We went to sleep last night to a cold Halloween evening, we woke up this morning to winter temperatures and Christmas stuff out at the grocery store.
What? I could be shocked, I could be sad that autumn is rushing away so quickly. I'm not.
Sitting here by my beautiful fire, looking out the windows at the bright crisp view outside, sipping on the Bloody Mary that hubby made me this morning. Crackling fire, peace and quiet (now that I have shut off the television that no one was watching), and my beautiful room! This is my favorite room, it is me. My spinning wheel is in the corner, my favorite chair is here, my ammo boxes, knickknacks and plants. This room invites me in, it asks me to stay. Invites me to daydream and think. It encourages me to just relax.
Last night was the first Halloween hubby and I have ever had with actual trick or treating. Our cul de sac gets together at one house. With fire pits and munchies, the adults with grown kids hang out and give out candy while those with youngsters take their little ones out.
Halloween has changed so much. I miss it. I miss the costumed kiddo's knocking on the door, the parents hovering at the end of the walk. I am fairly sure there were not even 30 kids all night, and I don't count the costumed 8th graders as kids.
I guess in twelve years, society has caused a monumental shift in Halloween. Now it is trunk or treat or private parties. Stores offering candy to keep the kids from outside. Have we really become such a horrible society that parents are afraid to let their children trick or treat? Has it become more about adults that kids?
Around seven we gave up. Not only do we not know our neighbors, many of them weren't even inclined to speak to us. Seems most of them have lived here since these houses were built almost 20 years ago, they have their own little group and we are the new kids. Wow, thought those feelings and attitudes had gone away when I grew up and was no longer always the new kid in school.
I'd wanted to trick or treat with my girls, but couldn't get away from work, as the other directors had all left early to spend time with their families. Lost opportunity. Halloween has always been something they celebrated together, Mom, Dad and baby girl. I know they were fine, but... Oh well, I know they had a blast with their friends that they have spent almost every Halloween of the grand baby's life. This is her buddy since birth, they are only a few months apart in age.
My boy is so far away. It was making me so sad. Until he posted a picture of him in his costume and the treats his sweet girlfriend made him. I don't know her, I've only gotten to talk to her on Facebook. But the picture he sent me later in the day with both of them smiling and happy... Oh she has won me over! Any woman that can make my boy look that happy is pretty darn special!
It ended up okay. Hubby and I went out and had sushi... yum! Never would have thought they had sushi without raw fish... I love vegetable sushi. It was more like a traditional Halloween for us. Our old house, no trick or treating ever happened. No sidewalk, major road, following me?
I won't have my expectations so high next year. I won't be disappointed that it isn't like my memories. Just for the record, military communities know how to celebrate holidays.
Here is it November, tonight we will help our girl throw the baby girl a great Halloween bash. Hopefully the kids will show up, she's had such a rough few months. I want to see her laughing and being the life of the party, just like her mom. I want her sparkle to be there.
In the meantime, I am going to work on my house. I want all the rooms to be as warm and welcoming as this particular space. My room. This weekend, I am going to tackle my sewing room and start on the bedroom. I love the fireplace up there. And it looks so lonely, that room is naked.
Hubby is hopefully getting his hip fixed on Monday, so the days of me being solo on so much will soon be over. I am prayerful, this will be the fix. That the drugged, painful existence he's been dealing with will soon be a normal life again.
For a minute, it's time to savor life. To sip my drink, to bask in the dying embers, and enjoy the leaves dancing in the breeze as they fall to the ground. It's time to plan, to think and to just be. I don't seem to be making enough time for that lately, I need to change it up a bit...
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