I really enjoy the flavor of pumpkin.  I found a great recipe online last night for pumpkin pancakes.  How yummy does that sound?!?

Last year I carved a pumpkin at home one quiet evening and later roasted the seeds I had taken out of it.  The crunchy seeds were a nice, nutritious snack for a few weeks afterward and provided a necessary element of fiber to my diet.  Fiber and nutrition – how bad can that be?

Watching “Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” this evening I am reminded of the times I would watch this on television with my mom.  Afterward, we would discuss what costume I would wear for the upcoming Halloween trek around the neighborhood. Ahhh, the times when young kids could walk around the neighborhood at night without too many fears…other that the “sewing needle in the chocolate bar” fear every child had, I believe.  I still think it was a conspiracy just for the adults to get a portion of the goodies since sometimes they would pull out some “suspicious” looking candies!

My costumes varied year to year.  There was always the bum, complete with a large plastic cigar.  I can’t forget the years I would go as a criminal with the black and white striped outfit.  I dreaded the costumes that involved a plastic mask with the thin elastic band that secured it to my face.  Not only was clear sight not an option when wearing those things, breathing was not much of an easy task either!  Whether it was a ninja turtle, Spiderman, or another action figure, the plastic mask coupled with the plastic slip on body garment neatly tied to the back with bows was not comfortable.

But we loved it as kids.  It was fun.  It still is fun to watch young people now get excited about dressing in costumes and sense the innocence involved in going door to door asking for candy…and now that I type it, sounds kind of creepy and dangerous!  What were our parents thinking?