“There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.”
—Robert Braut
After enjoying some play time on the swings in Kim and Al’s back yard, we enjoyed some home-made chili and baked corn muffins, which is a ritual passed down from Kim’s mother when she was a child. It was very tasty, filling and in my view falls into the category of “comfort food.” For dessert, Kim gave Lyla the honors of helping her bring out a tray full of Caramel Apples. Kyle’s brother, Chip drove over from Scotts’ Valley to join us. But, the big event our granddaughter’s Lyla and Emmy were waiting for was “Trick-or-Treating.” Our daughter Michelle helped them change into their costumes. Lyla wore a white dress fashioned after Elsa, the fictional character in Disney movie, “Frozen). What made it extra special is that it had battery operated lights underneath. She was in heaven. Emmy wore a yellow dress fashioned after Belle, the fictional character in Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast." We left the house to begin trick or treating, and while on the porch, Kyle surprised the girls by coming out in a white bunny outfit. Chip teased him about it not being Easter, but the fun part of Halloween is that you can be anybody or anything you want.
We circled around Kim and Al’s neighborhood and approached any home that had decorations and tables out front or their porches and inside lights on. When we got back to Kim and Al’s, Al was manning the booth he had set up for trick-or- treaters. As they say, "build it and they will come.” Suddenly, a parade of kids of all ages with elaborate and creative costumes, mostly accompanied by adults arrived for some goodies. Lyla was in her element and took center stage with Al coaching her to say "you can take two"-meaning two pieces of candy.
Postscript: The history of Trick-or-Treating traces back to Scotland and Ireland, where the tradition of “guising,” going house-to-house at Halloween and putting on a small performance to be rewarded with food or treats, goes back a least as far as the 16th century, as does the tradition of people wearing costumes at Halloween.
