HalloTurkMas Stew!

It's that time of year to haul out your pumpkins, fake fall leaves and prep the excitement of pine in the air. We are already mid Halloturkmas season and I am a wonder how everyone is feeling about it this year.

I personally am not overly excited about the holidays this year, as a matter of fact they could go by and I really would not care. Gave way to the years of hopping into the car and driving into the desert to spend a windy Thanksgiving with family I hardly even knew. These were the best Thanksgivings EVER! Sand in your turkey, butt nakedness at the local hot water springs, meeting strangers that told you that you reminded them of some woman you've never met and the sleepy ride home watching the sun set over the red mountains gave me hope that the world was a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Phewy! Years go by, family moves away, people pass away, divorces happen and soon you are left to make your own memories with a deck of cards and 5 people that really don't care about a season that does nothing but remind them that life has taken a path in the opposite direction of what was anticipated. Put on that smile and inhale the turkey sent while we all scream Uno!

Halloween turned out better than expected, I do have to admit that. Walking streets with a family known through my daughters school made me realize there are people in the world that still want to put on costumes, run after children with a de-chained chainsaw and make us adults pee our pants (yes, I almost had the dreaded stain of yellow pee down my jeans that fateful night). I have never seen a neighborhood so dedicated to fright. There were no Hallufests, no trunk trick o treating at the church parking lots and I clung to the last adrenaline memory of my childhood this night. At least my daughter experienced what I like to call Halloween Wildness for one night. Thank you scary man that jumped out and scared my friend Jackie who was dressed as a voodoo lady, her ju-ju magic kept us safe this evening!

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas..................what can I say. This year just does not feel the same. I want nothing more than to re-live the Christmas spirit from when I was young. Yet, I know this can never be. Hopefully as the season goes on my Halloturkmas funk will turn into a fun filled moment of hope. I am anti Christmas music, lights, decorations and cinnamon at the moment. Hopping on a plane and flying to an island on December 23rd is sounding really good at the moment.