Domestic bliss, Jack-o-lanterns and local phantoms.

I guess I should update and regale you with tales of the weekend. Really, though, it was so darn boring I can't imagine it being worth the time. Suburban domestic bliss.

Kept munchie home from soccer since it had been raining and he was coughing to beat the band. He rewarded me by running a fever all afternoon and getting a headache that he insisted on calling a brain freeze. So I: worked on curtains for the guest room, fixed the shade in there (sort of), did loads of laundry, switched the summer clothes for the winter clothes, started a book, rid the walkway of the godzilla-flowers (they were huge, and taking over the walkway completely), then decided I had to go to the store.

I've been tasked with goody bags for the class Halloween party. I've been trying hard to find a balance of goodies that won't offend anyone. Especially since the organizer told me that at least one family is skipping school that day because - they don't celebrate that. Then last Thursday my neighbor was the guest reader and she trumped me. She gave the class little goodie bags just because. So I was trying not to offend and selected pumpkin pencils, candy corn erasers and hoppin' poppies with a liberal dose of candy and she gives them glow in the dark rats, loose eyeballs, bat rings and ghost pencil toppers. Suddenly my goodie bags didn't seem to have enough.

I decided to go to the party store. Yes on the Saturday before Halloween I went to the one store that was sure to have a crowd. They also had a selection of stuff. So I added chocolate jack-o-lanterns and bat, ghost and jack-o-lantern finger puppets to my offerings. So each bag has the pencil, erasers, hoppin' poppy, finger puppet, chocolate pumpkins, smarties, m&m's, and a lollypop. Munchie helped me fill the bags on Sunday morning.

Sunday was more domestic bliss. Finished the valance, filled the goodie bags, balanced the checkbook & paid the bills, made pudding and beef stew, and carved the jack-o-lanterns. Munchie was armed with a pencil and paper, I was armed with a knife and 7 pumpkins of various sizes. He designed, I cut. I tried to get him to help clean out pumpkin guts but he thought that was way too icky. So now I have a giant tub of toasted pumpkin seeds and 7 jack-o-lanterns guarding the front door. On Halloween night 5 of them will line the driveway from the neighbors house to ours. Since we are beyond the end of the street I want to make sure folks know were are open for trick-or-treaters.

That's it, highly exciting as it is. Except for one odd thing. We were eating dinner when the doorbell rang. DH went to get it and there was a bag of chocolates on the step with a note that said - You have been hit by the Halloween phantom. Put the picture of the ghost (attached) in your window to show you've been hit. Then you have 48 hours to give goodies with this note and the ghost to 2 other houses. Ring the doorbell when you know they are home and run away. Lets try to get all of the neighborhood by Halloween.

Too weird. I don't have any interest in participating in this. I do not ring doorbells and run away. I do not skulk through the neighborhood after dark. But I feel guilty. Like I'm ruining everyone's fun even though I didn't ask to be part of it and I really didn't want to be. Heck I don't even want to put the ghost in my window - though I sure don't want a second bag of unsoliciated candy. Plus what do I do with the candy? It's all peanuts and peanut butter stuff - things munchie can't eat, dh doesn't like and I don't need. I'd feel weird giving it out to trick-or-treaters, I don't know where it came from or even if it's safe.