In the mild and quiet post-storm weather, with a little bit of drizzle coming down, we carved our pumpkins yesterday. My garden produced enough squash for us to eat for a good while now, but no carving pumpkins this year. So these are all happily procured from a farm nearby that my babes visited. Pumpkin seeds are roasting in the oven as I type this hello to you. Halloween breakfast, yes?
I must confess (have I before?) that is not my favorite of holidays, and in fact, has often been a bit of a challenge for me. The fright, the sugar, the commercialism, the pressure on costumes, oh my. Our attempt to craft it to be earth-based, wholesome, and reflective of our values has occupied a lot of my energy each year come October. But you know, this year, twelve years into my gig as Mama, I think I might finally have a grasp on it. We might just be in a groove with the balance and the give and take of it all. For at least for this year, and in this moment, it all feels just fine. This season, our everyday is full of the work and play and celebration of the harvest. There have been gatherings centered around food, farming, and the earthly magic and mysteries of life and death. Tonight, we'll gather in the city I grew up in with dear friend and family for our entirely traditional but much loved neighborhood trick or treating. There will be frights and fun, and yes, a whole lot of treats that will be fully enjoyed. Tomorrow morning, the candy fairy will come to those who voluntarily give up their leftovers in trade for her offerings of books and art supplies, which will be treasured and enjoyed for the season of hunkering down to come.
The costumes in our home, over the past couple of years, have evolved into what I most love for them to be. Creative, a little bit spontanous, and certainly DIY. In that, as of this morning, I have absolutely no idea what any of my five children will be dressing up as tonight (even Annabel, for I've been told there are plans for her). In the exciting days of making and trial runs and trying-on that have happened over the past few weeks, I have heard talk and seen evidence of nothing less than Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, a robber, a gnome, a butterfly, a purple dragon, a veterinarian, a beach bum, a farmer, Gretl from the Sound of Music, a punk rocker, Edward Cullen, Freddie Mercury, Gandolph, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, a lion, Pippi Longstocking, a black cat, and surely I'm forgetting a dozen or two or three that have been thought out, tried on, crafted and worn. The costume approach that has landed upon this family, that I - and everyone else here thankfully - has quite fallen in love with - is that so long as you can craft it from the dress up bin, your closet, on the sewing machine, or with a bit of hot glue - there's always time for changing your mind and your clothes into just the very thing you dream up.
And with that as our guiding goal, we are ready and excited for a busy day followed by a most frightful and fun Halloween.
Happy Halloween to you!
