Happy Halloween!

     I'm a huge geek for holidays.  Consequently, I am the biggest sucker for holiday marketing.  While some people may complain when Target begins selling seasonal supplies months ahead of time, I get giddy with anticipation.  With each new holiday season, I decorate my apartment, dress from head to toe in festive garb, watch holiday movies and TV shows, and read seasonal books.  I ignore all pretenses of calorie counting to make the Pillsbury cookies with the holiday designs in them and make sure to drink plenty of limited edition lattes at Starbucks. Over the past few years, Dan and I have tried to create some holiday traditions we partake in every year.  

     Halloween is a particular favorite of mine.  After a long, hot summer with nothing but barbecues and parades, I look forward to putting away the stars and stripes and getting out the pumpkins and scarecrows.  I love the colors and smells of the fall, not to mention the beautiful weather. Each year, I start the season by going apple and pumpkin picking with some family and friends. 

Dan & Brooklynn picking the perfect pumpkin.

Dan has a slight obsession with choosing the largest pumpkin in the patch.  We had the best intentions of visiting a few Halloween events at the parks and botanical gardens around this cities; but, my work schedule, wedding planning, and the October snow storm thwarted our plans. Luckily, we did manage to watch a few horror movies Halloween documentaries...yes, we now know how to survive a Zombie apocalypse.  And, as usual, we partook in my favorite Halloween tradition:  a few days before Halloween, we put It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! on TV, and carve our pumpkin.  

Our Pumpkin.

    

     The first year we lived in our apartment, I dressed up in a homemade witch costume and prepared a bucket of candy in anticipation of trick-or-treaters.  Unfortunately, we got zero, nor have we had any in the subsequent two years. So, tonight, clad in my "I got a rock" T-shirt, blinking ghost necklace, pumpkin slippers, and ghost nail decals, I am going to light every boney bunch candle in my apartment, eat some Halloween chocolate chip cookies, and watch the live Ghost Hunters Halloween investigation with Dan. And tomorrow, I have plans to go to the gym...while thinking about Thanksgiving.   

     Happy Hauntings!