Halloween has always been a favorite holiday in our family. From the days of watching our kids parade in school, to hosting scavenger hunts and haunted houses with all the neighborhood kids, to the boys going out on their own with painted faces, “bloody” garb and lots of spirit while we would eat pizza on the driveway with Pam and Dave as we gave out candy to the little ones, to now, when Mitch and I blast scary “music” out the window and still sit on the driveway, usually in some sort of costume, awaiting each and every little ghost and goblin with excitement. Sure, the holiday can be a little dangerous (hands on parenting can usually eliminate the danger) and the candy is far from healthy for the kids (and the grown-ups) but to me, the benefits of a holiday that is just meant for good old youthful fun, can’t be bad. I was glad to see Kyle dressed up for work as Batman on Friday and am sure he and Nicole are having a fun weekend in Tampa. Here on the east coast, I am sure Derek, Mishell and the rest of the rat pack are enjoying the weekend as well. The Halloween spirit continues to thrive in this family.
One thing I do every year is get rid of the left over candy the next day. Mitch will take whatever we may still have tonight to his office tomorrow. While I would be lying to say I haven’t had a tootsie roll, or a peanut butter cup or two in the past couple of weeks, since none of the candy we have in the house is vegan, I have managed to stay away from it for the most part. It’s interesting how I don’t really have cravings much anymore. It is almost 8 months since I went to an (almost) entirely plant-based diet and the benefits keep showing themselves in both obvious and subtle ways.
When tonight is over and today turns to tomorrow, we will flip the calendars and find ourselves in November. Often I talk about how much I DON’T like the “ber” months…Septem-ber through Decem-ber. Anyone who knows me even a little, or reads my blog, knows that I am all about summer and sunshine, tank-tops and flip-flops. This year, however, fall has been great. With so much to be thankful for, I am going to embrace November for the “giving thanks” month that it is.
But first, we have this trick-or-treat day ahead of us. As I sip from my Sunday morning coffee cup, I look forward to my last swim of October, a Dolphin game this afternoon, cooking up lots of veggies and making a huge Sunday salad and then, at the very last minute, deciding what I will wear to give out candy to the little princesses and monsters. Life is great. Wishing you a Halloween filled with treats and even a little peace. Have a spooktacular Sunday.
