Catching up

[Murfreesboro]

I'm glad there are no rules about burying pets around here, because we actually have an informal pet cemetery in our backyard. Too bad you had to do that sad chore in the dark.

That's wild, about the crazy guy in your store. Thank goodness it was no more serious than it was. I think you handled it very well.

I hope Phoebe enjoys fencing, if she really signs up for it.

The Snoopy Smores kit is very cute. I'd also keep my eye on it until the price comes down.

[Andybev01]

Somewhere in here you were wondering about the martha stewart halloween edition.

It's a reprint of last year's with a different cover photo.

If you hold up last year's and squint you won't need to buy a new one.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

To quote Chucky in the movie Bride of Chucky ... "Who the f**k is Martha Stewart?"

[Murfreesboro]

All the special interest mags are sometimes guilty of reprinting previous issues. You have to look carefully. I think they do have to say something like "Reprinted by popular demand," but it's not always obvious.

[NeverMore]

Trying to figure out how to use this site again.Now that r/Halloween is being a dick! We allowed to swear here? Don't remember. Seems to me, now that all the socmedia sites are going capitalistic, there may be a return to the cozy comforts. I tried the last couple nights but Chris was effin with me!

I am the once and mighty Nevermore! Some of y'all may remember me?..... ?....?!?..... Anyways... Wazzup!!!! Murfreesboro?!? Is Andybev01 still doggin this site? Been a while since I seen him on Dreddit. Any recent Witchy sightings? I know there are so many more I fergot!

Though i will never forget...."her".

[Murfreesboro]

I haven't seen Witchy in a while, but Andy's still here, and HeadlessHorseman. MauEwig hasn't posted in a few months, but I have hope she may turn up again for the spooky season. It's been pretty quiet, but a few of us are stubborn haunters.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

We allowed to swear here?

No, but there are ways around it, not that I'm encouraging it.

Andy will still be haunting this forum after the rest of us have stopped visiting. Mike hasn't been here in 3 years, but I still think that he might be back one day because the first time he took a hiatus from the forum he was gone for 5 years, then he just showed up one day.

By the way, Andy told us he was banned from Reddit, though he didn't tell us the reason.

[Andybev01]

Hmm...let's just say that my charm and brutal honesty got me perma-banned from the alien cesspool.

To be fair though I was also locked out for 3 weeks from X, and not the old, cancel-crazy X; the no- holds-barred, Elon X.

Some people just can't take a f**king joke.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Some people just can't take a f**king joke.

Man, you're preaching to the choir here.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

So, my wife and I had a serious conversation last night and I came to the viciously cold realization that The Great Pumpkin might not be appearing at our house this year.

The girls are 8 and 11 now, and I think they might be a little too old for a visit from their favorite gift bringing supernatural, fictional, yet still very real, holiday related character.

I asked them the other day if they were looking forward to The Great Pumpkin visiting this year and Sam just looked at me and smiled, and she didn't say anything. I got the impression that it was her way of telling me that she knows it's me, but she didn't want to say anything because she knows how much it means to me.

However, Phoebe shouted out a enthusiastic YES! I think she's still young enough to have that holiday magic and wonder that kids have, even though she's also the cutest little fighting machine. I always said that I would let them believe in those characters until they were ready to stop on their own, and I think that Sam has reached that point, so I think that I'm going to pull her aside and ask her if she still wants to participate in the tradition. If she says that she doesn't, then I will still show up for Phoebe, and ask Sam not to ruin it for her.

I might still visit some of the other kids in the neighborhood. As I mentioned last year, the new neighbors that moved in were excited when I told them that I dress as The Great Pumpkin for my kids, and they asked if I would stop by to visit their kids as well. I was surprised at how the kids reacted to me, I thought that they would be scared, but they ran up and hugged me, and they were happy to get the candy and presents. They were sweet, and they are 3 and 4 yrs old this year, and if their parents invite me over again I'll be more than happy to visit them, and I'll continue to until they are too old for it.

So I might still get a few more years of Great Pumpkin goodness before I have to pack the costume away, well, at least until I have grandkids. I know that time is moving along, and I only have so long before they grow up, and eventually they are both going to grow out of this and I'll have to accept it, but for now I'm still going to enjoy it.

Though, I admit that I'm a bit depressed right now, but in writing this post I also know that for the people that still believe, The Great Pumpkin will live forever and it's a day like this that I'm reminded of a motto that I have lived by...

a.jpg (48.53 KiB) Viewed 225 times

[Murfreesboro]

Even when both your kids have outgrown it, you could still dress as the Great Pumpkin to pass out candy on the big night.

Our daughter stopped ToTing when she was 16. Well, she did do it that year, so I guess she actually stopped at 17. But we still decorate big and dress up to hand out the candy. It's lots of fun still.

The holidays do change as the kids grow up, but you can always figure out ways to have fun. When ours got too old for Santa, we started going to the Christmas Eve midnight service at the Episcopal church downtown. This was in addition to the church services at the Lutheran church we regularly attend, because they are earlier. The Episcopal music is better, and there's something magic about having the service at midnight. You'll figure out ways to continue making the holidays fun. Costume parties are always fun on or near Halloween.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I honestly didn't even think that far ahead, I mean, about when they are too old for trick-or-treating, as I always go out with them. But you're right, there are so many ways to still celebrate the holiday. I haven't handed out candy myself for almost 10 years now, but I remember how much I used to enjoy it, and I'm sure that I will again. I guess we could also start having Halloween parties as well, we always go to them, but haven't ever had one here, well, at least not for our adult friends, we have had some Halloween parties for the kids and their friends though.

This year Halloween is on Friday, and we will be having a party for them and their friends after trick-or-treating, some of them will be staying over for the night, so we are going to watch some scary movies and play games, and get some pizza for them, we will be celebrating the whole weekend, so it should be fun.

Of course, we didn't have anybody dressing up as The Great Pumpkin for us when we were kids, but when it comes to Christmas, my older sister tried to ruin Santa for us when we were young, but we didn't listen to her and continued to believe, at least I did until I was 10. That was the first Christmas we had without our father there and we struggled, so my mother pulled me aside and explained the reality of the situation to me, and that's when I found out for sure that there wasn't a Santa. But regardless of the situation we were in, that was the first peaceful Christmas that we ever had, and every Christmas that we had together after that taught us the importance of family, and we learned to appreciate that aspect of the holiday more than any other.

Now, Christmas is always a big celebration for us, especially for my mother and her grandkids. So, I'm not as concerned about when the kids stop believing in Santa because I know that the family traditions we have, and the new ones that we will make, will fill the spot that Santa once held.

[Andybev01]

What, what do you mean "...no Santa'?!

WHAAAA...

One of my SILs raised her kids in the stark reality of 'Miracle On 34th Street'.

No Santa, no Halloween iconography, no Easter Bunny, no leprechauns...nada.

She was a psychologist and considered it a form of lying.

I'm positive that was a major factor in their divorce, and why my niece and nephews go all-out for the holidays for their children.