HALLOWEEN IN THE NORTHEASTThis time of year is magnificent. My sister, Laurie, called from Denver today and said, "If it's this beautiful in Colorado, it must be amazing out there!" To which I replied, "This is the most beautiful place on earth!"
This time of year the landscape in Pennsylvania (and New England, where we lived for five years) is breathtaking. Or to put it less eloquently, it's a major freaking sight for sore eyes! The yellows, oranges, greens, browns, and reds of autumn are brilliant, and literally make you stop in your tracks (or pull over in your car). The multi-colored rolling hills throughout the Valley Forge area scream for artists to grab their paint brushes to try to capture a taste of this exquisite landscape. The crisp coolness of the fall air combined with thoughts of sitting by a fire with a cozy blanket and a cup (or three) of hot cocoa with a splash of peppermint schnapps make me dread a long, cold winter just a wee bit less.
And, the Halloween decorations add to the wonder of the season and make me nostalgic for childhood trick or treating. I still look forward to this holiday every year. Seeing the kids in their costumes and the excitement on their faces as you place candy in their bags brings me back to the days when, dressed as a princess with a plastic mask that was hard to breathe through (does anyone remember that?) my mom and dad would walk me and my sister, Sharon, around the neighborhood. "Trick or treat for UNICEF!" we'd yell at each welcoming doorstep. When we'd get home, we were proud of the money we collected for less fortunate kids. But, what really made us happy was all the yummy treasures we'd gathered! We'd run up to our room, tear the uncomfortable masks off our faces, and pour all the candy out of our orange pumpkin candy holders and organize as follows: Chocolate kisses in one pile, Bubble Yum in another, lollipops in another, and so on, until every single piece of candy was accounted for. Then the fun would begin. We'd trade each other for our favorites. My personal delights included: Raisinets, Hershey's dark chocolate, Nestle's Crunch, Starbursts and bubble gum. It was just like being a kid in a candy store, except the store was our bedroom and the candy was free! Plus, I got to feel like the princess that I knew I was.
TWO WEEKS TO ELECTION DAY / LESS CANDY FOR THE NEIGHBORS?
Tonight's headline reads, "Obama Widens Lead Over McCain!" Of course, this is MSNBC, so it's probably a bit biased in the liberal Democratic direction, but I'll take my good news wherever I can find it. To be fair, I also checked FOX news online and their stories aren't any cheerier for The Dynamic Duo.
Unfortunately, for those of you who were intrigued by my psycho neighbor's display of fanatical Republicanism, I don't have any new dramatic updates. Although, they have brought their kids to our house on Halloween for the past four years (even when we had our Kerry/Edwards signs proudly displayed.), I have a feeling this Halloween might be different. They just might be satisfied with a little less candy in their Republican orange pumpkin candy holders this year.
Stay tuned for more exciting episodes of "Insanity in the Suburbs!"
This time of year the landscape in Pennsylvania (and New England, where we lived for five years) is breathtaking. Or to put it less eloquently, it's a major freaking sight for sore eyes! The yellows, oranges, greens, browns, and reds of autumn are brilliant, and literally make you stop in your tracks (or pull over in your car). The multi-colored rolling hills throughout the Valley Forge area scream for artists to grab their paint brushes to try to capture a taste of this exquisite landscape. The crisp coolness of the fall air combined with thoughts of sitting by a fire with a cozy blanket and a cup (or three) of hot cocoa with a splash of peppermint schnapps make me dread a long, cold winter just a wee bit less.
And, the Halloween decorations add to the wonder of the season and make me nostalgic for childhood trick or treating. I still look forward to this holiday every year. Seeing the kids in their costumes and the excitement on their faces as you place candy in their bags brings me back to the days when, dressed as a princess with a plastic mask that was hard to breathe through (does anyone remember that?) my mom and dad would walk me and my sister, Sharon, around the neighborhood. "Trick or treat for UNICEF!" we'd yell at each welcoming doorstep. When we'd get home, we were proud of the money we collected for less fortunate kids. But, what really made us happy was all the yummy treasures we'd gathered! We'd run up to our room, tear the uncomfortable masks off our faces, and pour all the candy out of our orange pumpkin candy holders and organize as follows: Chocolate kisses in one pile, Bubble Yum in another, lollipops in another, and so on, until every single piece of candy was accounted for. Then the fun would begin. We'd trade each other for our favorites. My personal delights included: Raisinets, Hershey's dark chocolate, Nestle's Crunch, Starbursts and bubble gum. It was just like being a kid in a candy store, except the store was our bedroom and the candy was free! Plus, I got to feel like the princess that I knew I was.
TWO WEEKS TO ELECTION DAY / LESS CANDY FOR THE NEIGHBORS?
Tonight's headline reads, "Obama Widens Lead Over McCain!" Of course, this is MSNBC, so it's probably a bit biased in the liberal Democratic direction, but I'll take my good news wherever I can find it. To be fair, I also checked FOX news online and their stories aren't any cheerier for The Dynamic Duo.
Unfortunately, for those of you who were intrigued by my psycho neighbor's display of fanatical Republicanism, I don't have any new dramatic updates. Although, they have brought their kids to our house on Halloween for the past four years (even when we had our Kerry/Edwards signs proudly displayed.), I have a feeling this Halloween might be different. They just might be satisfied with a little less candy in their Republican orange pumpkin candy holders this year.
Stay tuned for more exciting episodes of "Insanity in the Suburbs!"
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