Happy Halloween

Once again, my favorite holiday is here.

I have always loved Halloween, especially making my own costumes.

I only had one store bought costume; and that was shortly after we came to this country. It was this cheesy white skeleton silk screened on a flimsy black jumpsuit sort of costume. It had a glow-in-the-dark mask that made my face sweat while I was wearing it. My mother got from Woolworth's.

It's been awhile since I last wore a costume, even one of my own prize-winning creations.

For the past 2 years, my only Halloween accoutrement, other than plastic skeleton earrings, was Ariana's old Dr. Seuss hat.

I wore it this year, just like I did last year, to the Mattapoisett Halloween Parade, where I, along with the rest of the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) team, helped pass out glow sticks and manage traffic control.

Yup, the Village is where the action is in Mattapoisett on Halloween. And unlike a lot of places, Halloween brings out the best in people in the Village. In fact it's like stepping back in time to a quintessential New England small town celebration.

Everyone is friendly and happy. Kids and parents are grateful for small gestures, such as being given glow sticks.

Even though all the Halloween action takes place in the Village, each year I still put out a plastic cauldron full of candy on the front porch.

Living where we do, I never had to worry about having the whole booty of treats disappear before the night was done. In fact, the plastic cauldron would still be full of candy by the time I shut off the porch and post lights and brought it in.

However tonight ~ for the first time in the 23 years that I lived here ~ more than half of the candy was gone!

Did I really have that many trick or treaters this year?

Or did someone get very greedy?

Either way, I brought the candy in by 9 o'clock just to make sure there was some left for us.