When I was a lass, why we didn't have soft pumpkins to carve

So, I caved. On the party, I really thought I had managed to not do it, felt sort of smug and phew about it, can't afford it, can't be bothered, H still poorly. No party. Phew.
This morning, Isaac kept reminding me that it is monday, homenight day ( one day a week when we make sure no-one is busy, quick lesson of some description, activity and a treat. They love it, mondays are happy and today he seemed extra excited about it. After the 5th reminder that it was homenight tonight I said " you really love homenight don't you my boy?"
"Yes, and tonight, for our activity we are putting up ALL the halloween decorations"
Groan.
So, we're doing it, let's do a little party I said. Just a few people. 3 families, perfect. Make some phone calls and H said " we really should invite the kids in our classes" ( 15 total) Good idea " and their siblings because we should be fair" Uh huh. ( it is as well that some siblings are quite old because the siblings of the kids in our class......that's a LOT, one little girl has 12 siblings ( some married though so that's OK and the others are so divine, who wouldn't want them at our party and anyway I already called the mum)
So, I called my friend and said " How about the girls come over and help decorate for the party?" WHOOHOO! I just adore girls that are old enough to do stuff but young enough to still be REALLY enthusiastic about it. I got me 3 of those and a boy and a boy's mum who sat with me in a completely different room and chatted. Heaven.
I gave them the flat, totes full of decorations, some cardboard, 15 metres of black PVC material , pins and tape and said " DO whatever you like!" They had a blast. I did nothing and it looks great!


The lounge will be the pumpkin room, we did some of that but the rest on weds.
Everyone is bringing a plate of goodies, we're set.
H had little boys in the kitchen carving pumpkins that, when carved looked like afore mentioned little boys because ISAAC LOST A TOOTH TODAY, oh I have 2 little boys with gappy gobs, could I be more blessed?


Jane ( my friend) started to talk about when WE were young, we knew each other even then and our mums were friends and would have get togethers while we played ( isn't that the best that now our kids are friends, real friends?) so she started to talk about how we never had pumpkins when we were young, and that's right we didn't I had forgotten that. Halloween really has only just begun to catch on here, when we were young we used to carve TURNIPS! Or rather swedes which I believe are called something incredible like Rutabagas or something. Oh my goodness, can you imagine? It was so HARD, those buggers are solid, no cushy carving jobs did we ever get when we were young, we would scrape and chisel away at those vegetable rocks for hours and hours. Hammer and knives, anything hard and sharp to try and batter some shape into them.
I thought I would piddle myself laughing at the memories of the grunting and shabby results of trying to make a face out of those solid lumps of veg.
What a difference a year makes. H cut and scraped the pumpkins and then just gave the boys one each, I drew a simple face on each and Isaac and Seth carved them. Eli was in on it all and thinks he helped but he was a bit little to do much but sit on the table getting in the way and being delicious.
Isaac is so proud of the Jack O' lanterns....



I am pretty confident that it will be a lovely party, not nearly as grand as last year but every bit as much fun, there have been many requests for the doughnut game.....so we'll do that one but apart from that it'll be a case of kids just doing what kids do, grown ups enjoying some company and food and then home again home again. Happy kids and the Family get the kudos for halloween again. I love being known for having fun and opening our home to people. I also like that now I have almost overcome my hatred of this house and have actually invited people in, they are complimentary....I still feel surprise about that until I remind myself that it probably DOES look quite nice now and it's clean and has us in it. What's not to love??
The more good people we have here, the more fun, the more laughter and joy, the further away those miserable vibes go. It is beginning to be a happier place.

Putting my foot down, with a firm hand. Indeed.

I like to think that these days, I am more relaxed about the small things, stupid people and matters of little import. Gone ( I thought) are the days of spending several minutes pointing out the virtue of good manners to a curt bus driver for example, he's probably had a bad day and feels inclined not to be polite to passengers, let is pass. Mostly.
I thought that was the case anyway. I am beginning to think that my depressed brain just couldn't be bloody bothered, go to hell, who cares.
I suspect the old me is creeping back OR my dad is living vicariously and / or posthumously through my mouth. Oh dear.
We have an Asda store in our town ( blimey, nearly mentioned the town then) and it charges you to park. Can you imagine. So you drive out of your way to get there, park your car, get a ticket ( that you have to pay for good grief!) walk back to your car ( probably in persistent rain and winds this time of year and even in June) put the ticket in plain view and then go shopping. REFUND they say, promise that when you pay for your shopping they will refund your parking fees. As long as you spend a minimum of £10 TEN POUNDS!! Oh, forgot to say that they also have a token thing, when you spend more than £10 they will give you a token to use next time so you won't have to fish about for a £1 coin.
So, last week I went shopping at 7.15pm and I spent £9.64.
" Oh, for heavens sake, I know you are going to give me a token aren't you?"
" no, sorry, we can't, you haven't spent £10 and it is after 6pm"
"I beg your pardon?" ( can you hear me, in my most affronted and plummy accent?)
" It's after 6pm so you don't need to pay"
" I understand that BUT I don't need a token for NOW do I? I'm going HOME now, I need a token for next time, which will almost certainly be in the daytime"
"Sorry I can't give you a token"
She was about 12 I imagined ( rather kindly) that she was a bit afeared of the rules and regulations and wasn't wordly enough to know that there are times when just handing over a token to a woman who
a) obviously likes her food and shops here regularly to buy it all
b) is clearly spoiling for a fight and has that look of righteous indignation
c) is not going to stutter and say "oh alright, sorry
is just the very best thing to do.
So, hackles raised I marched straight to customer services and repeated my request. I was given exactly the same reply by the woman who should have known better. Eventually this terrier dropped the rat and gave up, saying " Tescos is looking better and better to me"
Well darn it if the very same thing didn't happen again this week, spent just less than £10 ( can you believe it? Hell this scrimping and saving malarchy is really getting dull, better be a fantastic holiday in December because the run up to pay for it is bloody miserable) Miserable buggers wouldn't give me a token, so I told the bewildered man on the till that this was the very last time I would be shopping in this store, the ruling was absurd and Tescos would be getting MY custom from now on, yes indeed. I tried not to notice the look of absolute indifference on his face, why should he care after all?
I emailed head office because I am SO annoyed and why be cross with the poor people on the till when they can't do anything about it?
I went shopping at Tesco just now and in front of me was a lady a bit older than me and she bought cakes and at least 8 magazines. I leant over and said
" Excuse me! Can I come to your house and sit on your sofa, drink hot chocolate and read all those magazines with you? I can picture what heaven you are going to be in and I want some. Please." She laughed and said her husband had promised he wouldn't be working this weekend and now said he would be so she was holing herself in, sitting down and not moving all weekend. Marvellous, she didn't give me her address though, wonder why.

I have been trying not to do the halloween party. I have no spare money and even less enthusiasm. Unfortunately way too many people remember last year and I keep getting emails, facebook messages etc about what and when and how......I was out today and saw in a charity shop about 15 yards of black PVC material...if that wasn't a kick up the arse I don't know what is.......so we'll do it and ask people to bring a plate of goodies, if they are asking me to put on the party I am sure they won't mind chipping in on the food etc.
Anyone want to come to my creepy house on wednesday??