{ Halloween: A Family Tradition }

(I cannot take credit for this very cool picture of a hard working spider and the full moon in the background...the family photographer took this one. But I thought it fitting for Halloween.)

Halloween was a big deal in my house growing up. My mom made nearly every costume...I cannot honestly recall ever buying one. We had a dedicated "costume box" that lived under my parent's bed. Chili dogs were the traditional dinner of choice and Mom always broke the speed record to get home in time to feed us, help us with our costumes and take us around the block. Dad was in charge of door duty back at home. In our neighborhood we had hundreds of kids and the streets were FULL of us all running excitedly. Halloween was an EVENT. I remember two neighbors on the other streets who decked out their garages as haunted houses. When I was 7 I had an extensive surgery that left me casted for several months. The thought of missing Halloween was unthinkable so Mom (or maybe my sister) pulled me in a wagon. The Halloween of my 7th grade year was my last for trick or treating. I was a black cat with a tail made of braided yarn that year.

My sister and brother in law carry on the tradition now. They usually host a large party and decorate the house. The kids have been indoctrinated in the family tradition, although my niece swears she's not going to be as crazy as her parents...time will tell. Our own tradition is to go to Dori's http://www.islandteacompany.com folk's house and pass out candy there. In our rural island community only a handful of neighborhoods are equipped for trick or treating. Whatever traditions you have for Halloween, I wish you all a good time!