October Eve

Well, here we are, my friends. Today is October Eve! As you know, I love this time of year. I always have. If one would ask me why I wait all year for the thirty-one days of October, I would reach back into my soul and pull out the memories I have of this most beautiful month. 

As far back as I can remember, October was cozy time in my house growing up. By the time my Dad got home from work, it was getting dark, and after he changed into cozy clothes, we sat down to dinner my mother had prepared. After dinner, my sisters and I helped clean up, then we all sat together in our family room near the big stone fireplace and watched TV. Sometimes I would bring out my plastic bag of random Lego pieces and set up on the dining room table, constructing a house or camper for the little Lego family to live in. A few years later, I would sit at that same table finishing my Algebra homework while my parents read the paper nearby. 

On Halloween night, my sisters and I would walk the crunchy leaf-covered sidewalks of our hometown, wearing plastic masks and plastic costumes over our clothes, carrying a brown paper bag to hold all our candy. Later, as teens, our mom would help us raid her closet for scarves and jewelry when we decided at the last minute we would dress as gypsies and trick-or-treat once more. The air smelled like October, as odd as that sounds. And it felt good, safe, and cozy all rolled into one.

As a mom, my love for October grew even more. The kids and I began by decorating the house on the first Friday of October, dragging the orange Halloween tub with the black lid up the stairs and into the family room. As soon as I opened it, the distinct smell of Halloween filled the air, with Yankee Candle's Witches Brew and Trick-or-Treat scents combined. One year, I threw two little unlit votive candles in the box at the last minute, and would you believe, it still smells like that sweet Halloween smell today?

I always made a pan of brownies with vanilla icing tinted orange, and we would put in one of our favorite Halloween VHS tapes while we decorated. The kids would run up and change into their freshly washed Halloween pajamas, and we would all snuggle together and watch a favorite Halloween movie. We started planning their costume choices in July, and naturally, they changed several times before the final decisions were made. I remember the heartwarming feeling of those Halloween nights distinctly, riding in the van, Steve driving us, all my children together, plastic pumpkins in hand, listening to the same CD every single year. I remember thinking every year how blessed I was, and that this very special time wouldn't last forever. 

Now, when people ask me why I love October so much, I tell them it is because of the memories it brings to my heart every year...The memories of Fall Fun Day, when we would take my parents, along with pizza and brownies or cupcakes, to the state park and play on the playground, crunch through the leaves, and throw pebbles into the creek with my mom... The memories of making our special Halloween treats like Spiderweb Munch and Candy Corn Pizza every year...The memories of reading our very favorite Halloween book, Big Pumpkin, to little Peyton and Rhett in the pickup line when Madison was in elementary school. 

I love October for the sunny days that bring vibrant colors to the leaves. I love it for its unique scent that fills the air on crisp late afternoons. I love it for the early evenings that draw us inside together, giving us a rest from the busy summer days. October is comfortable, like a favorite throw blanket that may not be as soft as it once was, but still makes you feel safe, sound, and cozy. It is candles flickering, soup on the stove, peanut butter pumpkins in the candy jar, and leaves swirling in the wind. October is the rest my soul needs after the long, hot days of summer, and before the busy, exciting days of Christmas. And that is why I love it so. 

Octobers Past

Happy October, my friends!

Billie Jo

Halloween Munch