Halloween - Past and Present

THIS IS A TIMID DAYTIME JACK O'LANTERN


When I was a kid, we waited anxiously until it was pitch-black dark before we went trick-or-treating. If there was a parent, they usually carried a flashlight, but us kids relied on our "night-vision cat-eyes", and considered it sissy to carry a light. We were free to go anywhere and knock on any door, say "Trick Or Treat!", and hold out our brown paper grocery sack for the goodies.



THIS IS A SCARY NIGHT-TIME EVIL PUMPKIN!

You could usually tell which house was rich and which was not by the quality and amount of candy they handed out. One year we got an entire caramel candy apple on a stick from one house, and a softball-sized popcorn ball from another. Rarely did we get a candy bar, but I was happy with Tootsie Rolls or Tootsie Pops, or even the smaller lollipops. Double Bubble gum was another favorite, even though Mother didn't like us to chew gum (not ladylike). We never worried about there being a razor blade in an apple or a poison pill in a box of Milk Duds.

Favorite costumes were hobos, clowns, cowboys, witches, scarecrows, and mummies. If your mom made the costume, you were a sissy; if it was store-bought, you were a spoiled brat. The best costumes were put together at home, with the moms and older kids helping.

We ran in bunches from house to house, knocking or ringing the bell, and when someone answered the door we all shrieked, "Trick or Treat!" at the top of our lungs. It was a very special and happy time.

When my older sister and I went out together, we sometimes took a jar of Vaseline to grease doorknobs or car windows, but only on the houses where no one answered the door or where they were grumpy and mean. That was the only "trick" we even knew about. Nobody "toilet-papered" other people's yards and trees and houses back then. If there was a group of older boys being loud and raucous and running down the middle of the street, we quickly cut over to the next block. I guess they were the genuine tricksters.

When I was in high school, I had to take my little sister around on Halloween. Boy, was that boring! She was so shy... but she was so cute... always looking like a little orphan with her big brown eyes and straight-as-a-stick brown hair. In those days, the homeowners would invite the kids inside and talk to them about their costumes, making a big deal out of trying to guess who each kid was. If we didn't actually know the people, it was frightening to be in their house. Very scary, much scarier than being outside in the dark!

Once back home, we would dump out our treats on the living room floor and make some trades, sometimes even sharing with a parent. After stuffing ourselves sick, our treat bags went into our own clothes closets, where they rarely lasted through November. I don't remember being told to ration the candy to "one a day", nor being reminded that sugar rots your teeth. It was our "take" and it was ours to eat.

Sure not like today. People still carve pumpkins, but this year I have a PLASTIC Jack O'Lantern in the front yard that lights up at night. Some folks decorate their yards with strings of orange lights... how weird is that? The Wal-Mart costumed trick-or-treaters go with their parents and their flashlights to allowed areas at designated hours. Anyone walking around outside after dark is deeply suspect, Halloween or not. The stores are packed full of individually wrapped candy for sale, as if the wrappers would prevent some maniac from poisoning kids.

Sure, we buy candy. Sure, we leave our porch light on. Sure, nobody comes. Sure, we eat the candy ourselves. Trick-or-Treat!

The Great Coffeemaker Adventure

What do you do when your old faithful coffeemaker goes kaput? Reach down into the cabinet and pull out another one? Not likely. Check out the warranty on “old faithful”? In my case, that was only to learn that, duh, I bought it in 2006 and the warranty ran out in 2007. Um-m-m, okay, now what? No time to delay when your body is screaming, “Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!”

What happened was that it was taking much too long for the water to drip through the filter into the old coffeepot, and the coffee grounds/water mix was overflowing the filter, making a mess and putting grounds into the coffee, ugh-yuk. Why? Not because there were too many grounds in the filter, because we only make 7 cups at a time (5 oz. cups that turn out to be about 2-1/2 mugs); couldn’t be because the filters were too small (short on the sides) because we were using the same size for years; couldn’t be the coffee itself, because again, it was the same old coffee. Research showed that sometimes if the water is too soft (!) it won’t flow through well, causing overflow. Again, we’ve been using the same water softener for years, with no apparent change in the art of coffee-making. So, what now?

Delay not being a possibility, I rushed off to Pamida (where I had gotten the old (bad) coffeemaker in 2006) and bought another one of the same brand (though a more recent version). Gleefully unpacking and setting up this new purchase, I stuffed the old pot and the packing from the new pot into one of the big trashcans outside the back door. Next morning… same thing happened… coffee grounds overflow… plus the new coffeemaker seemed to be making a great deal more noise than the old (bad) one. Not a good sign.

Pamida’s newspaper ad for the week showed a Bunn coffeepot on sale for what seemed an enormous amount of money, but knowing that the professionals used Bunn coffeemakers, I assumed it would be worth it. So… cleaned up the recently purchased coffeemaker to look new again… recovered the packing from the trashcan, wiped it off and gave it a good dose of Lysol spray… reassembled the box and took it with the sales slip back to Pamida. Bought a Bunn.

Turns out you have to buy special Bunn filters for a Bunn coffeemaker. Also turns out the filters have the same dimensions as the others, EXCEPT the sides are higher. Anyway, I set up the new coffeemaker only to discover that it requires two coffeepots full of water to sit inside it where it stays warm (!) until you add a third coffeepot full when you actually want some coffee. Certainly NOT an energy saver, plus you would be using less than fresh water to make your coffee. Mike and I both quickly said, “Thanks, but no thanks!” An electrical appliance that creates heat uses lots of electricity… and coffee tastes better when made with fresh, cold water.

Back to the drawing board. I packed up the Bunn for return and refund, and made the trip to Wal Mart. There I found a selection of coffeemakers that were, for the most part, of the same type as the Bunn… store and heat water for future coffee! (Gotta wonder if some electric company lobbyist got to the coffeemaker manufacturers!) Now, realize also how much more room these coffeemakers take up on your kitchen counter… twice as much! Inconvenience on top of expense… Again, no thanks.

You may have guessed my next move. Bought a new coffeemaker of the same brand as the original (bad) one, BUT bought Bunn brand filters (remember, higher sides). It works fine. Takes a little longer to drip through (haven’t figured out why!) but does NOT overflow.

You know, I’m convinced I could do without quite so much “adventure” in my life.

Coincidentally, an ad for Gevalia coffee and free coffeemaker arrived in the mail that day. Did you guess it? Yes, I ordered some coffee to get the free coffeemaker. Now, if our everyday coffeemaker “goes kaput” I can “reach down into the cabinet and pull out another one”!!

The Moon and the Tides

Is everyone affected by the moon like I am? There is a connection between the phases of the moon and the tides, so I'm told, and I believe that completely. I also think there is a very personal connection between myself and the moon.

For one thing, I've discovered that my hair grows faster during one phase, and doesn't grow at all in another. Probably my moods are affected, too, but I've never kept track since everything affects my moods.

I nearly always have trouble sleeping when there is a full moon. Why? I even have blackout shades on my bedroom windows, so it's not the light. I awakened shortly after 4 am today and tossed and turned until just after 5, when I gave up and got up. When I entered the kitchen I was amazed at the amount of light coming through the blinds, raised them up and there he was... the old man in the moon looking right in at me. It appeared to be a completely full moon, sharp edges and all. I checked the calendar, and sure enough! Full moon!

Sometimes I wonder just how much control we each actually have over our lives. Being connected to everything, as I believe we are, then I suppose it follows that we are affected by everything in some way.

Does this sound like superstition? Hocus-pocus? Am I someone who needs to be concerned about my "sign" and its corresponding daily horoscope? Well, shoot, these questions just confirm my notion that it pays to believe everything, so no matter what happens I won't be left out as a non-believer!