When I woke up this morning, I cozied up in bed and let my mind wander. I started remembering the joy I use to experience on Halloween. When I was a kid, my mom made all of our costumes. She always did a really good job and I was so excited on Halloween. All my memories are of Halloween falling on a school day. In those ancient times, that meant we would have a party at school with sweet treats and maybe a spooky film strip in the gymnasium.

Halloween was all about the anticipation. All day at school I would think about how cool I was going to look in my costume. I joyfully anticipated all the candy that would be in my possession before I went to bed that night. In those days we didn’t really get candy at any other time. After trick or treating, my mom would have me spread out all the candy so she could “examine” it for any possible sinister, mystery pieces (needle in candy bar?) She always let me have two pieces of my choice that night and then promised I could bring one piece in my lunch box for school the next day. I was euphoric. How could I not be? There were Reeses and Snickers in my room when I went to bed.

Halloween also meant that my mom would make pumpkin cupcakes. These were just vanilla cupcakes with orange frosting and chocolate chip faces but they were so special. I think mom used to make these for the school party but continued after those had passed. It was one of the traditions I carried on for my own kids. The funny part was they weren’t ever all eaten because I would focus on the candy.

Every Halloween night we would have what my mom called “beefaroni” and the rest of the world called “American Chop Suey”. I hated this meal and I can’t really think why. I guess it was because it was the obstacle that stood between me and getting out trick-or-treating. Dad would stay back to pass out candy. It was my mom who would accompany me and usually we were joined by a couple of my friends. We’d swing through their neighborhood and then they would join us in ours, I know lots of people used pillowcases but for me it was brown paper bag from Cottles grocery store.

I had a requirement that all of my costumes were pretty. I did angel, princess, Rapunzel, , Pippy Long Stocking and Little Red Riding Hood. I’m just grateful my selections were somewhat identifiable. My mother used to tell me that on the first Halloween I was getting dressed up for (age 3) she asked me what I wanted to be. I told her I wanted to dress as a wash cloth. She apparently nervously giggled, and decided for both of us that I would be Little Red Riding Hood instead. I mean I don’t know the early indications of psychosis in children but my first choice should have raised some alarms.

My best costume was Princess Leia from Star Wars. My brothers had taken me to see the movie at the Empire Theatre. which was down by Pecks on Main Street in Lewiston. I must have been only 5-6 years-old and I remember being terrified at Darth Vader’s breathing. My brothers begged me to hold on through that first terrifying scene as I was ready to bolt. Luckily for all of us, I was soon swept up in the magic of that movie and sat happily until it was done. Mom made a long white robe dress for my costume and I had just the right amount of long thick brown hair for those side buns. I killed it.