Apple cider and Halloween.

  Last week we made cider with the youth group and I'm just getting around to posting some pictures.  The beautiful thing about running your own blog is that the only person telling you that something is "late" is yourself.  And so if you don't care, then there is no such thing as a deadline.  And let me tell you, I love that kind of a schedule.

   We did the same thing last year (you can view that post here) and it wasn't until looking back over the post that I realized I wore the exact same hat each time.  Must be my lucky cider-making hat or something.

   The youth were troopers, we made around 250 gallons of sweet, delicious apple cider, and a good time was had by all.

   

   As we all know, tonight is Halloween.  Growing up, we did not celebrate Halloween as a general rule, and neither did Randy's family.  I'm sure some of you completely understand this, and to some of you, the concept is as foreign as rinsing out plastic cups and ziploc bags for re-use.

   As far as the holiday goes, many people feel strongly one way or the other, but some don't have much of an opinion either way.  Yet everyone chooses to do things in different ways, and this is one time of the year that I am always so fascinated by the different ways families celebrate, or don't, and their reasons for doing so.  

(My two littles, dressed up as country girls.  Just kidding. They ARE country girls.)   

   There were a few exceptions over the years.  A haunted house/woods/barn as a teenager now and then, and my one and only trick-or-treating experience.  I was about oh....maybe 3 or 4, and mom dressed my older sister Shannon and I up as clowns and let us go up the hill to Grandma's house.  We did not celebrate Halloween in our family/community but doesn't every mom secretly want to dress up her kids in costumes to see how darling they are?  I mean, come on....how CUTE would my girls be in costumes??!  I mean, look at them on that tractor and imagine one as a lady bug and one as a tiny baby panda bear.  I might never recover from the onslaught of cuteness.  O.k.  *End rant of own kids' cuteness that everyone disdains but secretly wants to do themselves*

  
  So now, satisfy my curiosity.  Do you celebrate Halloween? Why or why not? Share with me your experiences growing up, your perspectives both then and now, your personal take on the issue, and how you arrived there. I think we all have things to learn from each other, and I'd love to hear from you!