I remember it like it was yesterday – the beginning of the sixties era, “Mary Poppins” twinkled brightly on the theater marque downtown, The “Munster’s” came on television once a week, and my older sister jumped around the house listening and singing to the tunes of “The Beatles.” But the highlight that year for me was my store bought “Princess” halloween costume. It was GORGEOUS. The first “purchased” costume I ever had, complete with tiara, veil, and wand – OMG!

I know I wore that thing around the house a dozen times but was forbidden to wear it outside before the 31st. Back then, we carried pillowcases for our candy, left in packs as soon as the street lights came on, no parental chaperones, all the neighborhood houses were lit up, candy bars were HUGE, mothers made caramel and candied apples and you were allowed to eat them too! No one knew about “sugar highs”, therefore you were able to eat as much as you’d like BEFORE you got home. No one needed to conduct a security inspection first.

Twenty years later – the original “Karate Kid” played in dozens of shopping mall multiplex theatre’s, I became a night time slave once a week to the television show “Dynasty”, and my entire family either danced, or hummed along with the radio to Stevie Wonders “I Just Called To Say I Love You” – and now MY two children started trick or treating.  Costumes came from stores, they had started to take on shapes and forms that were dark, scary, and somewhat complicated to put on. Candy bars got smaller, door bell ringing now had a “start” and “stop” time associated with it, and children could travel together without adults, however, they could only go up one side of the street they lived on and back down the other side, while parents sat outside and watched. It was against the “law of mothers” for children to put anything in their mouths before parents could dissect it under the ultra violet light at home. If the wrapper looked tampered with, old, or even punctured it went straight to the trash. Many a year, one of my children almost stopped breathing as I inspected what they deemed the “mother load” of all candies, silently praying that it would land in the “safe” pile.

Almost thirty years later – I can’t even begin to tell you what movies are out (ha!), who has time to watch any television? I spend so much time saving stuff on the DVR, heaven only knows when I’ll have time to watch it, and to be quite honest, I’m still dancing around the house with the Beatles and Stevie Wonder (those were such great musical eras…) and yesterday, I took the boys to a Halloween Party! Yes Sir, I drove the Cat in the Hat along with Thing 1 and Thing 2 to the event. Their costumes? 50% purchased, and 50% homemade.

Did the Princess from 1964 or the mother of two in 1984 have an inkling in 2011 that she would be dressing two doodles for Halloween? HECK NO! Let alone taking them somewhere… But I am not ashamed to admit (in print no less) that the 90 minutes spent there was  a lot of fun, AND the boys took 1st place in the costume contest! Great gift bag I might add. For more pics of the “boys” and the other costumes (loved the “chicken – collie”), please visit their facebook page (obtainable from their website) www.oldetownepetresort.com

Their trick? an evening with some furry friends in day camp. My treat? great food, good wine, and fun time spent with other day camp parents and staff at the Olde Towne Pet Resort. The memories? PRICELESS!

Enjoy tonight – be safe out there – take some time to remember when – and we’ll blog again next week…Thanks for reading.