Halloween Spirit

I seem to be more in the Halloween spirit this year than I have been the past three years ago.  Three years ago was the first Halloween my kids lived with their dad, and I was pretty depressed.  Also, I was in the hospital for Halloween itself, as that fall was the beginning of the string of illnesses that led to my blindness and disability.  I had bought a huge amount of Halloween candy to hand out, but we weren't home to hand out candy that Halloween.  My husband brought the sack of candy to the hospital, and, when my best friend visited me there, I gave her the entire sack for her son and daughter.

The next year, I was starting to get used to being blind.  At Halloween, I had been blind for ten months.  While the old monster movie, Them, played on television, I very carefully answered the door to some of the trick-or-treaters.  My husband pretended to be busy in the kitchen, but I know he was atching to be sure I was okay.

Last year, I got brave.  There's a park bench by the patio in our dooryard, and I took a folding table ot there, covered it with orange burlap, and put my black, metal cat on it, next to my black, metal cauldron of Halloween candy.  If that sounds familiar, you probably read a similar description in my story, "The Visitor;" that much really happened.  I sat outside, handing out candy.  When trick-or-treat was over, my wonderful husband made me some hot soup to warm up.

This year, I've been posting Writing Prompts on my Facebook Author Page, at https://www.facebook.com/authordebbiebarry/ .  For October, I've been posting Halloween-themed story and essay prompts.  I've been making them more Halloweeny for the past couple of weeks, getting into it.  I've also been writing Halloween stories, which has never really been my thing.  I think the stories are getting better.  Today, I set up the cauldron with chocolate bars and Tootsie Rolls, ready for tomorrow night.  I can't really see the costumes with my very limited sight, but I finally feel excited about Halloween again.