Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

One of the hardest things about living alone, is the Holidays. Oh, not the celebrating of the "big name ones" but the little ones. The ones that involve children, families, neighborhoods. That sort of thing.

Christmas and Thanksgiving are set. Everyone is home for that one.

But Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, my Birthday, the little ones.

When you have a family, especially little kids still in school everything gets celebrated. When you live alone, not so much.

I have decided that this year will be different. I have celebrated and decorated and cooked and crafted and, well, just threw myself into the party mode. I have decided that I am worth the effort.

When I was a kid everything was for "Company." The good food, the nice parents, the fancy dishes, the best of everything. It made you feel that you in and of yourself, weren't worth anything but someone that your parents had known ten whole minutes, were royalty. And as such, were treated just that way.

When I had a kid, I decided not to live like that. We celebrated everything, everyday. Even just Wednesday or Thursday or Monday or a sunny day or a rainy day. Everything involved the good dishes, the nice silverware, music, china, laughter, the joy of family.

After I lived alone it seemed too much effort. After all the dogs don't care if we decorate. It seemed like too much work for just one person.

This year I decided I didn't want to fall into that rut. I'm worth it. Grabbing a couple of carrot sticks and microwaving a Soup-In-The-Hand just wasn't cutting it. Sure I could be done with dinner in about 2 minutes flat, including cooking time, but what kind of life is that? And what am I saying about me? I'm nothing without a family? I'm just nothing? Nope, I wasn't going to go that route. No "Company" rules were going to take over my life.

The good china has come out. Meals are cooked and eaten at the dining table. Music is played. Sure, it is not the same but it is good. I like it. I like the decorating, the way the house feels warmer, cuter, homier. I like the carved pumpkin on the porch. I like the homemade cupcakes sitting on their stand. I like the smell of soup in the crockpot. I like it all.