saving halloween

Let me be clear: Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. I know that's not very trendy of me. Also not trendy: I always buy my kids' halloween costumes instead of make them, and I don't decorate my house, save maybe a punkin or whatever. But just because it's not my favorite day doesn't mean I don't appreciate others' ways of celebrating, and it doesn't mean I don't know how to celebrate it.

Trick-or-treating means going door-to-door, knocking, and getting candy. (Kids, not adults. Though adults should be with kids. Small kids.) (While I'm at it, unless they're going to a costume party, I don't get why adults dress up.) (Sorry if that hurts your feelings.)

For those who haven't heard of the concept of the Trunk-Or-Treat, let me 'splain: billed as a Safe Halloween Alternative, this activity involves many cars parked in, say, a circle, all cars faced outward so the trunks are inside the circle. This is usually done in a large parking lot, maybe at a school, a mall, or a church. Everyone opens their trunks and the kids go from car to car, gathering candy.

I can see the merit in this kind of activity, but only in certain instances. For example, if you live in an area where it is dangerous to walk the streets and go door-to-door at night, this might be a good idea. Also, this would make a good church activity when you live in a place where you don't get to see your friends from church (because they live in different towns, etc.) -- a chance to see people's costumes when you normally wouldn't get the chance. That sort of thing.

Here in my neighborhood, most everyone goes to church together. Not everyone, but most everyone. Each year we have a halloween trunk-or-treat in our church's parking lot. On Halloween. I can't stand it. Here are my reasons:

~We live in a safe neighborhood. We don't need a Safe Halloween Alternative.

~Going door-to-door is a tradition, and I'm going to take my kids regardless of what else they do that night. The problem is that most of the people to whose doors I take my kids were just at the church activity, so my kids are met with, "Hey, I just gave you candy...".

~Those who don't attend our church on a regular basis, for whatever reason, are excluded from this activity. NOW. I know that they're invited because technically it's a neighborhood thing and not a church thing, but, honestly, why should they? It's not fair. With everyone else gone at the church it forces the people who choose not to go to the trunk-or-treat to wait until everyone else gets home so that when their kids knock on doors, people are actually home. And, another reminder, that following this activity, most people just turn off their lights because, "Hey, I just gave you candy...".

I ran these reasons by some fellow church-going friends last week and they replied: That's part of the point: to get them to the church. Again, WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE CHURCH FOR THIS WHEN IT'S ON HALLOWEEN??? I don't see any reason why this activity can't be done on a day other than Halloween so that we can keep the actual day as it's traditionally been.

Of course, what can I do? The activity won't not be held, or change, if I take a stand and not go. All that will do is make my kids cry.

*sigh* This is my rant every year. I feel like I'm campaigning. Vote for me.

good sabbath

Grab a tissue.

tell me #5

I am not kidding when I ask your opinion on this -- I truly don't know:

Mac Vs. PC -- what's the difference?

P.C. stands for personal computer, does it not?

I know that Mac is a namebrand (from Apple, right), but...

Aren't they BOTH personal computers?

Which is better, and why?

(Please don't insult me here -- I know I should know the difference by now,

but I don't. That's why I'm asking you.)

tell me #4

If I'm following a recipe which calls for large eggs and all I have on hand are medium, is this a problem?

Really, what's the difference?

tell me #3:

What are your secrets for getting the best deals (for a family of, say, seven) on a Southern California vacation?

tell me #2:

What's the best tea pot (kettle?) out there?

tell me #1:

Where can I buy wheat kernels?

in case you were wondering

My own answers are as follows:

Monday's debate:

Costco.

Tuesday's debate:

Yes. Yes on writing them, Yes on receiving and reading them.

Wednesday's debate:

Atlantic.

Thursday's debate:

Borders. For whatever reason, I always feel like a second-class citizen at B&N.

Friday's debate:

I don't know the difference. But I refer to it all as frosting.

Thank you for playing.

friday's debate

Frosting or Icing?

thursday's debate

Barnes & Noble or Borders?

wednesday's debate

Atlantic or Pacific?

tuesday's debate

Christmas Letters: yes or no?

monday's debate

Costco or Sam's Club?

he'd be getting baptized this year