Sweets and sweeties, what’s not to love about Halloween?

Magic, mystery, chocolate, creativity, laughter, cute children, game parents, what’s not to love about Halloween?

I’m a lifelong lover of this Celtic Harvest celebration (thank you to my well-read librarian friend Nelda for that information). Courtesy of a fun-loving dad who liked to carve pumpkins and a health-conscience mom who broke form to serve sloppy joes, witches brew and jelly doughnuts every Halloween, I’ve enjoyed Halloween since I was old enough to clutch a candy bar.

I still love it.

Blink in our neighborhood and transport yourself back to the 1960s, children scampering from house to house, parents chatting in the street and Connie the Cookie Lady observing it all from her front porch perch on her well-dressed corner house.

Connie is 87-years old now, and still a twinkle-eyed gremlin, decorating every corner of her house and lawn for a day that combines sweets and sweeties, her two favorite things.

Another tradition in our neighborhood happens across the street and half a block down. There my childhood friend Carol hosts a take-all-comers party, with full-sized candy bars for the little ones and adult treats for the parents.

She also goes all out with the decorations and the general merriment. Between Connie on one end and Carol on the other, our neighborhood draws a lot of families, even on a rainy Halloween night.

“Sorry about the weather,” I said to an adorable Merida, heroine of Brave and all out cutie pie who trick or treated at our house last night with her mom.

“It happens,” she said with her three-year old lisp.

From our little rainy but festive corner of the world, Happy Halloween from Molly B and Me!