Getting ready for Halloween

It's that time of year again ... when the veil between the living and the dead becomes thin and spirits can be seen walking the earth. Shadows come alive and threaten to grab us ... witches fly and ghosts materialize before our very eyes.


In other words ... it's almost Halloween and time for our annual "Spooky" post!

Question: What's the ratio of a pumpkin's circumference to its diameter?

Answer: Pumpkin Pi

It's almost Halloween ... that creepy night of ghosts and ghouls. Little goblins everywhere are getting ready. Can Moms and Dads make it green? Well sure!! Here are some tricks and treats ... I mean tips:

-Are you going to carve a pumpkin ... or decorate one?

• If you haven't grown your own, buy one from a local farm or farmer's market.
• Use every part of the pumpkin. The seeds can be toasted and eaten as snacks ... they are healthy and taste great. One can toast them in the oven or in a dry frying pan on the stove. When they are brown, carefully remove them (they are very hot at this stage) and immediately sprinkle your favorite seasoning on them (mine is creole seasoning but kids might prefer something less spicy ... like a little salt). Not in the mood for toasting seeds? Try tossing them, either wet or dry, into the yard for birds ... they love them.
  
• Use the flesh of the pumpkin to make a pie, soup, cookies or flan ... it might require a bit more sugar than the smaller, pie pumpkins.
• After Halloween ... compost the shell instead of sending it to the landfill.

Question: How do you mend a broken Jack-O-Lantern?

Answer: With a pumpkin patch

-Are you planning a party for your little ones?

• Send email invitations rather than the "snail mail" variety. There are a lot of seriously spooky e-cards on the Internet.
  
• Use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Paper party goods can be expensive and just add more clutter to our nation's landfills.
• Serve some healthy, fun treats that aren't individually wrapped ... popcorn, apples, fruit leather (in the shape of worms and snakes) and ghostly cookie skeletons.

-Get creative with costumes.

• Make costumes from old clothes (downsize adult suits, dresses, etc.)
• Check your closets for "retro" clothing (got any old "hippie" duds? Cool, dude!).
• Pull out costume jewelry ... little princesses, gypsies and pirates love "bling".
• Hats of any kind can "top off" an outfit.
  
• Shop at Goodwill ... they have not only organized merchandise into a special Halloween section but also offer some creative costumes ideas made from second-hand garb.

These are just a few ideas. I'm sure that with a little thought ... you can conjure up a few of your own.

OK ... one more ... then I'll stop ... I promise!

Question: What is a pumpkin's favorite sport?

Answer: Squash

OK ... I'm done!

Seasonal Decorating

In the US, fall seems to signal a time for celebration. There are celebrations to mark the end of the harvest season ... apple festivals, leaf festivals, wine tastings and corn mazes. There are pumpkin patches at Halloween and German food at Oktoberfest. There are state fairs and art festivals. In November there is Thanksgiving and December brings Christmas, Kwanzaa and all kinds of winter festivals. We're not alone in this ... there are celebrations all over the world for all kinds of reasons.

With each of these celebrations, we typically decorate. Decorating, as a matter of fact, has become big business ... so big that we see Christmas decorations in October and Valentine hearts before New Year's Day. Unfortunately, most of the decorations on the market today aren't very kind to the environment.

So ... does that mean that we shouldn't decorate? Not if we green it up. Here are a few suggestions for decorations that won't hurt the environment:

• Use cornstalks, pumpkins and bales of hay to create a fall scene.
• Make a scarecrow (use burlap, straw, old hats and clothes) and let him greet visitors to your home.
  
• Collect colorful fall leaves to decorate a table or fill a vase.
  
• Display gourds of all sizes, shapes and colors.
• Use baskets ... fill them or simply display them at odd angles.
  
• Make a cornucopia.
• Use bunches of deep red grapes to decorate a table or place them around bottles of wine on the bar.
  
• Pick beautiful apples, arrange them in your nicest bowl and use them as a centerpiece for meals with friends and family.
• Bring colorful container plants indoors or arrange them around an entry (chrysanthemums, flowering cactus, ornamental kale, flowering cabbage, dusty miller, etc.).
• Make a wreath from natural products (pine cones, Rosemary, thyme, sage and berries).
• Decorate a mantle with a natural garland made from evergreens.
  
• Don't forget our feathered friends ... fill the nooks and crannies of pine cones with peanut butter, press in bird seed, and hang in a tree. It'll not only make the birds happy, it'll make any tree look festive.
• Use fresh produce from the farmer's market as decoration. Pomegranates, oranges and walnuts make lovely decorations.
  
• Does Holly grow in your area? Snip a little for mantles or to place around candles (natural candles, of course).
• For those who decorate a tree, use strings of popcorn, small pine cones and cranberries for natural beauty.
  
• Make a Gingerbread House.
• Does it snow in your area? Build a snowman.
• Are holiday lights a must? Use LED lights. And rather than string lights, of any kind, on the outside of your house, string them on the inside, around windows. Any heat created by the bulbs won't be lost.
• Let food be a decoration. Cookies, candies and holiday breads, displayed in festive dishes, add warmth to any celebration.

Not only will your decorations be beautiful ... they'll be earth friendly as well. And that's another reason to celebrate.

As Always ... I'd love to hear from you!