I know everyone is sick of my posts that stay there for months on end. Sorry. I haven't been able to get my life together and multi-task well since I started working part time. But that's another post. Anyway, I've wanted to post about my Halloween thoughts for a long time and haven't taken the time. It's Saturday morning and I've been sitting in my bed and updating my good reads for hours and I still don't want to get up because I have to clean. So I'll do this now instead. Hillary is asleep and Tom took Cayden to Lacrosse so the house is quiet and I'm watching the movie Signs at the same time. Boy I love that movie!! Holy crap I'm digressing.
I know that my love of Halloween has stemmed from my Mother's ability to take any holiday and make it memorable. Halloween was no exception. My Mother, using very little money always transformed the house into a magical place of wonder. Everything glowed orange and I can still recall the smells in the air (no, not halloween farts) like orange, pumpkin, bean and bacon soup and hot dogs. My Mom painted a witch that she would put on the front door every year and it was nearly the size of the whole door. She put it up year after year until a few years ago when she stopped. i don't know why, maybe it was too trashed after nearly 30 years or so of use. When we were little we NEVER had a "boughten" costume. Always homemade. I always felt sorry for those kids who had to wear those horrible plastic costumes with a plastic face. At the same time, I think I wanted to wear one because our costumes were always larger than life and I felt conspicuous. My Mom would make us all creative costumes, like matching princess or fancy girl type costumes with tulle netting skirts and enormous tulle bows on our heads. I remember once being a fancy boy and natalie a fancy girl. I think. I think I remember being witches (cute ones). Valerie, always had pretty costumes (stupid "precious"). All I'm sure of is that whatever costume we had, it was homemade, but not like a literal, meticulous pattern sewn costume but kind of a creative art piece put together and always original.
Unlike today, where we see Halloween stuff in stores in July, decide on custumes in September and set up for Halloween a month in advance, in those days Halloween generally began on Halloween day. I remember it seemed effortless for my Mom but I'm sure it wasn't. The house was always spotless and warm on Halloween day. In the afternoon my mom would create decorations and put them up everywhere and put the "the witch" on the door. We always had the same meal, which I've begun serving for my family, on Halloween night. Bean and Bacon soup (Campbell's Soup, not homemade) and pigs in a blanket. My mom always made scratch dough for the "pigs". When I started serving it to my family I used canned roll dough because I couldn't make real dough. I do now, but I'm still perfecting it because I'm bad at making bread. We would eat this easy meal and head off trick or treating. I don't remember much about the trick or treating part itself, but I remember the idiots who would try the "trick" route to be funny, rather than the treat. Yeah yeah, not funny, just hand over the damn candy I haven't got all day. The worst were the stupid health conscience people who gave out little boxes of raisins. Gross. Those people deserve a good egging for sure! I remember one dentist who gave out tooth brushes. Oh that was fun. I was sure excited about that! I always hated the houses who gave out cheap taffy. jerks.
My Grandfather Moore also influenced my Halloween obsession as well because he would set up his house scary and everyone in the family would dress up and participate in giving out candy. He had this really creepy mask that didn't wrap around the face it was just for the top third of the face. It was made of a hard plastic or varnished paper machier or something like that. It was weird looking it had slant eyes with makeup and big teeth. He always gave out great candy - those little wax bottles with some sort of sugary liquid inside. Yum. Or wax lips. Those were so much fun. The funniest halloween at my Grandfathers house was a time he ran out of candy and offered some poor kid a tuna fish sandwich. He didn't take him up on the kind offer. Not sure why.
One of my favorite parts of halloween was when we came back from trick or treating and we would all sit on the family room floor and dump out our candy in a big pile and begin the sorting. First, can you recall that fabulous smell that came from your trick or treat bucket? It was a candy smell like no other. I think it came from the combination of double bubble, smarties, wax lips and candy bars (rare). Once in awhile I will catch that scent somewhere and I'm immediately transported back in time. I tried smelling Hillary's trick or treat bag once and it didn't smell the same. I don't know why. She did not like my big snout in her bag either. I'm sure she thought, oh crap, fatty's got her snout in my bad and I know she's gonna eat it all. Anyway, I digress. We would sort the candy into piles in order of value. Taffy being the least valuable and the rare candy bars were the premium and top of the value list. In between were the wax lips etc. I also recall those being the days when you might get homemade food like carmel apples or candy popcorn until the urban legends told everyone that carmel/candy apples contained razor blades and drugs. I'll bet it never happened. In fact I'll bet some kid was told he could only eat one piece of candy and he ate the whole plastic pumpkin full in one sitting and was all hopped up on sugar. He bounced off the walls, climbed the ceiling, bit his brothers, stole their candy, and caused general mayhem and some mom said she was sure her kid had been slipped a mickey in his candy. It was just a freakin sugar high. Kids back then didn't get much sugar, not like today, back then we got it rarely so when we did, we went ballistic. Anyway, we tried to ration our candy, eating it a little bit a day, starting with the least valuable candy and finally the zenith, the day we ate the grand finale, candy bars. Oh the sad day when it was all over. We had to hide our candy because we would always try and steal each other's booty. The best part was when we could con the younger stupier sibling into "trading" our "crappy" candy bars for the yummy yummy taffy. Until Mom caught us and we had to give it back. Or until the other sibling found out and tattled because they didn't think of it first. stupid natalie.
I loved going to my Mom's house when Hillary was little or even when I was married but no kids. We would hang out there and give out candy because they had a huge neighborhood. when our kids came on the scene we would trick or treat in their neighborhood, it was a movie typical neighborhood block that I loved. Every year my mom would buy one bag of cheap taffy (yes she was one of those mom's), run out in 5 minutes and say, "I can't believe I ran out!". Then my Dad would have a fit at the cheap taffy and go to the store and buy good candy. This went on for years. I would sit in the other room and recite the exchange verbatim, too funny.
Halloween at my house is sort of different but the same as growing up. I used to make elaborate costumes for Hillary until she got old enough to have an opinion then we would rent from Hale Theatre or buy something elaborate. Cayden too has a boughten costume. They are too cheap not to. Gone are the crappy plastic and replaced with nice fabric costumes. Plus I don't sew. My Halloween schedule is that we still have the mandatory meal, which no one likes but me. Tom would do the trick or treating, I answer the door and watch a scary movie. Wonderful, I really enjoy it. I use my fog machine, set up my porch with halloween decor, scary haunted house sounds and music. Inside I set up a haunted house table with cobwebs and a big cauldron of homemade rootbeer. Unfortunately no one comes. I have a disappointing neighborhood. First, our ward does trunk or treat on halloween night so no one goes trick or treat at homes so I am lucky if I answer the door 10 times. In fact, other than neighbors across the street, most of my trick or treaters are kids from other neighborhoods across town for some reason.
Well that's my memories for now. Pictures to follow when I can figure out my stupid scanner. Amy? come help me.
I know that my love of Halloween has stemmed from my Mother's ability to take any holiday and make it memorable. Halloween was no exception. My Mother, using very little money always transformed the house into a magical place of wonder. Everything glowed orange and I can still recall the smells in the air (no, not halloween farts) like orange, pumpkin, bean and bacon soup and hot dogs. My Mom painted a witch that she would put on the front door every year and it was nearly the size of the whole door. She put it up year after year until a few years ago when she stopped. i don't know why, maybe it was too trashed after nearly 30 years or so of use. When we were little we NEVER had a "boughten" costume. Always homemade. I always felt sorry for those kids who had to wear those horrible plastic costumes with a plastic face. At the same time, I think I wanted to wear one because our costumes were always larger than life and I felt conspicuous. My Mom would make us all creative costumes, like matching princess or fancy girl type costumes with tulle netting skirts and enormous tulle bows on our heads. I remember once being a fancy boy and natalie a fancy girl. I think. I think I remember being witches (cute ones). Valerie, always had pretty costumes (stupid "precious"). All I'm sure of is that whatever costume we had, it was homemade, but not like a literal, meticulous pattern sewn costume but kind of a creative art piece put together and always original.
Unlike today, where we see Halloween stuff in stores in July, decide on custumes in September and set up for Halloween a month in advance, in those days Halloween generally began on Halloween day. I remember it seemed effortless for my Mom but I'm sure it wasn't. The house was always spotless and warm on Halloween day. In the afternoon my mom would create decorations and put them up everywhere and put the "the witch" on the door. We always had the same meal, which I've begun serving for my family, on Halloween night. Bean and Bacon soup (Campbell's Soup, not homemade) and pigs in a blanket. My mom always made scratch dough for the "pigs". When I started serving it to my family I used canned roll dough because I couldn't make real dough. I do now, but I'm still perfecting it because I'm bad at making bread. We would eat this easy meal and head off trick or treating. I don't remember much about the trick or treating part itself, but I remember the idiots who would try the "trick" route to be funny, rather than the treat. Yeah yeah, not funny, just hand over the damn candy I haven't got all day. The worst were the stupid health conscience people who gave out little boxes of raisins. Gross. Those people deserve a good egging for sure! I remember one dentist who gave out tooth brushes. Oh that was fun. I was sure excited about that! I always hated the houses who gave out cheap taffy. jerks.
My Grandfather Moore also influenced my Halloween obsession as well because he would set up his house scary and everyone in the family would dress up and participate in giving out candy. He had this really creepy mask that didn't wrap around the face it was just for the top third of the face. It was made of a hard plastic or varnished paper machier or something like that. It was weird looking it had slant eyes with makeup and big teeth. He always gave out great candy - those little wax bottles with some sort of sugary liquid inside. Yum. Or wax lips. Those were so much fun. The funniest halloween at my Grandfathers house was a time he ran out of candy and offered some poor kid a tuna fish sandwich. He didn't take him up on the kind offer. Not sure why.
One of my favorite parts of halloween was when we came back from trick or treating and we would all sit on the family room floor and dump out our candy in a big pile and begin the sorting. First, can you recall that fabulous smell that came from your trick or treat bucket? It was a candy smell like no other. I think it came from the combination of double bubble, smarties, wax lips and candy bars (rare). Once in awhile I will catch that scent somewhere and I'm immediately transported back in time. I tried smelling Hillary's trick or treat bag once and it didn't smell the same. I don't know why. She did not like my big snout in her bag either. I'm sure she thought, oh crap, fatty's got her snout in my bad and I know she's gonna eat it all. Anyway, I digress. We would sort the candy into piles in order of value. Taffy being the least valuable and the rare candy bars were the premium and top of the value list. In between were the wax lips etc. I also recall those being the days when you might get homemade food like carmel apples or candy popcorn until the urban legends told everyone that carmel/candy apples contained razor blades and drugs. I'll bet it never happened. In fact I'll bet some kid was told he could only eat one piece of candy and he ate the whole plastic pumpkin full in one sitting and was all hopped up on sugar. He bounced off the walls, climbed the ceiling, bit his brothers, stole their candy, and caused general mayhem and some mom said she was sure her kid had been slipped a mickey in his candy. It was just a freakin sugar high. Kids back then didn't get much sugar, not like today, back then we got it rarely so when we did, we went ballistic. Anyway, we tried to ration our candy, eating it a little bit a day, starting with the least valuable candy and finally the zenith, the day we ate the grand finale, candy bars. Oh the sad day when it was all over. We had to hide our candy because we would always try and steal each other's booty. The best part was when we could con the younger stupier sibling into "trading" our "crappy" candy bars for the yummy yummy taffy. Until Mom caught us and we had to give it back. Or until the other sibling found out and tattled because they didn't think of it first. stupid natalie.
I loved going to my Mom's house when Hillary was little or even when I was married but no kids. We would hang out there and give out candy because they had a huge neighborhood. when our kids came on the scene we would trick or treat in their neighborhood, it was a movie typical neighborhood block that I loved. Every year my mom would buy one bag of cheap taffy (yes she was one of those mom's), run out in 5 minutes and say, "I can't believe I ran out!". Then my Dad would have a fit at the cheap taffy and go to the store and buy good candy. This went on for years. I would sit in the other room and recite the exchange verbatim, too funny.
Halloween at my house is sort of different but the same as growing up. I used to make elaborate costumes for Hillary until she got old enough to have an opinion then we would rent from Hale Theatre or buy something elaborate. Cayden too has a boughten costume. They are too cheap not to. Gone are the crappy plastic and replaced with nice fabric costumes. Plus I don't sew. My Halloween schedule is that we still have the mandatory meal, which no one likes but me. Tom would do the trick or treating, I answer the door and watch a scary movie. Wonderful, I really enjoy it. I use my fog machine, set up my porch with halloween decor, scary haunted house sounds and music. Inside I set up a haunted house table with cobwebs and a big cauldron of homemade rootbeer. Unfortunately no one comes. I have a disappointing neighborhood. First, our ward does trunk or treat on halloween night so no one goes trick or treat at homes so I am lucky if I answer the door 10 times. In fact, other than neighbors across the street, most of my trick or treaters are kids from other neighborhoods across town for some reason.
Well that's my memories for now. Pictures to follow when I can figure out my stupid scanner. Amy? come help me.
8 comments:
I was one of those kids in the cheap plastic Halloween costumes, otherwise . . . Great post!!
Those were some great memories! I was right there with you! Why do I have the memory of "the house that gave out razor blade apples though?" Was it real? My imagination? I miss the witch on the door. Mom, where is it?
There was a scary house on the corner that housed a bunch of hippies. Mom got all worried about them. One day you and I found some candy bars under their tree and we ate them. Mom made us drink salt water until we threw up. I reminded Mom of that story last year and she had nightmares about giving us salt water. Why were there candy bars under the tree? That's too creepy to think about. Razor blades in apple they gave out? Who knows? We would never have been allowed to trick or treat there.
Ha Ha mike!
Anyway Nat, that's what you were thinking of I'll bet.
that was awesome, we are so lucky to have such an incredible creative mom! I have failed my children. We do have the typical pigs in a blanket, but I certainly dont make their costumes, thank goodness they want to be ninjas every single year. I am not the best about decorating either. Maybe a pumpkin on the porch here and there. Maybe its because I have all boys. We have tried the decorating cookies, carving pumpkins etc. But they are bored in 2 minutes and just eat the candy and cookies. As for the pumpkins its like a contest to them to see who can finish first. Maybe thats why i am not as good. I imagine us all sitting around the table for hours doing it, when we dont I think what a waste of time and money, not doing that again. We even tried the halloween house, I am always jealous of valeries family working on theirs forever. With my boys it is the same thing, race to finish then run toy cars into them and watch them shatter. Ok now I dont feel so guilty, I have tried, Its them, not me. Ya I am not a failure as a mother! I too loved going to moms to trick or treat and also loved the big witch. We need to ask mom where it went. If you are reading this mom, thanks for being such a great mom and grandmother, we are so lucky! P.S. SOrry mike about the plastic costumes, but its nothing that a little therapy cant help. Or we can always gather the council of sisters to talk u through it!
As for the PLASTIC costumes . . . I think that I've graduated to a much higher level, (even beyond the fat witch with the huge bows that you all had). I still don't care much for the coustumes, I know, hard to believe. I am only in it for the CANDY. That's right! BRING ON THE CANDY. And taffy is fine by me.
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