Not mentioning the T word at all

katieowl_2

My kids were pre the trick or treating era too...but I wouldn't have felt comfortable with them doing it either.

Halloween is part of the old Celtic circle of the year and as that I do enjoy it as a time marker. We usually have a family supper with autumnal foods by candlelight. I leave out some food and drink for our 'ancestors' a glass of wine and a bit of cake usually. I've had a few suppers where other people have been invited along, and asked to bring photographs of their loved ones who have passed over and therefore become 'ancestors' and put them on the sideboard while we eat. I've only had one person refuse, one of DD's BF's a few years back, thought it was 'disrespectful' and no amount of explaining on my behalf that it was in fact entirely the opposite persuaded him, and in the end he wouldn't come at all. I think he thoight I might turn him into a toad.... heeheheheh

Kate

Margaret54

Hi all:) took me a long time to find you. Didn't put the heating on today(have been doing so though) got the washing out to dry before the rain came on today. Shopping done and put away, will be baking this week as well. Nearly finished knitting my sweater(for myself) Left in two shoeboxes for the appeal, which we enjoyed doing. Cards written out for Christmas and most presents wrapped too. Just two presents to buy. Paid £1.53 today for a loaf of bread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i usually make my own but was pushed today so had to buy one. Not amused at paying the money for it. Love this time of the year, closing the curtains early and feeling snuggly:) Warmest wishes Margaret xx

fuddle

Oh I agree with the cosy feel of the darker nights. My children seem a lot more settled tonight and asking for Horlicks so they're getting into season too.

Bitter walking home from school today too, a real nip on the old hands.

mardatha

Up here it's called guising and they are guisers. Its not begging in any way shape or form - its a very old tradition. In the old way, you invite them in and they have to sing or tell a joke or recite poetry. Then you give them something, never used to be money - more apples and often toffee ones. It was quite hard to carry on round the doors and sing while eating a very sticky drippy home made toffee apple!

jackieglasgow

I have made toffee apples for all my guisers, and I know HJ has too. Its always been candy apples here too, either drippytoffee ones, or ones with bright red, rock hard candy on them. Tart apples with sweeet candy. Drool.

FarmersWife_2

oldtractor wrote: »

Hi Farmerswife, must be expecting frost then. What crops do you grow?

We grow all the brassicas (cabbage... red, white, spring greens), parsnips, potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, beetroot, rhubarb and there are apples and sloes on the farm but not grown commercially..

We dont buy veg :T

Its not 'our' farm.... we just live and work here.

C x

FarmersWife_2

We dont get any trick or treaters... living in the middle of a field does that. OH & DD made a pumpkin yesterday though and its sitting in the conservatory window x

Seakay

love the way that ryhymes morph and meld. My gran (from Salford) taught us

" Christmas is coming
The goose is getting fat
Please to put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny a halfpenny will do
If you haven't got a halfpenny a farthing will do
If you haven't got a farthing then God Bless you!"

Nothing to do with collecting treats or money though. We didn't do Halloween the American way - we knew about All Hallows Eve but there was no trick or treating round our way. There'd be a bit of penny for the guy running up to bonfire night but not quite the aggressive blocking of the way into local shops that there sometimes is where I live now. Plus you'd never get away with a bought mask then and the (mostly boys) who went collecting with the guy in a dolls pram or go cart were expected to have done a really good job that would stand up to some serious inspection. I don't know if that's because it was a country area and some people still made proper scarecrows.

My saw horse arrived today - Amazon bargain plus I had tokens so free really. Had been delivered last week but bits missing so had to be sent again. Of course now it is too wet to go outside and saw but at least I'll be able to have a go with the Lidl chain saw I treated myself to in the summer when it dries up. Must be mad really as can hardly lift the thing, but I reckon that if I use it in short bursts it'll be okay and will really increase the scrap wood that I can utilise for the wood burning stove.

Hospital tomorrow for blood tests then again on Thursday for Doppler test (I know, I was surprised, thought it was something to do with sirens but still). Will make the most of my bus ticket tomorrow by taking myself to a free preview screening of Machine Gun Preacher (thank you freebies thread) at the Odeon after. Both appointments are 9am so I hope that I manage to get there on time as it will be two buses and I'm not exactly A1 first thing at the best of times and recently awake very late indeed.

Mushroom soup for supper tonight - yummy. Reduced chestnut mushrooms plus extra flavour from the reduced mushrooms that I dried and then crushed to powder earlier in the year. It's amazing how much more flavoursome even little button mushrooms are after they've been dehydrated

oldtractor

Farmerswife how interesting. Me and DH were farming [sheep and suckler cows] but we moved to a lowlandish area and now have a small holding and grow fruit & veg ,just for ourselves, the local pubs and cafes take any surplus and we get free lunches in return,its a lovely village.

Justamum

taurusgb wrote: »

Hello Ladies

I'm never very "sure" about Halloween. It was never made anything of when I was growing up and none of my older children's friends seemed to do much, so it's never been a celebration day in our home - have I just lived a sheltered life or has it indeed suddenly exploded as an event in the past few years? Anyone who is taking part, hope you have a great time!

No you haven't led a sheltered life, it has been hyped up to ridiculous proportions with all the American-style tat you can buy in the shops and "Happy Hallowe'en" cards. I mean, I ask you, Happy Hallowe'en?!

DD1 has gone round to a friend's house but she said they're not sure if they should go round houses (they're all 15 so a bit old really!) or stay in and do "hallowe'eny" games. I told her anybody with sense would stay in where it's warm and dry! :rotfl:

Bah humbug :rotfl: