MEMORIES OF HALLOWEEN
Betty Collins Brown, October 2009
Halloween is not what it used to be. Growing up on Bold Camp with ten siblings, Halloween was probably my favorite time of year. It was a time when we could be anything we wanted to be. It wasn't thought of as sacrilegious or unsafe as it is today. It was just plain clean fun and a change from the drudgery of everyday cares and chores. It was pretty nice to receive the "treats" of candy, popcorn and chewing gum - things we didn't often get a chance to taste.
Jan was often a fat farmer, wearing overalls stuffed with a pillow. The smaller children were usually ghosts wearing a white sheet draped over their regular clothing. It seems I always wore bright color clothing and pretended I was "somebody" - sort of like Dolly Parton, except, well you know, my clothing had to be stuffed in a strategic way, unlike the fat farmer!!But my favorite memory is not one that I recall from experience, but one that Mommy told me after I was grown and gone from home. The older children would help dress the smaller ones in their costumes (never store bought, just old clothes and a homemade face mask). So all the children would go trick or treating and Mommy would stay behind to hand out candy to the neighbor children who stopped by. Many times, she didn't even see what her own children were wearing as costumes. One one particular Halloween evening, Joey became separated from the other siblings and became absorbed into another group of trick or treaters who were going to the Collins residence. At the door, Mommy greeted each one and paid special attention to each one, telling them how nice their costume looked. One little boy she noticed looked like a little rag-a-muffin. She greeted him tenderly and said "And whose little boy are you?". The sweet little voice replied so innocently "Why, I'm your little boy, Mommy". Of course, she recognized Joey's voice, and pulled him back into the house to safety and to wait for the other siblings to return. They did return frantic because they had lost him. It was scary and funny at the same time. One memory that I did experience was on a very cold, clear Halloween night, when I was older and a little embarrassed about going "trick or treating", I purposely became separated from the others and went back to the warmth of the house. Mommy was baking "ginger bread". It had just come out of the oven and I got the very first piece, covered with fresh churned butter. It tasted wonderful, but even better was the smell of the house and the one-on-one attention I got from my mother that night. It's a memory I will carry with me the rest of my life.Now in 2009, I spend Halloween with my grandchildren in a very different setting because of the safety issue. Our church fellowship hall was decorated for the occasion and the children dressed in Bible story costumes. Zeke was supposed to be a shepherd herding the sheep (Caitrin) but he wasn't very happy about it!
Betty Collins Brown, October 2009
Halloween is not what it used to be. Growing up on Bold Camp with ten siblings, Halloween was probably my favorite time of year. It was a time when we could be anything we wanted to be. It wasn't thought of as sacrilegious or unsafe as it is today. It was just plain clean fun and a change from the drudgery of everyday cares and chores. It was pretty nice to receive the "treats" of candy, popcorn and chewing gum - things we didn't often get a chance to taste.
Jan was often a fat farmer, wearing overalls stuffed with a pillow. The smaller children were usually ghosts wearing a white sheet draped over their regular clothing. It seems I always wore bright color clothing and pretended I was "somebody" - sort of like Dolly Parton, except, well you know, my clothing had to be stuffed in a strategic way, unlike the fat farmer!!But my favorite memory is not one that I recall from experience, but one that Mommy told me after I was grown and gone from home. The older children would help dress the smaller ones in their costumes (never store bought, just old clothes and a homemade face mask). So all the children would go trick or treating and Mommy would stay behind to hand out candy to the neighbor children who stopped by. Many times, she didn't even see what her own children were wearing as costumes. One one particular Halloween evening, Joey became separated from the other siblings and became absorbed into another group of trick or treaters who were going to the Collins residence. At the door, Mommy greeted each one and paid special attention to each one, telling them how nice their costume looked. One little boy she noticed looked like a little rag-a-muffin. She greeted him tenderly and said "And whose little boy are you?". The sweet little voice replied so innocently "Why, I'm your little boy, Mommy". Of course, she recognized Joey's voice, and pulled him back into the house to safety and to wait for the other siblings to return. They did return frantic because they had lost him. It was scary and funny at the same time. One memory that I did experience was on a very cold, clear Halloween night, when I was older and a little embarrassed about going "trick or treating", I purposely became separated from the others and went back to the warmth of the house. Mommy was baking "ginger bread". It had just come out of the oven and I got the very first piece, covered with fresh churned butter. It tasted wonderful, but even better was the smell of the house and the one-on-one attention I got from my mother that night. It's a memory I will carry with me the rest of my life.Now in 2009, I spend Halloween with my grandchildren in a very different setting because of the safety issue. Our church fellowship hall was decorated for the occasion and the children dressed in Bible story costumes. Zeke was supposed to be a shepherd herding the sheep (Caitrin) but he wasn't very happy about it!
