Halloweening on an empty nest

A few weeks ago Russel asked me what we were going to do for Halloween--now that no kids are at home. I suggested turning off all the lights, locking the doors, and heading to a restaurant. Russ didn't say much, just, "Oh not do Halloween, huh?" But as the day approached he opined that maybe we could get just one pumpkin (he has always carved everyone's pumpkin--with each person's own design) and maybe put up a decoration or two. So we did a few decorations and put out a pumpkin, bought some candy and waited for the trick or treaters. No one came for an hour or so and we mourned the loss of good ol' house-to-house trick or treating. In Knoxville at least, church Halloween parties and trunk or treating have made great efforts to stamp out the unsafe and unholy practice of trick or treating.

But then a few treaters trickled by, and then a few more. We even discovered that three years ago our neighbors in the cul-de-sac just a few doors down had moved! A new family had moved in with two small children. For Halloween, one dressed as an adorable tin man and one as dracula. The young mother had on gorgeous, sparkling, ruby red heels. It was fun to meet our neighbors.

We have had a family Halloween tradition of having chicken soup with rice for dinner before the kids go off in costume--usually with Dad when they were younger. I started this tradition, with ulterior motives, because I knew if you have a full stomach, candy looks ever-so-much less appealing, at least after a couple first, thrilling pieces. And on Halloween night with all the hubbub and getting costumes ready, and meeting up with friends, dinner time can go by unnoticed. The tradition worked well over the years, and, as a good tradition will, ingrained itself into the fabric of the holiday, so that even when the kids were older and had little interest in stopping for dinner anywhere, much less at home, they always felt like they needed at least a small bowl of the soup or they had not had the full Halloween experience.

But this Halloween we ended up having salmon because it had been in the fridge a couple of days and had to be cooked. But next year, I plan on making chicken soup with rice--cooking once, cooking twice, cooking chicken soup with rice!