Today marks the day that the holiday season is truly starting. Halloween represents the official start of the rat race to get the perfect gift, the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. (Please don’t get Turducken – it’s like 1500 calories/7 ounces)
This time of year, by default, automatically the little “Happy Homemaker” blinks off inside my little heart. I get that warm default emotion that makes me think about family and Thanksgiving and Christmas presents and arguing over whose going to get the dark meat. (Me!!) The one time of year I’ll eat ham, I love those big thick slices of ham… I’m not anti-pork or anything believe me, but deli ham rubs me the wrong way and so I like to miss that huge honey ham with the pineapple slices pinned neatly to it’s skin. Mashes potatoes and butter, and corn and croissants. I love it because I get to see people I don’t normally get to see in my every day life.
As a child I remember spending so much time with the feeling of anticipation in my stomach. Not so much for the presents, but for the stocking! My mom used to go all out on the stockings. There would be some awesome stuff in there, magazines, make-up, nail polishes, little electronic keychain pets, candy, pens, jewelry, cd’s, different little unique things that made my teen-self get giddy inside. I remember the year we were living with my grandparents and I was huge into Beanie Babies and my mom had all of the presents under the tree and instead of wrapping the beanie babies she just put them all over the place on top of boxes, peeking out of bags.. There had to have been at least fifteen of them. It was great! I remembered sitting on the floor in my grandparents house and all of the people I loved and cared about, were in the same room – smiling. Happy.
None of them were worrying about money, my grandfather being sick, my mom’s house, my step-dad dealing with medical issues, none of them were worrying about everyone elses problems and different ailments or stressors. We were all just happy to be there. I’ve carried these feelings over into my own adult life and I want to set that same example for my own family.
Happy Halloween Ghouls and Goblins. 
and happy Holidays to come!
