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By Kelly McCarty
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Hello to all of my
Metro Readers. Thank you for taking the time to read the Metro
and don't forget to click on the BONUS at the end of my
article.
Autumn has arrived.
The cool crisp nights. Football on the tube, and of course, the scariest
of all nights.... HALLOWEEN!!! Next to Christmas, All Hallows Eve
has been my favorite holiday since my childhood. Many great memories
decorating the house, making dummies on the porch, going out for
Devil's Night, Trick-Or-Treating, and eating candy.
My favorite
preparation was the week prior. Mom would let us get the boxes and
bags out of the attic, and we tried on our costumes. Let me see....
DJ got Rick's hobo costume, Larry got DJ's hobo costume, I got....
well, you get the idea.
Speaking of Mom, she
went back to work a couple days a week. She is doing great, and
appreciates the visits and phone calls. It was great that Larry came
up for a weekend in September. Well... On to my final thought.
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Years ago when the boys were
little, besides the trick or treating of Halloween, a highlight in October was visiting the cider mill and pumpkin patch. We usually saved these special outings for
a Sunday in October before Halloween. If memory serves me correctly each year the weather cooperated with sunny skies and fairly warm temperatures. Some years the crisp, cool air of autumn gave us reason to wrap sweaters around our waists, just in case.
On the ride out to the pumpkin patch, the boys would get anxious repeating a familiar phrase, "Are we there yet?" We'd drive
up Van Dyke until we were out north of Romeo and there we'd find the spectacular farm all decorated for the harvest season.
Huge scarecrows could be seen everywhere, greeting young and old alike. A barn converted into a craft store for the occasion had all you could want for the fall festivities. Caramel apples covered in peanuts to sink your teeth into, cider to sip, and popcorn balls to crunch.
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No trip to the pumpkin patch would be complete without a good old fashioned hay ride. The farmer's tractor pulled the long, wooden seated vehicle out into the middle of the patch as the children sang
songs. The ride was bumpy, the songs were severely off key, but the giggle of happy children always made for a joyful ride.
When we reached our destination the kids were instructed to only pick a pumpkin they were able to carry. Of course it never failed - Margaret and I would each be lugging an oversized Jack-O-Lantern back to where the tractor waited. |
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I remember all the fun on a far away piece of farmland where the weather signaled the end of summer and the beginning of frost filled nights.
The other day, coming back from up north, instead of taking the
Interstate, I took a ride down Van Dyke that found me passing the same place we picked pumpkins with the kids. Sadly, I witnessed its demise with no signs of the traditional Halloween happenings.
Apparently the farmland has been gone for years. It is now a sub-division with clusters of homes scattered all around the area. The only trace of hay, apple cider and friendly faced scarecrows to welcome us are in the memories of
this aging parents and their now grown sons.
These days, Margaret & I purchase our pumpkins at Meijer's. Lately we have resorted to painting on smiling faces in stead of carving them. They are quite smaller than the gargantuan gourds Chris, Brad, and Austin used to choose. Autumn is a special time of caring and sharing. It's a time to be thankful for the harvest that we reap, both nutritional and spiritual. I am grateful for the
love of my family and memories that are mine to have forever.
Here's a tip for the
younger parents out there. Halloween is a wonderful and fun time to help teach children that
giving is so very important. After all, neighbors give them candy. They
should give too!
Here is a fun way to teach your children to give love from their hearts,
time from their days, some of their bounty and of course the giving of
their faith at Halloween and enjoy it too!
Visit an apple orchard and hunt out a little extra fruit. Buy 2 or 3 small
plain brown craft paper gift bags and let your children decorate them
(sorry Margaret if I am infringing on your craft corner). Fill the bags with the apples
and have your children deliver them to a needy family, an elderly couple
who can't make it out themselves or a nursing home to people who need some
needed company and to feel God's love.
| Happy Halloween everyone,
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HEY METRO READERS....
IF YOU CAME THIS FAR,
WHY NOT ENJOY
ONE MORE HALLOWEEN TREAT.
CLICK
HERE |
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