Friday, October 30, 2020

This Year, Halloween Is Going To Be A Lot Different


Tomorrow is Halloween. It falls on a Saturday. It's the first Halloween in our house that we bought in February. Due to a lot of changes, we have made since then and along with the existing COVID-19 pandemic, this year is going to be a lot different. 

To back up again and set the stage...

Since 2014, Lisa and I have hosted a Halloween gathering at our home. I made a huge "cauldron" of homemade corn chowder along with lots of other goodies like homemade loaves of bread, appetizers, stew, desserts, etc. 

In 2017, our area was hit with a massive bombogenesis storm that knocked out power for almost 2 days. I had to cancel our Halloween party. 

Thankfully, on Halloween, power was restored early afternoon. I utilized everything we had on hand and made homemade pizza and treats. We had a fabulous time despite the last minute preparations. 

In 2018, we continued with our Halloween party tradition. Halloween fell on a Wednesday. Lisa went to work. Shortly after she left for work, we got the news that our Aunt Rena lost her battle with brain cancer. 

Lisa came home from work early. After talking about it, we decided that our Halloween gathering would go forth

At the end of the evening, I knew something was bothering Lisa. 

We talked about it to great lengths. 

We made the decision that we would possibly not be having a Halloween party the following year. 

In September of 2019, I published a blog column about our decision to not host the neighborhood and beyond Halloween party. 

In that blog column, I said, "Lisa and I made this decision the day after last year's Halloween Party. Nothing specific happened that led us to make that decision. We were simply just overwhelmed and exhausted."

The truth was...a lot of specific things happened. 

But, at the time, we couldn't say what because, well...

We can now. 

What happened was...

A lot of people showed up expected to be waited on. 

I served bowls and bowls of stew and chowder while people sat despite the set up we had of "self-serve." 

People did not get up from their seats after eating to allow those just showing up a chair. 

All but 2 people showed up empty-handed.

Lisa and I are old school. If you are invited to someone's home for a meal, you do not come empty-handed. 

A friend's daughter was caught in our kitchen with her uninvited friend. Filling up their plates and bowls. Without permission.

Used cups and bowls and plates were left on our table. For Lisa and me to clean up. After everyone left, we spent a few hours cleaning up so we wouldn't have to do it in the morning. 

However, despite all of that and then some, we both talked about it and agreed to have a Halloween party last year. Because it was a tradition. And, we gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. 

That was despite the inclement weather last Halloween

And, without knowing that it would be our last Halloween in our old home.

We went forth with our annual Halloween party.

Those who attended showed up with nothing. 

We had a mess to clean up at the end.

Again.

But.

When we bought our house in February, the first thing I thought about was our annual Halloween party. I knew Halloween was on a Saturday. So. We could have it the weekend before?

Then, COVID-19 hit. 

We thought it would be done and over with by now. 

Nope. 

But, put that aside, our answer still would have been "nope."

For obvious reasons. 

In the here and now, we got snow today. Lots of it.

We still have a few plans for tomorrow. Halloween.

It won't be the same. 

Not even close. 

But...



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