Happy Halloween!

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:06 pm

I hope everone has a safe and happy Halloween. Keep a sharp eye for little ghosts and goblins if you're behind the wheel tonight. Parents, go trick or treating with your kids, don't send them out alone. Above all, have fun!
-John

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:59 pm

I have been absolutely fortunate the last 12 years to live on a corner on the main street of a very small town that celebrates with parades for 4th of July and Halloween. Both are great and bring out the spirit of 100's news crews and all. This year because of a tragic fire that took lives and homes of many I did not expect many, but was very pleased to see more of the artist and muscians that had personal loss, bring out the kids (thats what it is for) in full force of great creativity and laughter with animals in costume also parading down the street to the carnival in a town saved by firefighters. I was very pleased to have Elwood back along side of Jake to make my "ol Hippie Lady presents " all the kids love vw buses and some blew kisses our way. Made me cry with joy of the future that should be.

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:27 pm

That's beautiful Elwood. Halloween has always been, for me, the most magical of holidays. We had less trick or treaters this year than I'd hoped for. There's a purity to this holiday. It isn't overmarketed like Chirstmas or Easter (both traditional Pagan holidays I might add). There's a coming together of community on this night as our children make contact with our neighbors. People who for the rest of the year we overlook. This year my wife took our kids out, usually my task. I missed it. While it's fun to greet the kids and give them candy, I really like watching the reactions of my neighbors as they greet my kids. Well, there's always next year.
-John

Post by **Sluggo** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 10:29 pm

Halloween is dead in L.A. At least for the kids. I haven't had a trick or treater in 4 years. Only had 3 or 4 the few years before that. It's sad really. When I was a kid here, we were right at the end of it. For my cousins in the early 90's, there were things set up where you could go Trick or Treating in the malls and shopping centers. They don't even do that anymore.

We dressed my son as a tiger and he went Trick or Treating in the gated community that my aunt lives in.

RussellK · Post by **RussellK** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:15 am

I'm curious what others around the country do. We have trick or treaters go door to door. Last night we had approx 200 kids. That's a lot of candy. They all had a joke to tell. Most of the jokes were corny, a couple of off color jokes, a dumb blonde joke told to my wife, who is blonde, by a girl that is a blonde, some riddles and best of all the made up jokes told by the 4 - 5 year olds that make absolutely no sense!

Velokid1 · Post by **Velokid1** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:16 am

My favorite part was watching the 16-year old German foreign exchange student neighbors with their cameras, just freaking out over how weird the American children are with this "trick or treat" thing.

It was hilarious to watch the whole thing through their eyes.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:06 am

That is a beautiful story Barb, I'd like to live in a close knit community full of creative people some day. I feel sort of "adrift" here in Portland, don't know what it is...
Lamentably, I had to take a mid term test last night, tho my heart wasn't quite in it. Our little Eva dressed as Elmo, and this morning I found the cat very happy and asleep curled up on top of deflated Elmo.

Birdibus · Post by **Birdibus** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:33 pm

RussellK~ Joke telling while trick or treating... that's a new thing I haven't heard of before. I wonder how far the tradition has spread?

Halloween isn't participated in by most of my neighborhood. I gave away candy for many years, but the visitors were few. Now I leave the front of the house dark, and no one comes. Supervised parties and haunted houses are the main visible halloween activities that I can see. Barb, your town sounds fun!

static · Post by **static** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:03 pm

I live in a sorta rough neighborhood, but I still had dozens of pint-sized Draculas and Little Mermaids come to my door for candy.

The yearly activity melts my old, curmudgeonly heart.

Emily's Owner · Post by **Emily's Owner** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:17 pm

I adore Halloween! As the granddaughter of two Irish immigrants who fully embraced Halloween as "our" gift to the world, I love decorating with pumpkins, graveyard and candles galor to make our place "spooky" for the trick-or-treaters. Since we live out in the country, I've had to haul my stuff into town and decorate my mother-in-laws house for the last few years, which is in a great neighborhood with lots of kids. I'm as dressed up as the kids when I take them out on our night.

PDX_Hops · Post by **PDX_Hops** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:43 pm

I'm originally from deep in the sticks of Appalachia. When I was a kid, there was no walking door-to-door for candy- heck, nobody lived close enough together for that! We would load up in the car and drive to all the homes of friends/family. I always figured kids just went to familiar houses to get their trick-or-treat on.

For our first Halloween here in Portland (9 yrs ago), we were kind of freaking out when all these pint-sized strangers/goblins started knocking on our doors. Had to make an emergency run to the store for some chocolate to keep the little ankle-biters happy!

I know the deal now, but I sure felt like a real country bumpkin at the time!

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!