Halloween, October 31, 2012

Halloween is absolutely the best holiday of the year. It is the favorite for many of us, as there is no stress, no overload, and no "Holiday Depression". It's just absolutely fun.

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.

I have celebrated over half a century of Halloweens with great joy since it is also my Birthday.  The best part of having a birthday on Halloween, as a kid, everyone had parties and it was like everyone celebrated my birthday.  Growing up in small town USA it was when we, kids got to enjoy all the home made candies and treats. Everyone’s family knew everyone else in small communities.

Ms. Hooks made the best Caramel Popcorn balls and you had to get to her house early to ensure you got one before she ran out.  Then it was off to hit all the other great cook’s in the small town for their homemade treats.   Today it is more commercial candy and we have gotten away from the fun of Halloween.  There are those that have made Halloween dangerous for kids and parents are not able to allow them to have the wholesome homemade products any longer due to these strange people.

Halloween should really be considered the kickoff holiday to the holiday season. We should embrace the holiday as the true end of summer and mid-autumn celebration.  It should be a time to rejoice for another productive year of harvest.  It should be a time to reflect on family, friends and life.

Halloween this year will be special for me not just because it is my birthday but I will get to spend it with family, adopted family, friends and a new home.  2013 is looking very promising.

Keep Dancin’  LB

Spring has Sprung in Tennessee

We just celebrated our 4^th month anniversary in Middle Tennessee and thanks to it being Leap Year it happened on the 29^th of February.  This has been an unusually warm winter here in Tennessee and the last day of February was no exception with Severe Thunderstorms and Tornados hopping around the area.

The past two days have been warmer than usual for March with 84 degrees today and winds up to 60 miles an hour.  Even as I type this entry, there are Tornado warnings for the counties just south of us. Being a weather watcher, it has been a wonderful few days for me, even as I sat in my office working, watching the trees outside my window swaying  in the wind gust was hypnotizing.  The best thing about living here for me is the weather is constantly changing. I was always bored with the usual boring Sunny hot days in South Florida. The only season that excited me was Hurricane season, just the possibility of some interesting storms.

I grew up in this general area as a child and back then there were very different weather patterns. The seasons were fairly predictable.  Now it appears to be no set season for such weather.  This year we have gone from 20’s to 50’s at night and 40’s to 70’s during the day in a 24 hour period.   To date, we have not had any major Winter storms, with no ice or snow.  Actually, it has been a boring winter but Springs is holding great promise.

 March appears to be entering with a Roar this year, and frankly I am thrilled to be able to sit here and watch the storms rolling in over the hills and valleys.  I have also found living above a large river also offers us unique weather conditions, watching the fog rise from the river and roll over the ridge of the bluff into the back yard, is so relaxing to me.   

True it has only been 120 days but Tennessee is still a great place to live in my hillbilly opinion..