Life's no fun without a good scare!

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. For me, it was never really about the candy, but about the fantasy. The concept of a costume--an opportunity to become larger than life and step out of your skin for an evening--appeals to me. Luckily, the idea isn't limited to Halloween. Costuming, or the play on role reversal, is an essential aspect of festivals and celebrations. We see it for Carnival, Mardi Gras, Christmas (we all know someone who has a Santa Claus suit!), and sometimes even for St. Patrick's Day or Independence Day. I also am very fond of the costume/theme party, and take every opportunity I can to don a new persona.

Still, the grandaddy has to be Halloween. Some of my favorite costumes of the past have been a rather lumpy looking pumpkin, an ill-conceived mummy (toilet paper, gauze, and all), numerous and award-winning varieties of vampires, a handful of rock stars/musicians, and we can't forget the behemoth devil/goat man from highschool. I regret to announce that I did not wear a costume this year, but that didn't stop me from decorating or carving a pumpkin--integral traditions of Halloween in my book.

The nature of pumpkin carving has changed over the years. Growing up, I remember carving pumpkins with my family. As I recall, my father always drew a face onto the pumpkin and my siblings and I carved it (or at least Mom and Dad allowed us to think we were carving it). Three teenagers and one child all taking turns stabbing at a pumpkin with a big kitchen knife with Disney's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" on the television in the background: now we're talking Halloween!

That all changed when the pumpkin carving kits became popular. With these small tools of precision, Ann and I were able to create incredibly intricate "pictures" on the pumpkins. For those unfamiliar, you basically stencil a pre-made design of your choice onto the pumpkin through pointalism...poking small holes in succession to create a line. Then you use specialized tools to cut through the "flesh." It almost feels like surgery, and you're the performing doctor. I have to say, our pumpkins were amazing. We did everything from a haunted house to an evil owl. This year, Halloween snuck up on Ann and I. Instead of the festivities taking place on October 31st--a Wednesday this year--the town decreed that trick-or-treating take place on the preceding Saturday, from 4-6. Long story short, we didn't have the time to make an intricate pumpkin and couldn't locate the kit. So, we turned back the proverbial clock and free-handed a face and got out the big kitchen knife. I've never been more proud of a pumpkin in my life. Lesson learned: there's a lot to be said about traditions. Although they change over time, they are also a link to our past. Traditions make us who we are.

I think I'll save my discussion on decorations for next year. As my parents can tell you, that's a whole other can of beans. Speaking of, Ann and I are beginning to make some of our own traditions, starting with Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how the Molasses Pecan Bread turns out!

Live for today and sleep for tomorrow,

-Dragon James