HALLOWEEN

This year's Halloween was kind of hard for me. Usually I am totally excited for it, and this year I was just feeling blah.  My son got dressed in his Green Lantern costume and we set out.  Downtown businesses did a nice job with decorations, though it is truly sad to see the increasing number of empty storefronts due to the economy.  After finishing the "town approved" trick or treating, we went to the subdivision behind Fred Meyer as we always do.  Less people were handing out candy and also we got stuck behind this morbidly obese kid and his family and that made my son mad.  Even the boy's Dad was mumbling about he (the child) would probably have a heart attack before the night was over due to all the exercise he was getting. :-/  Anyways, there was a sign up at the end of one of the streets.  We had never gone up that hill before, so decided to check it out.  It was a retirement village.  A lady with a HUGE orange kitty in a stroller was sitting out front.  We went inside and in the lobby was a bunch of residents sat in a half circle with loads of sweets to hand out.  They were all so happy to see the kids.  One old dear was even taking pictures of every child she gave candy to.  I didn't allow my son to see, but I got choked up and teary eyed.  The lady with the camera reminded me of my Great Gran who raised me.  My Great Gran (fondly known to all as Gabby because my Great Grandpa said she talked too much) Always loved Halloween.  Our neighbourhood wasn't real safe, so when me and my friends were out trick or treating she would lock the front door and open one of the tall windows on the front porch and hang out it to hand out the candy.  She always loved seeing all the kids and costumes and always counted how many came to the house.  For her the more the better and she was disappointed if it wasn't a few hundred.  She has been gone now going on 20 years and I still miss her like crazy.  I wish she could see us now.  I think she would be proud.  She was the one person in my life who loved me unconditionally.