Ireland saves the world again.

 

Ireland has saved the world, many times over.  Can't mess with history.

Oíche Shamhna faoi mhaise

 

On Halloween night, there was a bonfire and the pagans danced around and ghosts were about. All Saints' Day was on Nov. 1st. Pagan to Saints? It could happen.

 

 

...then they do Monster Mash....

 

 
One knows that Halloween is at its end when all Halloween stuff has left Lowe's, and Christmas stuff is in its place.

So, as a last homage to Halloween, this is given to you:

To you and Halloween monsters knocking at your door, Happy Hallowed 'eve.

Monster Mash 2016

 
One knows that Halloween is at its end when all Halloween stuff has left Lowe's, and Christmas stuff is in its place.

So, as a last homage to Halloween, this is given to you:

To you and Halloween monsters knocking at your door, Happy Hallowed 'eve.

Samhain. Ireland. Say no more.

Ireland has saved the world, many times over.  Can't mess with history.

Oíche Shamhna faoi mhaise

 

 

America in the 1950s

 

Praise be to God! Halloween is over!

 

 

Halloween is over…Praise be to God.

Starting at 6:00 pm, they came in waves: low tide, heavy surf, high tide…

Little princesses, little super heroes with proud parents holding them…Shy, little first-timers are so shy.

Mixed in the low tide were toddlers and pre-school delights, walking uncertainly to the door.  “Tank you…”

 

The golden delights (eight to twelve yr. old) boldly stride to the door.  “Triggertree” they said, with their plastic pumpkins held out.  Parents waiting on the sidewalk talk and look at the watches.  “Thanks…” Parents smile and wave.  Some respond to a sign on the door.

Heavy surf.  

Teenagers charge the door, running from house to house.  Demand “Triggertree!”  No parents this time.  Should have been, but no.

Shock hits when they see the bold sign:  No Adults or Teens.  ‘But I’m…I’m…only …ten. Hands, feet, and teeth always tell the truth, and they walk away.

  High tide. 

Huge vans pull up under the street lamps, offloading streams of parents and kids, all ages, people not from this community or even this town.  These  triggertreeders are out trolling for more candy.  Exhausted children are dragged along with these adults who expect to harvest the candy from their kids.

This neighborhood is mostly retirees, their lights were off. The cuteness factor of the low tide is what matters.

Oh-God-Please!-not these!  Time is 8:25, about ten minutes to lights off. We originally put up 8:30, just easing away from the door.

Hoards hit the door, but brake to read the signs: 

Candy is for children only; No Adults and Teens; and, Donate to Wounded Warriors (with a five-gallon water bottle, containing change and dollar bills).

Parents, dressed in tutus and ghostly sheets, are confused, walking away with evil eyes. Small kids step up “Triggertree”, holding out pillowcases, heavy with candy.  Most said Thanks.

Teens announced they are twelve—nice try.  One tall boy looks confused; he doesn't speak English.  ‘Say you’re twelve’ he is told, but he announces ‘diaz’. No.

Only one little boy asked about the signs.  “Candy is for children only…candy costs money…can’t afford it…” he is told.

Finally 8:35 pm arrives.  Signs come down. Lights go off.

The water bottle holds more and more change.  From which wave?  It did not matter.

We collected about $125.

The waves settled into calm water.  Praise be to God.

What do you think?  Check out these sites:

 Are adults too old to go trick or treating alone, without children?

Is there an age at which an adolescent should stop trick or treating?

The Before and After of Christmas

So much for Halloween candy.

Christmas always comes to an abrupt end, it seems. For 2 1/2 solid months, the stores have been draped with garlands, dripping bright ornaments, while Halloween candy is in shopping cart marked "50% off". Carols of all types have been playing in a loop, but for some reason they have been classier this year.

Celebrating and loving with our family is a wonderful year long fest. So, pick up all that wrapping paper, down the eggnog, and finish up all those little chores.

Here is before:

Walmart sells everything.

Here is after:

after the Christmas rush

Get'm while they're hot!

But, no one sees what is really left behind:

Dump site for carts from all stores
There were mountains of shopping carts tossed in the field.
After a month or so, these were all gone. 

Christmas is over, yes, but we will continue rejoicing for the entire year. 

After all, Christmas is only 11 months and a few days away.

Monster Mash

One knows that Halloween is at its end when all Halloween stuff has left Lowe's, and Christmas stuff is in its place.

So, as a last homage to Halloween, this is given to you:

To you and Halloween monsters knocking at your door, Happy Hallowed 'eve.

998 vs. 915

Source

Halloween was over, the chocolate candy consumed, and empty wrappers told the tale.

Only the good stuff was eaten, leaving mini-Lollipops, generic copies and Jolly Rogers in candy collecting containers. The order had been given to toss the losers away.

The challenge began when ten-year old Lily handed me a Cherry Mini-Lollipop, and kept the grape for herself.  “How many licks will it take to get to the chocolate center?”

We both looked at the candy on a stick, judged how small the round candy was, and made predictions.  Me: 75, Lily: 50.  How long would this competition take?  Me: 30 minutes, Lily (bravado of a 10 year old): 20 minutes, for sure.

Ready, steady, GO!

20 minutes in, I had done 120 (cherry). And Lily was up to 100.

25 minutes in, I was up to 200, and Lily was leading with 220.

30 minutes in, I had moved to 308, and Lily was all purple smiles at 315.

As the minutes mounted, my jaws cramped, the type of cramp one gets after eating a bag of Sweet Tarts.

We struggled with sore tongues.  “You’re going down, Grandma…”

600 to 582---653 to 690…would it ever end?

The end slipped in at 45 rough minutes.  Me: 915 and Lily: 998.

Lily danced around the kitchen, hands in the air, singing “Eye of the Tiger”.  Me?  I went to look into a mirror.  Sticking out my cherry red tongue, sweet and sour zones in the tongues had worked themselves raw.

Rule of tongue: eat all the chocolate stuff and dump the rest.  The Lollipops are not a single lick.

The rules of this are rather vague.  But I wouldn’t dare to contest them to a 10 year old dancing around the kitchen singing “Eye of the Tiger”, and knows all the words.

The Waves of Triggertreeders

Source: Wave after Wave

Halloween is over…Praise be to God.

Starting at 6:00 pm, they came in waves: low tide, heavy surf, high tide…

Little princesses, little super heroes with proud parents holding them…Shy, little first-timers are so shy.

Mixed in the low tide were toddlers and pre-school delights, walking uncertainly to the door.  “Tank you…”

Source

The golden delights (eight to twelve yr. old) boldly stride to the door.  “Triggertree” they said, with their plastic pumpkins held out.  Parents waiting on the sidewalk talk and look at the watches.  “Thanks…” Parents smile and wave.  Some respond to a sign on the door.

Heavy surf.  

Teenagers charge the door, running from house to house.  Demand “Triggertree!”  No parents this time.  Should have been, but no.

Excellent article on teenagers

Shock hits when they see the bold sign:  No Adults or Teens.  ‘But I’m…I’m…only …ten. Hands, feet, and teeth always tell the truth, and they walk away.

High tide.  

Huge vans pull up under the street lamps, offloading streams of parents and kids, all ages, people not from this community or even this town.  These  triggertreeders are out trolling for more candy.  Exhausted children are dragged along with these adults who expect to harvest the candy.

This neighborhood is mostly retirees. The cuteness factor of the low tide is what matters.

Oh-God-Please!-not these!  Time is 8:25, about ten minutes to lights off.  

Hoards hit the door, but brake to read the signs: 

Candy is for children only; No Adults and Teens; and, Donate to Wounded Warriors (with a five-gallon water bottle, containing change and dollar bills).

Parents, dressed in tutus and ghostly sheets, are confused. Small kids step up “Triggertree”, holding out pillowcases, heavy with candy.  Most said Thanks.

Teens announced they are twelve—nice try.  One tall boy looks confused; he doesn't speak English.  ‘Say you’re twelve’ he is told, but he announces ‘diaz’. No.

Only one little boy asked about the signs.  “Candy is for children only…candy costs money…can’t afford it…” he is told.

Finally 8:35 pm arrives.  Signs come down. Lights go off.

The water bottle holds more and more dollars, more change.  From which wave?  It did not matter.

We collected about $125.

The waves settled into calm water.  Praise be to God.

What do you think?  Check out these sites:

 Are adults too old to go trick or treating alone, without children?

Is there an age at which an adolescent should stop trick or treating?