Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Oh Dear, It Is Time To Get The Knives Out!!

Fact: After pumpkins and candy, apples may be the food most seen around Halloween, whether for bobbing or in a witch’s hand. Though we make the more modern link between apples and witches (Snow White, anyone?), the apple’s connection with this holiday goes much further back. Apples were associated with Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance, and when the Romans invaded Britain, they brought their beliefs and their apples along with them, which is where apple bobbing came from.

But there’s also a scarier side. When you slice an apple open, the seeds form a pentagram, a symbol associated with witches – so be careful apple bobbing.

You can see the entire event right here but beware, it is NOT for the faint of heart1

Robin and family showed up about noon, and they went to work with the boys setting up everything and Robin assisting Mary in the kitchen.

Eyeball drinks being prepared.

Into the caldron went the ingredients, including the eye of neut and bats wings.

We found dry ice!

We found dry ice at the local Albertsons Market, so we have fog exiting the eyeball punch bowl all afternoon.

Did You Know? Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is commonly used for temporary refrigeration as CO2 does not have a liquid state at normal atmospheric pressure and sublimates directly from the solid state to the gas state. It is used primarily as a cooling agent but is also used in fog machines at theatres for dramatic effects. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue (other than incidental frost from moisture in the atmosphere). It is useful for preserving frozen foods (such as ice cream) where mechanical cooling is unavailable.

Nick was brave and took the first drink; he was fine after his head did two 360s, and smoke came out of his ears.

The first guinea pig; will Nick survive?

Meanwhile, at the dining room table, stories were told, ghost stories.  I had to leave; it was too scary!  I asked Irene, “Why did the ghost starch his sheet?  He wanted everyone scared stiff.”

A house near me is haunted by a ghost that only moves horizontally. It’s a spirit level.

Irene and Robin exchange stories.

The boys went to town, but since they knew the drill, after almost fifteen years of this tradition,  they were on automatic.  The electric drills and egg beater blades did a terrific job of cleaning out the punkins.

Nick told me that a ghost always plays the Ghoul-keeper in soccer?

The guys set everything up!

The bag ‘o bugs were popular, and the girls tried them.  It was funny to watch.

They are eating dried crickets!

The serious slicing and dicing got underway, and we were also awaiting the pizza delivery.

What do you call a little ghost with a torn sheet?  A hole-y terror.

Carving gets underway!

We ordered four pizza’s from First Class Pizza, and they were terrific.  We had a veggie, a Hawaiian, a pepperoni-mushroom-olives, and a pirate combo (the kitchen sink).  They were quite delicious!  Robin brought a unique dessert, apple “pie.”  It was mouth-watering.

Paul did not do any carving; he was in charge of drinking.  The cup kinda looked like Paul!

I drink from your skull!

The pumpkins came out just fine!

The artwork looks amazing!!

The kids departed for Disneyland at about 5:00 PM, and we got horizontal for a while, I was very tired.

We missed Michele & Franklyn and Theo  (soccer game), Joe and family (COVID), Zack and family (Flu), and the Chartiers (who stayed close to home).  But there is always next year.

About Paul

Just an old retired guy trying to finish out my last years on this planet. I lost my best friend and wife in early 2020. I was blessed again by reconnecting with Dr. Mary Côté, a long-time friend. Mary and I got married July 28th, 2021, and are enjoying life together and plan to spend the rest of our lives being a blessing to our friends and family.
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