HALLOWEEN RULES!
HOW CAN PEOPLE NOT LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!! For a brief 4 years, I lived in the best neighborhood for Halloween. Cars would drop off children at the top of the hill and little bands of monsters, cartoon characters, Disney princesses, and typical halloween characters would canvas our streets. I lived on the first cul-de-sac off the main street and my front yard was flat and approachable. It was heaven! Answering the door in full make-up, sound effects, and strobe lights was my dream job!
We made the mistake of moving off that main street to another home one street over about 3 years after we first moved to this neighborhood. I didn't realize what a huge mistake this was until Halloween.
Our neighbors were wonderful of course. The new home was also flat and approachable. We were the first home that you would run into if you turned into the cul-de-sac and drove straight. As is normal holiday behavior, I decorated the home, inside and out. I even had orange Christmas lights strung professionally. I spent the day getting dressed and making sure the fog machine worked. The sun went down and the scary music went up....I dimmed the lights and sat behind the front door waiting for the first little trick or treater to "bing bong", nothing. I opened the door and peered down the black street, no one. I looked to my right and wondered, "Why are all the houses next door blacked out?" I walked all the way to the end of the cul-de-sac and there they were! Head lights brightening the moist black asphalt, flash light beams bopping up and down as the little witches ran to the next house. What the heck???? Why weren't they turning down my street? THE STUPID HOUSES HAD BOYCOTTED HALLOWEEN on my cul-de-sac! The house right next door was a single guy who couldn't care less, the next house over only had a new baby and they weren't in to it yet. The next house was occupied by a family who had decided that they didn't like their minister and the father wanted to become the new preacher and was wooing his congregation. They claimed halloween was a holiday that worshipped the devil and wasn't Christ like. EXCUSE ME???? How can you say that handing out candy to "Woody" from "Toy Story" is not Christ like? Ridiculous! Anyway, the fact that my street was all black sent my little monsters running along and even though my home lit up the end of the street, it wasn't worth the long walk for one home. Shortly after this disaster, we moved.
We moved to another neighborhood full of welcoming people and my halloween pilot light was ignited. My theme for last year was Wizard of Oz. I had the house, the trees, the ruby slippers, and I was Margaret Hamilton reincarnated. The sun dipped and the bright fall moon lit up the blue black sky. The fall night was so welcoming that I actually sat outside in a chair with my son, dressed as the Tin Man, sitting by my side. We waited...and waited...and waited. I think I had 6 candy seekers that night. I sadly learned that even if you live in a neighborhood of 50 homes, if those homes sit on an acre each and your subdivision is in the country, no one is trick or treating at your house! I had lost the will to live.
Beginning this year I began the tradition of hosting a "Witch's Night Out". It was a huge success. I guess it's true, there's no place like home!
