No, I wasn’t that bad, I gave them some of the good stuff too.

It actually worked out really well. For the most part, the stuff I kept they didn’t like and the stuff I gave away was their favorites. I can’t remember what my favorites were; probably the mini candy bars and the Reese’s, maybe the Dots oh and Tootsie Rolls, definitely Tootsie Rolls. I got to eat a few pieces that night and then it all went in a bowl that was put on top of the refrigerator. After that I got one piece after dinner each night or as a treat at other times, at least that was their understanding of the system, I never let on that I devised a method of reaching the bowl and helping myself and I never took enough to raise suspicions. I think I would have gotten in more trouble telling them how I got the candy than the actual eating of the candy. Most years it lasted almost until the following Halloween.

Now that I am an adult I miss trick-or-treating. I miss the strategy sessions and the mission impossible type feats of getting to the candy bowl. Being able to buy my own bag in the store doesn’t have the same appeal and walking to the cashier and yelling trick or treat just gets me weird looks. I liked having to “work” for it by going around the neighborhood. It somehow tasted better that way, more satisfying.

Now that I’m on the purchasing end of the spectrum I can observe the holiday from a different perspective and get mad at the unseasonably early marketing ploys. It was late July when the first Halloween candy aisle got put up at my local store. That is way too early. Even August is way too early. There is no reason Halloween candy can’t come out in October. But of course that messes with their marketing. You buy the candy in July/August, you eat the candy in July/August and then you have to buy more in September…..which leads to eating in September which makes for another grocery run in October. I get it, but I hate rushing things. Like now, Halloween is still four days away and we haven’t even gotten to Thanksgiving and they are selling Christmas candy and trees. Sigh.

But we can’t end a candy post on a sour note, so here is some trivia for you to munch on. On average according to the all wise and knowledgeable internet, Americans spend about $44 on candy each year or 2.1 billion on candy total. Imagine what would happen if we all kicked in our candy money for one year, think of the national bills we could pay. Treat indeed. The top five candies are candy corn, Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit-Kats and m&m’s, which sounds about right to me.

So what is your favorite candy? What are the most trick-or-treaters you’ve ever had? Do you prefer giving candy or getting it?

October Thought Day 20: The Sounds of Halloween

I found my Halloween cassette tape today and my whole October was saved. Seriously. When I was unpacking the decorations I came across the tape case and naturally assumed that the tape was inside it. I went to play it earlier in the month and when I opened it up all I was met with was empty space. I poked the empty space just to make sure the tape hadn’t acquired the super power of invisibility in the year since I had last seen it. Alas, it hadn’t. There was no tape to be found. It was a harsh blow and I had no idea where to look for it. This particular tape had been my very favorite since my mother gave it to me as a Halloween present in 1986. What can I say; I was a weird little kid who grew up to be a weird adult.

The tape is from Hallmark of all places and has a cheesy actor in vampire costume on the front cover listening for the sounds of Halloween presumably, either that or he’s singing and listening to his pitch, it’s hard to tell. There are two playable sides totaling a very random forty-six minutes. Side one is scary sound effects; more on that in a minute, and side two is knock-offs of popular Halloween songs. The tape is not nearly long enough for my liking and frankly I’m surprised I haven’t worn it out from years of overuse.

There are only five songs on side two and quite honestly I could do without one of them. There is Ghostbusters which never goes out of style, Monster Mash which just might be my October anthem, Thriller, which is a close second, the Bach-Toccata and Fugues in D-Minor done on pipe organ and lastly Purple People Eater which I loathe with the fire of a thousand suns because the people who sing it are just plain irritating.

While I could, and have listened to Thriller and Monster Mash over and over, the Toccata is my favorite hands down. The piece throws in some extra Halloween sound effects at the beginning which only adds to the enjoyment. It starts with a creaky door opening and closing, then you hear loud footsteps going up to the organ. There is silence, and then the music begins. I could float away from pure joy just on the opening chords.

From the first note I am transported to a dark gothic cathedral on a cold October night. The organ and player are up in the balcony and hidden by shadows, but the music, the music swells and overflows the pipes. It fills the empty spaces and carries me upward to the cathedral ceiling. I’m flying on the melody, pitching and rolling with each note. I am always sad when the piece ends and more often than not I hit rewind and listen to it a few more times. Someday I hope to hear it in an actual cathedral rather than on the speakers of my headphones. But for now I am content.

But as great as the Toccata is, it is nothing compared to the sound effects on side one. I think that is my favorite part of the whole tape. I can listen to each creaking hinge and monster voice till the echoes reverberate in my ears without the tape. Whoever thought up the effects was one creative individual. There are Igor’s, cat-men, and witches with the absolute perfect cackle. There are accented vampires, clanking chains, creaky doors, ominous footsteps, screams, haunting laughter, spooky wind gusts, howls and more. I love it. I always have. As a kid I would pop the tape into my portable My Little Pony player, hook it to the handlebars of my bike and zoom around the neighborhood. I would also do the same on the factory floor of my mom’s work. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a six year old flying by you on a tricycle with streamers, listening to witches cackle on a My Little Pony player. It simply isn’t done. I think I am the original Wednesday Addams minus the dark hair.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty low today and then I found the tape. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Well, it would have been nice for it not to have been lost in the first place, but I’ll take this minor miracle. I happily popped the cassette in and my mood instantly shifted. I floated away on the Fugues and my cares were forgotten. I listened to the scary effects and remembered trick-or-treat’s gone by. I always made my dad play the tape in the car on Halloween and he was happy to oblige. After all, we had to get into proper trick-or-treat mode. I remembered the smell of the car, the weight of the candy in my sack and the dark nights. Hearing that tape brought back memories of Family Fun Night’s at my school and wearing my horrible clown costume to my great aunts for pictures and hugs. Listening to the tape was like stepping into a time machine. I’m so glad I found it. I even found spares for sale on Amazon of all places, so I just might invest.

What is a favorite Halloween/October thing of yours? And while you’re pondering that question, I’m going to go listen to my tape again.

October Thought Day 4: I Wasn’t Going To…

I wasn’t going to do it. This year I was going to refrain from writing about my decorations. I had firm intentions to sit back and enjoy them and keep it all to myself. But then I got mono and that idea went right out the window.

I had planned to have the decorations up no later than the 25^th of September. Here it is the 4^th of October and they are still waiting to go up. When you barely have the energy to sit upright, putting twenty some odd boxes of decorations where they need to go can seem like climbing Everest. Every day I put a few more things where I think they need to go, then I sit back and lament that it might just take me all month to get things done. But today I had a breakthrough.

Originally I had the entire spare room floor covered with Halloween décor. There were two paths through the knickknacks otherwise every square inch was utilized. Today I can finally see floor. It was a group effort and I probably overdid it but it was worth it. At least I’m telling myself that now. Things still aren’t up and in place, but they are at least closer to being that way and that makes me happy.

I have been in a bit of a funk. Since I felt so bad I didn’t really feel inspired to decorate. Prior to contracting the sleepy plague, I had grand plans to do something different this year. That idea got squashed real quick. So there I sat, looking at everything and feeling overwhelmed. Yes, I know, I’m not curing cancer or solving an incredibly hard math equation that will enable us to live on Mars, but to me decorating is important. I really couldn’t tell you why. Sure, my mom decorated our house when I was a kid, but nothing like I do now. I fall somewhere between Martha Stewart perfection and crazy Halloween hoarder.

The past few years I’ve actually tried to downsize. I take everything out of their boxes, everything, and ruthlessly go through them. I ask myself questions like; have I ever used this or when was the last time I did? Am I only keeping this out of sentimentally or will I really use it? Example. One of my past jobs was for a comic book warehouse. It was AWESOME! They had the best stuff in there and not just comic books. I loved that job sooooo much. I did it for two summers and it was a dream. They got crazy cool stuff in the warehouse at Halloween and some of my paychecks went directly back to the company. My favorite acquisition was a Halloween snow globe. The base was a pair of skeleton hands wrapped around the glass ball. Inside was black snow with a skull in the middle. It was something to see, my description really doesn’t do it justice. I proudly displayed it every year until one fateful season when I went to open to box to take it out and found that the glass had shattered. I was heartbroken and I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. So I took off all the excess glass and displayed it as is. A few years later on of the fingers broke off the hands. Then the skull got lost. I kept that broken down globe for far longer than I should have. I finally threw it away a few years ago and it was disposed of with high honors. Every year as I dig through the boxes I keep hoping to find the snow globe miraculously recovered and waiting for me. Obviously I don’t, but its memory lives on.

It’s like that with my decorations. They are family. Each one has a story to tell. I don’t just buy stuff cuz it’s Halloweeny. It has to stand out or mean something. Like the rapping ghost that my mom bought me when I was a teen. It is the most ridiculous thing. You press the button on its stand and it lights ups, shimmies and raps. I have no idea why she thought it would be something I would like, but I can’t seem to part with it. It has become a part of the family, from the dysfunctional side.

I look forward to taking my holiday treasures out of their boxes. Since I can’t hurry up and decorate this year I have greatly enjoyed sitting and looking over all of them and reminiscing. Right now as I type I am in the middle of the floor surrounded by them. There are new friends and old. I have a small sack full that will be donated and I’m both proud of myself and sad. I always feel like such a traitor letting things go.

Then there’s the decorations we lost in the fire 5 years ago. I miss those things like a phantom limb. I had a full Halloween village that I had spent years curating. Only two houses survived and let’s be honest, they weren’t my favorites. But, is has been fun finding replacements. I buy a few more bits and bobs every year and now my town looks less and less like the vacant bad side of town and more like the bustling monster metropolis it should be.

But where do I find all these marvelous things you may ask? Everywhere, is my answer. They are both homemade and store bought. They can be edible (though not really anymore after 15 plus years), fragile, squishy, sturdy or soft. Some are scary, some funny, others sweet, cute and everything in between. The furthest a decoration has ever come is from Romania, no joke. I shop at various places online, in stores of all types, I check discount bins, and sales. Some are gifts, some I’ve gotten for free with a purchase and some have mysteriously turned up on my doorstep.

If I had to pick my very favorite decoration, it would be the haunted house that my grandmother made for me. It was ceramic and she painted it brownish grey with blue trim. Inside were three color changing bulbs that made a noise every time they switched over. I loved that thing. I’m pretty sure it was some sort of a fire hazard, but I miss it horribly. It’s still my favorite even though it is gone. I haven’t had the heart to pick something new, but if I had to choose I’d say the Halloween train that my dad bought me last year would be a definite contender. So, while I sit here and dream that magical Halloween elves will be coming in during the night to decorate my house, I’m curious, what is your favorite Halloween/fall decoration and how long have you had it?

October Thought Day 18: Friendship

Have you ever noticed that traits from other months find their way to October. I can be  basking in a perfect October day and be suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of thankfulness. Actually, I think I am more thankful in October than I ever am in November. I think about resolutions more in October than January and I use the word love more in October than I do in February. Go figure. I know that those months don't have the monopoly on those particular topics but it just feels a bit out of place when they do pop up.

But what does all that have to do with October, you may ask? Friendship, I reply. You see, August is the official month of Friendship Day. But today, actually all of this weekend, I have had  a chance to reflect on what it means to be a friend and I realize that I am more cognizant of friendship in October than any other time of the year, especially August. I think it has to do with the weather turning a bit brisk and me finding ways to keep cozy. Cozy equals friendship in my world and naturally my mind turns there.

This weekend while I was squirreled away in the mountains in front of a flickering fireplace I sat back and thought about friends past, present and future. I thought of friends who at the time meant something special in my life. How I shared important moments and milestones with them. Some of those friends I still have, some have moved on and I can only wonder what their lives are like now. Friendship is an odd thing. Sometimes quick friendship bursts can be just as important as friendships that last throughout the years.

I had one friend who saw me through some dark days when a relative passed. They were a shoulder to cry on, a warm body to sit next to and a voice of reason when mine was clouded by grief. If you'd have asked me then how long our friendship would last, I would have said forever. But after a while our lives took different paths and we talked less and less. Not because we had  any animosity or a falling out, life just happened. One day they moved and that was that.

There was another dear friend who I suppose would be classified as only an acquaintance by a casual observer. I saw this person every week and only for an hour at that. We never talked about anything of substance, in fact we didn't talk much at all. We were simple glad to see each other and that was that. This friendship lasted for maybe ten years until they passed away, but I still think of my friend and whenever I do that memory makes my heart sing.

I have other friends who have known me either all my life or very close to it. We drift in and out of contact but always seem to circle back and it is like no time has passed at all. I treasure those friendships.

I have new friends who I feel I have known forever. I feel as comfortable with them as with family and they have only known me for a minute or less. I treasure those friendships as well and can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

Friendship is a funny and multifaceted thing. Much like autumn leaves they can take on many hues and colors. They can last like a leaf preserved between the pages of a book or they can fall and blow away like a leaf on the wind. For each of these friendships I am extremely grateful. They have had a part in shaping who I am and I know they will continue to shape who I will be.

So while my Octobers may be full of bats and pumpkins, monsters and mayhem, it is also full of friends. Friends who like me despite my proclivity for pumpkins. Friends who read these lengthy October letters and keep coming back for more. Friends for dark days and light days. Friends for the long haul and friends for the minute. If you count yourself as one of my friends, thank you. I cherish you and the joy that you bring to my life. Whether we are near or far from each other, whether we have seen each other ten minutes ago or ten years ago, you are not forgotten. You are my friend and there is a special place in my heart that belongs only to you.

If you aren't my friend, but still are reading these words, then perhaps one day we will be. Mayhap you are simply a friend that I haven't met yet, in which case, I am already very excited to meet you.
So, take a minute today to think over your friends, past, present and possible future. Give thanks for them and what they have brought and what they will bring to your life. You won't be sorry, I promise.

October Thoughts Day 12: A Question For You

I spend a lot of time talking at you telling you what I think are the best parts of October. I like leaves, pumpkins, zombies, scary movies, socks, bats, cider, pumpkins, corn mazes, monsters, holiday breakfast cereals, did I mention pumpkins, etc...The list could go on and on. I have no shortage of things to say. But yesterday, as I was contemplating quiet country roads it occurred to me, I don't know why any of you like October. It is wonderful to find kindred souls on this month long journey. I love sharing my memories, activities and joys. But I would like to know some of yours. What makes October so special for you? What is a favorite October memory? What is a tradition that you have that only happens in October? Do you like the scary and the beautiful, or just the leaves? Do you like the dark and the howl of the black cat, or do you much prefer a cozy blanket and a cup of cider by the fire? I really want to know.

But it wouldn't be fair if I didn't share something, so I will go first. This isn't my favorite thing about October, I don't think I have just one, but this is the one that floated to the top today.
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I am comforted by nostalgia and that is what October is for me. I get misty when I take out my decorations for the season for the first time. I see each of them as more than just trinkets, they are memory portals. I pick up a broken snow globe with a skull in the middle with bits of black snow stuck to it and I am instantly transported to the warehouse job that I worked one summer. I remember finding the globe and gleefully putting it aside so that I could buy it when payday came around. I also remember quite a few years later when it slipped out of my hands and broke making an awful mess on the floor. I remember being really sad, awfully frustrated and then I remember deciding that I would not throw it away, I would instead turn it into a new decoration.

I look at past October Thoughts and relive the fun and wonder. I am reminded of the kindness of friends and strangers, the beauty that is all around, and what I was fixated on that particular year. It is fun to walk around in my own memories. It is comforting that somewhere in cyberspace, even if my own memory fades, past Octobers will live on for posterity. That is unless I break the internet.
I love the possibility of what will be. Towards the end of September and possibly other earlier months I am plotting and planning my October list. What will I watch, read or do? What new adventures can I take? What old traditions must be upheld? Then when October is over, I look back and see how this October measured up. Was it one to remember, or one that should best be forgotten? I spend November first giving thanks for the October that was and the October that will come again. I say thank you for the changing of the seasons and realize that winter will soon arrive with its snowy cloak.

But not today. Today I still have over half of October left and I am determined to experience every bit of it that I can. So, hid your pumpkins, put out the good candelabras and lets take this glorious October adventure together......

Ok, your turn

Day 1: October is Finally Here....Again

I have a confession to make.....ok two. The first one is that I cheated on October. In the 365 days since the last one, I have bought decorations out of season (which I never do), I have drank Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, I have worn my Halloween socks in March, May and July, and I watched some October movies during the summer and fall. Plus, if posting Pinterest snaps of fall leaves year round is a crime, then I may have just topped the FBI's most wanted list.  I feel ashamed. But only a little. I just couldn't wait any longer.

My second confession is that I forgot that today was October. I have been busy all of September and parts of August doing October things and thinking about October and wishing for it to be here, that today kind of slipped my mind. Yesterday, October Eve, I just about killed myself getting the holiday décor up. I woke up today groggy and still thinking it was September. I wanted to badly for it to be October that when it actually happened, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Go figure. In reality, I had my first October day on September 30th. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Happy first day of the best month ever, everyone. I have been looking forward to these October Thoughts since they ended last October. I have been jotting down ideas. I have been scheming and planning and dreaming big. Too big as it turns out. I had planned to write a short story for every day of this wonderful month, but that proved to be a bit too ambitious. So, at least once a week I will be presenting a short story. Maybe more if there proves to be time. It is October after all, and anything can happen.

The first thought of the month is going to be about decorations. I never know which though will push its way to the front, but this year it seemed pretty clear. If you know me at all, you know that I love to decorate. I never thought it was weird or over the top until I started really paying attention to other peoples houses. Now I'm not saying I go full on Clark Griswold on holidays, but things do get pretty festive. You can clearly tell what holiday we are celebrating around here just by looking at our front door. I would like to say that I don't do tacky décor, but I suppose that observation is in the eye of the beholder.

Some people think what I do is silly. Some (mostly retail clerks) think I have small children and am doing it for them, but I just like to feel festive. I like the idea of decorations, the flash, sparkle and whimsy. I like the memories associated with them. Two years ago on Halloween our house caught fire (non decoration related I might add). We lost pretty much everything in the house which included most of our decorations. I would have to read my Thoughts from last year to see how that loss affected me, but I am feeling it pretty keenly this year. I don't remember how many October boxes we used to have, I think it was in the 20's or 30's, but now we have 8. I know that is 8 more than most people, but for me it feels like a piece of me is missing.

Decorations are not just things to me, they are memories and stories. I can tell you where I got each decoration or who gave it to me. I can tell you where I have placed it, what I have done with it and various other memories associated with it. This year as I started going though the boxes I kept looking for things that are no longer there. I looked for the half melted pumpkin scarecrow guy that had always given me the heebie jeebies as a kid. He was lopsided and sorta sticky but he was a Halloween staple. I looked for my monster mugs that I spent a summer working for at a comic book warehouse. I unearthed them in a box in the back room one day and took them in lieu of pay. I looked for the screaming door mat that drove everyone but me crazy. I searched for my grandmas haunted house that she painted for me. It had a chip in one of the sides, one bulb socket didn't work anymore, but it reminded me so keenly of my childhood. That house was the one decoration that I fiercely claimed every year. It didn't  go with the other haunted houses, it sat in the windowsill of my room and rotated colors all night long. I fell asleep listening to the bulbs transition and click. It bathed my room in blue, red and orange and it was my most favorite decoration.

Since the fire I have new favorites. Good friends have gifted me with the most amazing things. Instead of having childhood memories, I have new ones to build on. Instead of saying, Oh, I remember when we bought that at such and such a store. I can say, oh my, this one came from this person and then think back on the kindness and friendship that went into such a craft or purchase. These are my new favorites. And truth be told, it is kind of fun getting to buy new things. Sure, they might lack some of the kitsch from years past. And yes, the internet and second hand shops are great places to find things from yesteryear, but you never really can buy back your childhood. I know, I tried. Things just smell funny and don't feel the same.

Last night, as I waited for the clock to roll over into a new October, I sat in the dark and looked over my handiwork. No year is ever the same. Sure, some things have a specific spot, but not many. New decorations come in, new ideas pop into my head and a new decorating scheme is made. Every year I think to myself, wow, it can't possibly get any better than this year, and every year it does get better.
I love decorating. I love the look on peoples faces when they see what I have done. I love that some people think I'm crazy and some people think its wonderful. I love making something new and creating something whimsical for my household. I love the memories each piece evokes. I even love the melancholy of the missed decorations. It reminds me to enjoy things in the moment. We never know when that moment will change.

But really, isn't that October in a nutshell? The new year is getting long in the tooth. It is winding down and giving way to something shiny and newer. But it isn't just rolling over and letting the new take over, no, it is going out in a blaze of color. It is making its exit with the smells of the harvest and the taste of spice. October is the fun month that dares you to take a midnight walk under the stars, to wake up early and watch the fog creep back to its dark caverns, to dance around the fire, to jump in leaf piles and stomp in puddles. October is the last hurrah before the weather turns cold and the expectations of the bigger holidays loom. October is the party that everyone is invited too but so few accept the invitation.

That is my challenge to you this October. Live in the now. Embrace the whimsy. Crunch a leaf. Buy some crazy Halloween socks. Put plastic vampire teeth in your mouth and go to your dental appointment. Sip a pumpkin spice something on a cold morning. Get lost in a corn maze and not care a bit. But above all, open your eyes to the wonder of the best month of them all. You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Day 31: The Last Hurrah

This is it. The big day has finally arrived and I am as giddy as a kid at Christmas. I have such high hopes for the day, I can't wait to see how it pans out. I have at least 4 costume changes planned. Ok, they aren't all costumes, some are holiday attire, but I'm still counting them as costume changes. Plus, it makes me sound a bit like a rock star.

For this final thought, it is only fitting that I talk about Halloween. It is the perfect way to end such a wonderful month.  I think all months should end with a celebration. When I become grand high chancellor of everything I will decree that such a thing happen. That and I will banish November. But for now I am content to celebrate what I have. I know that for some people, Halloween is a horrible holiday. And I respect that. Just like I respect the people that loath Valentines Day. But, I am obviously not one of the Halloween haters. I do hate how the carefree aspect of the holiday has been stripped away year after year, but that is besides the point. I love Halloween for its simplicity and joy. It is a time of family and imagination. A time of wonder and magic. It is the last hurrah before the weather gets cold and the pressures of the season rush in. It is a day where you get to be a kid again or at least let your inner child out to play.

But for all that, I also see Halloween as a day of remembrance. Halloween to me is like a memorial day for family and friends. It is a time when I take stock of those I have loved and lost and those I still have. It is a time to go and pay my respects and remember the dead. Call it macabre if you want to, but that is how I have felt ever since I was a kid. Halloween is a dichotomy. It is a time to morn those lost and to celebrate in the life still to live. It is a time to be somber and a time to be joyous. Maybe that is why I like it so much. It can't be pegged as just one thing. Though the candy part doesn't hurt either.

I am sad that kids today aren't having the same trick or treating experiences that I had as a child. I grew up right on the cusp of taking your candy hauls to the police so they could scan them. There was a fear, but not like there is today. I could run around to neighbors houses with my pillowcase or pumpkin bucket and not be scared. Now more and more people stop decorating and handing out candy and go to school, church or community functions instead. Which don't get me wrong, I am ALL for those events. I love them. I participate in them. But some of the magic is lost. Getting candy out of the back of someone's car is just boring and it borders on being creepy. Maybe I am just getting all curmudgeonly in my old age, but I like things how they used to be. When people really put on a spectacle and liked having kids come over to get candy.

I have never, ever had a trick or treater and if things keep going like they are, I never will. I find this enormously depressing. I hear friends complaining about how they run out of candy and how they get tired of answering the door and I just want to lecture them and tell them to count their blessings. Each year I fill up my candy bowl and wait. I feel a bit like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Each year I just KNOW that a trick or treater will show up and each year nothing. But like Linus I don't give up hope. This year will be different. I can feel it.

So revel in the day. Eat and drink copious amounts of pumpkin flavored something. Dress up with reckless abandon, hug those you love, send trick or treaters my way and above all have fun. This has been another wonderful October ride and I thank you for sharing it with me.

Day 18: October Days & New Hobbies

Today was a perfect October day. I'm glad that I waited to write about it till now. I had things planned, but they feel through. In a good way though. It was the perfect kind of day where there were no pressures. No demands on my time. Nothing to do but follow where the October winds blew me.

I got to sleep in late. I woke up to golden sunshine poking my eyelids and I had about a 10 minute window in which to laze. Then, my neighbor and his friend showed up and asked if I wanted to come and see them split wood. I said sure, and was off like a shot. I spent a good hour across the street in perfect autumn sunshine watching them split wood with a machine. It was fascinating. Really, it was. The ease of which the machine turned those logs into manageable chunks was nothing short of magical. And then came the best part. I got asked if I wanted to try my hand at chopping wood.

I had been watching as my neighbor swung the axe and used the splitter before loading the machine. The morning air was so still and quiet, and the clang of metal on metal reverberated around the hilltop. It had a clear ring to it that went out and came back like a sound boomerang. And then it was my turn to make that noise. It didn't have the same clear, high note that his had, but it did make a satisfying CLANG.

I was not the best person ever to wield an axe, but I was fairly competent. I hit the wood every time and I still have all 10 fingers and toes. There was something deeply satisfying about the swing and chop. Feeling and seeing the wood give and hearing that woody crunch and split. I can still hear it all these hours later. It was so much fun. I have decided that I might not make the worst pioneer ever. I may have lasted more than a day after all.

Chopping wood in the cool, clear autumn day with the sun at my back was wonderful. But it was not my only high point. I found a Headless Horseman figurine online and it came today. I need two C batteries to make it complete, but it looks spectacular even without the glowing red eyes and sound effects. Later in the day, the FedEx carrier brought me an even better surprise. I finally found the Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy cereals. I had to look online (again) but I found them and claimed them. Today Frute Brute arrived. I hugged the box and did a little dance with it. I showed it to the puppy, but the Brute was sufficiently scary enough that the puppster ran away. Poor guy. That did not deter me from howling though.

But by far the best part of my day was the evening. The weather was perfect. Crisp and cold with no wind. I got to build a fire outside in our fire pit and it was wonderful. I got to roast marshmallows underneath the full moon. I missed the eclipse, but who cares. I got to toast my toes against the metal grate and listen to the sounds of the football games drifting up from the valley. I got to watch a gauzy haze creep out of the riverbeds and up into the fields. I got to watch a vampire show while sitting outside, under a full moon with firelight. Really, does it get any better?

I want to take that moment and put it in a bottle to savor many moons and Octobers from now.
As my day winds to a close, I sit here with the firelight still playing across my screen. My sweatshirt smells like wood smoke and I think I may just fall asleep in it. Not a bad day at all. Have I mentioned that I love October ;)

Day 11: The Night

Today was a rather hectic day. It did not at all go how I planned it. Sadly, it was not a super cool surprise kind of day, but we roll with the punches. After everyone was bedded down and tucked in for the night. I grabbed my mattress and drug it out to the back of the pick up truck. I piled it in along with blankets, pillows, a cup of tea, and the puppy. Then I just snuggled down and looked up at the stars.

Star gazing is a great thing to do in October, and I have had a love affair with the velvety blackness since I was a wee sprout. I find that the night sky always has something fantastic going on. Unbeknownst to my mother, I used to sneak out and climb up on the roof to stargaze. It is just so peaceful. One can sit absolutely still and watch the world turn.

Star gazing was especially wonderful tonight. There was a haze over the moon making it all distorted and out of focus. The glowing orb was only at half strength, which made it easy to see the other twinkly bits in the heavens. I saw a few shooting stars and made sure to look for my favorite constellations. But I don't limit myself to them. I make my own star patterns, name them and come up with back stories. October I have found is a fertile ground for imagination and flights of fancy.

Back home, I used to watch the bats fly as I gazed. Now I look for owls. It always gives me a tingle to see some giant winged thing out and about when the rest of the world is sleeping. But isn't that half the fun of October. Letting ones imagination run away with them? I let mine do that all the time. October nights just make it easy. Foggy, dark, cool, black. Things chirping or rustling in tall dry grasses. Ooooh. I just gave myself goose bumps.

So yes, one of these remaining October nights, go out and watch the stars. Go for a midnight stroll with the bats. Play peek a boo with the moon. You won't be sorry you did.

Day 3: Reminders & Beginnings

Normally, I save this thought for later in the month, but it just kept nagging at me and I had to get it written so I could get some peace. One of my very favorite things about October is the decorations. I love decorations in general, but from April through September, there isn't really much to do holiday wise. Sure, the fourth of July is in there, but there is only so much one can do with red, white and blue. After an almost six month dry spell, this gal really needs to get her decoration on, and October is there to save the day.
I love everything about October décor. There are so many options. Do you go scary? And if so, is it funny scary, ironic scary, scary scary, gruesome scary or a hodgepodge? If scary isn't your thing, maybe pumpkin everything is. Or perhaps scarecrows. Maybe you are a leaf lover or a fan of the jewel tones. It doesn't matter. October has it all.

I get such a rush taking down the decoration boxes. Opening them up and seeing what is inside is like Christmas morning. Sure, I already know what is going to be in the box, but it is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. Do I put it somewhere new, or do I do the same thing as last year and the year before? It is great coming up with new ideas, or adding a bit of bling to an old favorite.
This year however, there was a touch of melancholy to my decorating fervor. Last October thirtieth my house caught on fire. I had gone all out with the décor, so much so that it bordered a bit on tacky. I just wanted everything on display since I couldn't pick a favorite. I can remember standing in the rubble of the house a few days after the fact. The house was eerily quiet and everything was soot blackened. The plastic pumpkins over the valances had melted and run down the drapes. The haunted village looked like it had been ravaged by monsters. The fake flowers had melted and drooped in their vases and the banners hung in rags from their hooks. It was all so sad. But at the same time, kinda theme. The interior looked like the perfect setting for a haunted house.
It didn't really hit me until a few weeks ago, and then especially Tuesday, the October décor was not going to be the same. Ninety-five percent of my décor was lost in the fire. Things that had major memories attached to them. Now some might think it silly to cry over holiday decorations, but they meant something to me. The five light up pumpkins that always sat on the window ledge, were purchased at Payless on a whim, because I had learned a poem about five pumpkins that day in school and mom thought it would be cute to buy them. There was the haunted house that my grandmother made me that had color changing lights on the inside and made a funny clicking sound at each interval. There was the skeleton snow globe that I bought with money from my first job. I had broken it years before while hastily putting it away, but repurposed the remainder so that I didn't have to part with it. Every decoration had a story and it felt like a part of me was missing this year as I put up the new baubles.
But then I realized, there was a silver lining. Not all of the decorations were destroyed. Some really meaningful things had survived. Like the paper scarecrow who has faded and has a myriad of tape removal marks on one side. Or the leaf garland that is starting to look a bit sparse because each year it loses a little more of its foliage. And already, the new decorations have a history built in. As I go through the years into the future, I will remember that this pumpkin was purchased the year of the fire. Or that new decoration was bought on a whim the day before and wasn't put out yet so it was spared. Already new memories are being made. And, with the new décor, there is a new house. Even if the old décor was around, there are not the same places to put it in. So creativity is needed and encouraged.
I haven't really had to think about the placement of things for a few years now, so it was sorta fun to reimagine what October would look like this year. True, it is a bit sparse and a tad eccentric, but it is a start. It will be fun to build my collection back up and make new memories. And, with the documentation of the October Thoughts, I can revive the past and see those decorations again in my minds eye. A real October miracle.
So, what is your favorite fall/autumn/October/Halloween/harvest decoration? And does it have a story?

The Trouble With Valentine's Day

Ah Valentine's Day. If you believe the media, it is the bane of single folk and men world wide. There is yearly talk of conspiracy cooked up between the money sucking trifecta of Hallmark, flower purveyors and chocolatiers. And really, sometimes I tend to agree. For a holiday that is derived from either a martyred saint or a man speaking up for social injustice, I just don't see where partially naked, fat babies carrying compound bows fit into the picture of me going out to eat a steak dinner. But maybe I'm just wired funny.

My earliest memories of Valentine's Day centered around dragging my mother to the store to pick out the perfect valentines for my class. This was back in the day when food allergies were rare and every child needed to get a card. The old all or none gambit. And woe to the kid whose parents didn't believe in holidays or buying cards and candy for 24 strange children who wouldn't write them a thank you for it later. Hours would be spent at my classroom seat-desk constructing the perfect valentine mailbox to affix to the front of my mini cubicle in training.

Once the perfect cards were selected, (sometimes we bought more than one brand because one just couldn't seem to convey all that I wanted to say) I would spend hours (not exaggerating here) with the cards fanned out in front of me behind the couch deciding exactly who got what. You see, Valentine card selection is a science. First, you sort out the cards that are duds and the ones that are too cheesy. You will have an innate sixth sense as to which ones these are. Then you get down to business. In grade school, you need to be cool, but not seem like you are trying. You need to pick out the perfect card that will tell your secret 8 year old crush that you will love him or her forever, or until recess. But the card can't just come out and say that. Good heavens no. It has to say something like "You are the Beary Best" but convey with subtle subtext that you will love them with an undying love that means you will share your hot lunch pizza with them and not think twice about doing it. Once that task is completed, then you figure out which candy heart exactly to stick in the envelope with it. You can't seem like you are trying too hard you know.

And then, there is how to sign your name. Do you write in cursive or block letters? Do you add love or friends forever or just write your name and leave it at that? What if the weird kid who eats paste in the corner when the teacher isn't looking misunderstands the wording on your card and thinks that you want to become a paste eating partner. See, picking out valentines is hard work. I sorted those valentines like some middle aged men sort baseball cards. It drove my mom nuts and dad never did understand why I had to do it behind the couch and why it took so long. (The light was better behind the couch if you must know).

Then you reach those awkward teen years where you don't have to send valentines to everyone. But that makes things tricky. And then they add candy grams, flower deliveries and other things into the mix. I think they really want to give teens mental breakdowns. Then heaven forbid you actually have a boyfriend or girlfriend during this time. Are you a serious couple or just starting out? Do you send something sickeningly cute (for future reference, the answer is always NO) or do you send something neutral that can be taken any way the reader wants it to go.
I have gotten some real interesting things for valentines day from boyfriends. I still have some of them. My favorite though falls under the category I entitled, "Give the gift and then shut up."

My teen squeeze stopped me in the halls between bells and did the classic, close your eyes routine. When I opened them there was the prettiest braided white lace choker in his hand, with a silver heart pendant hanging from the middle. It was beautiful. And then he started talking and ruined it. As he was putting it on me, he mentioned that he had purchased it at a garage sale. (I was ok with that, wahoo, vintage). But he kept talking. He had purchased it a while ago. (Ok, so he had it laying around and still thought of me. I can roll with that.) Then came the kicker, I bought it at a garage sale, a while ago, when I was dating this other girl and meant to give it to her, but we broke up and when I saw it in my drawer I thought you might like it. Ok, he really meant well, and it was beautiful, and it wasn't a regift, but still. Least. Romantic. Thing. Ever.

Just say, oh look, I found this necklace, thought of you and happy Valentine's Day. The End. Sigh, boys are weird. Which leads to my second favorite Valentine's gift. I got it in kindergarten when I was sitting on top of the jungle gym. The boy crawled up, gave me two fake sapphire rings that he had gotten out of a quarter machine, announced that now we were married and then scurried away. It was weird. But they were a really pretty blue. There were two of them, and being married to him seemed to entail that I do nothing different that what I was currently doing, so what the heck. I still have those rings. They fit on half of my pinky finger but I love them and the funny memories that they evoke.

Yup, Valentine's Day for me is weird. This year is no exception. While grocery shopping for the evening meal, I was hugged by a complete stranger in the middle of the produce aisle. I don't think he mistook me for his lady love, I think he was just really happy and wanted to hug someone on Valentine's Day and there I was. Then, when I went to the gas station the attendant who has called me boring and seems put out upon having to wait on me, offered to be my valentine. It was weird. (I seem to use that word a lot this time of year)

Yup, Valentine's Day is kinda strange. But what do you expect from a semi made up holiday. Now that I am older, I take exception to the fact that there is this one day, where as a nation we have to love people more than we normally do. Like for the other 364 days out of the year we can neglect them and just skate by, but come Feb. 14th, whoa boy, you better love someone. And who decided that flowers, chocolate, hotel rooms, restaurants, lacy things, perfume, stuffed bears and copious amounts of the color pink were the best way to express this? Maybe it is because I think we should treat people special everyday. Maybe it is because I don't like being told that I have to do something. Maybe it is because I don't get to sit at a teeny tiny desk, with a chair bolted on and make a paper mail box to get cards from classmates.

I just hate when people feel stressed about a holiday. That takes all the fun out of it. If your wife is overloaded and stressed, take the kids out of the house for a while and draw her a bath before you go. Don't make your husband wear a pink tie and go to a tea house if the thought of that makes him squirm. Do a load of laundry unasked. Leave a note on the driver side seat of the car. Make some cookies. Make the bed. You don't have to buy stuff to make someone happy. Just listen and be there for them. The stuff is just icing.

Case in point, my favorite part of the day came from something unexpected. I baked a cake for my mom to take to a monthly lunch. It came back almost totally uneaten because everyone else had decided that Valentine's Day was a good day to bring sweets and with all the selection it barely got touched. (I promise that was the reason. I am a good cook and the cake was yummy. I may or may not have tasted a tiny bite of it before sending it with mom. Quality control measures don't cha know.) Now I was left with a cake that none of us felt like eating for the next month. So I suggested that she take it back to her hotel and give it to the front desk clerk to share with the night staff. She thought that they might take offense to being offered a used cake. But I pointed out that she was only offering a taste and if they didn't want it, they could pass.

She got to the hotel and offered it to the front desk clerk who teared up and wouldn't stop thanking her. It seems the clerk on staff tonight was the manager and he let his employees have the night off. He and his wife LOVE cake and hadn't had a chance to get one or to celebrate because he was working. Now they had a cake to share when his break time came and it just made his day. I teared up as mom told me this over the phone. Without planning it, we made some couples Valentine's Day special. I counted the day a total success just because of that. What a wonderful thing to fall asleep on. You never really know, where a day will take you. And it didn't require hours of pre planning, lots of money, stress or reservations. It was just a nice gesture from one human being to another. That is the way Valentine's and every day should be celebrated in my book. Who's with me!

Happy Valentine's Day! however you celebrate it.

Family Fun Night: OT Day 28

I am starting to go into my “October is almost over” panic. There are still so many things that I want to do before the month ends and I know I just won't make it. But that is ok. October is a no fault month. Besides, if I can't do it in 31 days, then I will just appropriate some of November for other October related purposes. Ah, now I feel better. Finally, November is good for something.

Today it seems, many people decided to have their Halloween fun early. I saw people in costume, read about people in costume, and heard about people in costume. So many parties and gatherings. I hope they save some of the merrymaking for the actual day.

Parties are one of my favorite things about October. Scary movie nights. Costume parties, harvest parties at school, pumpkin carving parties, trick or treat sleep overs, and the best of all, Family Fun Night.

Family Fun Night was the best day of the school year for me. Even better than the first day, and that is saying something. For years I thought the event was indigenous only to my school, but since then I have found otherwise. For one night, our gym and surrounding classrooms would be turned into an October wonderland. Rooms that were dedicated to learning, morphed into photo studios, game booths and face painting way stations. The library turned into the cafeteria and the halls were filled with excited children who had parents in tow.

But the gym, the gym was amazing. Professional looking carnival booths lined every wall and took up any available floor space. And for the most part, the floor plan didn't change from year to year. The fish pond was always on the right back corner near the cake walk stairs. The cake walk was always on the stage. The ticket booth was always out of the gym teachers office. The rope climb with its big spongy mat was always in front of the cake walk in the middle of the room and the cotton candy was always out the right side gym doors turning the entryway into a shiny sugary mess.

Once I entered the building I didn't see my parents again until I either needed more tickets, had to drop off prizes because my hands were full, or needed food. Sometimes I saw them at one of the booths playing games, but really, I can’t tell you what they did with their time other than hold my winnings and keep the cafeteria chairs warm. It was pretty much a given that I would win 3 or 4 baked goods of some kind and bring home a fish or two that wouldn't last till morning. At some point during the night I would have the little kid melt down of NO I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YET, and the begging and pleading of just one more booth.

Eventually, after a few years, my parents got wise and curtailed my cake walk participation. No more participation after two wins. And I was forbidden to play the fish game. Which was fine with me really. Perpetually dead fish really are not much fun. Now that I have had the opportunity to plan my own Family Fun Night, I realize how much work went into making things look how they did and run so smoothly. I wish that I could have a time machine to go back and appreciate with new eyes all that was going on. But maybe not, maybe I am content to just let it live in my imagination with all the sparkle and wonder that an elementary school child can conceive.

I still have mementos from those wonderful days. They make me smile every time I see them. Instantly I am transported back to a waffle floored gym and the sounds of merrymaking on a cold October night. I wish everyone could have such a wonderful experience. I wouldn't trade those memories for the world.