Hoppy Holloweenie

The tradition in my Brooklyn childhood home was to carve the "pumpkin" on Halloween Eve. Early in my career as a kid, any opportunity to stick my fingers in gucky stuff and use sharp instruments was a real treat. I recall Dad had the honors for a number of years, but eventually, just like carving the turkey at Thanksgiving and setting up the Christmas Tree, the responsibility for carving the orange fruit fell to me.

Sometime in the last 15 year, I lost interest in carving the pumpkin. I think the fact that I haven't seen hide nor hair of a Trick-or-Treater in at least that long has contributed to this malaise about Halloween.

Five or six years ago, I bought a rather authentic looking "fake" pumpkin that came with a light and wires included. It even had an on-off switch. It was a lot easier to set up, take down and could be easily stored in the back closet along with the multitude of Christmas decorations.

But something mysterious has happened! My faux pumpkin has DISAPPEARED!!!

I looked all over, in the usual spots, the unusual spots, and the weird spots. I think a poltergeist must have taken it.

So, this year I had to once again take knife to fruit and make a real Jack-o-lantern. Hope you enjoy the play-by-play of this endeavor.

Now, if I could only convince that poltergeist to steal the four months of old newspapers stacked up in the living room I'd be all set. Oh, well.

Hoppy Holloweenie

~j