Letting Go

I'm having trouble letting Hallowe'en go.  Oh, I know the marketers are working hard to make me move on into Thanksgiving and even Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa already, but I'm not there yet. I'm still enjoying the black and orange candles with hairy spiders on my dining table and the spider webs and big, black bat above my door.  I'm like the parents who are wrenched when their children are old enough to go off to school - just not quite ready.

Hallowe'en is one of my favorite California holidays because everyone, grownups as well as children, really gets into the wearing of disguises and costumes. It's playful, and I love playful.

In the same vein, this year the Richmond Municipal Natatorium (better known as "The Plunge") put on a really fun Hallowe'en event. Our local pool is always a delight but float a whole bunch of pumpkins in the water and dress the lifeguards up as skeletons and you add a whole other layer of nonsense. You've heard of bobbing for apples but who knew you could bob for pumpkins?

Or even that pumpkins would float!  

The little kids had a fine time fishing out their pumpkins and the parents seemed to enjoy seeing their kiddos so happily entertained. We enjoyed watching all the silly fun, even though we didn't get wet this time. 

So, the turkey and the presents can wait another week or so until I get into the mood for their brand of fun. For now, I'm still stuck in the netherworld of Hallowe'en and loving every minute.