...treat!

Tomorrow is Halloween and our house is buzzing with anticipation even though we once again live in a city that doesn't celebrate the holiday. We'll manufacture a great evening of fun with costumes, trick or treating behind the doors of our home's rooms, some games and a spooky meal. (Closely followed by a sugar crash, scrubbing off of face paint and collapsing into bed.)

A particular thrill this year is that we have real pumpkins to carve. It's been four full Halloweens since we were able to carve pumpkins. Our last home was located in Thailand where pumpkins were essentially non-existent. So, I've been giddy at the sight of women sitting on neighborhood corners, selling home grown pumpkins. I may have slightly overstocked and lost my mind a tad bit. The back garden, which we view from a wall of kitchen windows, is illuminated with a small patch of carved pumpkins that have been turned into an assortment of spooky faces.

And, perhaps the greatest thing about this Halloween is that my parents have flown in from the States. See that giant plate of candy-corn colored crispy treats? My mom whipped up the favorite childhood treat. That plate is empty and our hands are sticky... and we're all smiling hugely.