Some time ago a friend and I were having an in depth phone conversation exploring the mysteries of life (or maybe we were talking about shoes – I don’t remember), but I do remember that in the middle of the conversation she bursts out, “I really like to give people candy.” Taking a moment to get my bearings on where she was going with this, she then explained that when she comes in contact with someone, she randomly pulls a piece of candy out of her pocket and gives it to them. I half mockingly asked, “So, in the middle of a conversation with someone, you reach into your candy-stuffed pockets and offer them some sugar for no good reason?” She answered in kind, “Oh, I don’t have to be in conversation with them. I give candy to gas station attendants, store clerks, the mailman – anyone I come in contact with who looks like they could use a little sweetness.” “And why do you do this?” I inquired. “Well, they don’t expect it, for one thing. And they really like it. Their faces light up – and it makes me feel good too.” We laughed saying that it was only a matter of time before random acts of sweetness swept the nation.

And that, my sweet friends, is the topic for this week’s post: putting random acts of sweetness into play to take us into the New Year.

In the south we have a familiar phrase, “Give me some sugar!” In this part of the world, people know that this means, “Give me a kiss”. You might hear it from your mom, grandpa, auntie, or friend but it’s a given that “sugar” (pronounced “sugah”) equals a little love. A little love and a little sweetness is something we can all use. And whether we give it or receive it, we do really like it. And it feels good, like my friend mentioned, to watch someone’s face light up after a sweet exchange. When you consider all the “light up the face” moments of the holiday season, it’s exciting to think about ways to carry that into the New Year!

So, consider this your “sweeten the new year” challenge: Try for one full week to share some “sugah” – 7 days & 7 ways.

Your random acts of sweetness might be like my friend who randomly pulls candy from her pocket. But if you don’t want to take the literal route, there are many other ways to imagine spreading a little sweetness. Whether it’s sugar kisses or wrapped candy kisses (unwrapped chocolate in the pocket can be kinda messy) enjoy sharing a little love with those you come in contact with every day. For one full week, let the sweetness flow to those around you – lead someone from humbug to happy.

You can try these 7 ways to light up faces all around you, or come up with 7 of your own:

Day 1:  Happy New Year Sugah! Find a stranger and give them a piece of wrapped candy with a Happy New Year greeting. Watch as the sweet surprise changes their expression.

Day 2:  I see you. Give someone (friend, family member or stranger) a heartfelt compliment. Notice what they’re saying, doing, wearing, etc. in the moment and let them know that you “see” them.

Day 3:  Public praise. Go somewhere that involves a service person that you normally tip. Add a note with their tip and mention how great the service was. And then tell the manager or other patrons.

Day 4:  Plethora of post-its. In your home or work, take at least 5 post-it notes, write positive messages or smiley faces on them and place them in strategic places where people will discover the pleasant surprises through the course of their day.

Day 5:  Sweet snail mail. Send someone a hand-written note telling them something special that you remember about the first time you met them. While you won’t get to experience seeing their reaction, you know how good it feels to receive personal mail amidst the junk and bills.

Day 6:  Electronic enthusiasm. Offer to take someone’s (friend, co worker or stranger) photograph using your camera phone and send it to them via email. Look for a moment that you think they’d like “captured”.

Day 7:  Rinse and repeat. Repeat your favorite random act of sweetness – often!

Consider what this challenge could do for you. What kind of sweetness would it add to your day? How about those with whom you share a little sugah? I’d love to hear about your sweet experiences. Please leave a comment…

Because I’m a fan of movies, particularly feel good movies with a message, this month’s resource is, you guessed it, a Christmas movie! This is a movie that you can watch at home, snuggled up by the fire, drinking your favorite yuletide beverage. Hot chocolate anyone?

There are many wonderful Christmas movies – perennial favorites like It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and even cult classics like A Christmas Story top many people’s lists. Animated movies and television specials such as The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Charlie Brown Christmas amuse kids and adults alike every holiday season. Whose heart doesn’t melt when Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree springs to life?

My personal holiday favorite is Miracle on 34^th Street. Have you watched it yet this season? It’s old-fashioned movie magic at its best. Edmund Gwenn plays a maybe crazy, maybe senile, maybe real Macy’s Santa who spreads a wave of love and good cheer throughout New York City. Winning the hearts and changing the minds of the main characters – a cynical, divorced, single mom and her too-serious little girl, “Kris” and his warm ways bid all to believe and imagine all the joys of Christmas. Watch this movie! This film is often shown colorized; the original is black and white. I suggest you watch the black and white version – the magic seems more vivid when you can create the colors in your imagination.

Here is part of one of my favorite scenes from the movie. Susan, a very somber little girl, finds it challenging to play and enjoy other children her own age. Kris shows Susan (and us) how to explore the imagination:

Kris:  No, to me the imagination is a place all by itself… a separate country. You’ve heard of the French or the British nation. Well, this is the Imagine nation. It’s a wonderful place.

How would you like to make snowballs in the summertime?

Or drive a big bus right down 10th Avenue?

How would you like to have a ship all to yourself… that makes daily trips to China and Australia?

How would you like to be the Statue of Liberty… in the morning and in the afternoon…  fly south with a flock of geese…

It’s very simple. Of course, it takes practice. The first thing you’ve got to learn is how to pretend.  

And the next time Homer says, “What kind of animal are you?” Tell him you’re a monkey.

Susan:  I don’t know how to be a monkey.

Kris:  Sure you do. Here, I’ll show you. Now just bend your body over a little.

Let your arms hang loose, see? Now put your right hand up here… under here.

Now scratch yourself, see? That’s right. Put your tongue under your lips, over your teeth.

Susan:  Like this?

Kris:  That’s right. Now scratch yourself and chatter, see?

Bla bla bla! Eeek! Eeek erp!

Faith is believing in things… when common sense tells you not to.

I still believe. Do you?!

Is common sense getting in your way this season? What kinds of things do you do to keep your child-like wonder? I’d love to hear your favorite Santa stories – from times past or something that happened yesterday. 

We all know the familiar carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” – you may be humming it at this very moment! This holiday classic is the basis for this month’s creativity prompt. 

Just like the melody we all know by heart, the directions are easy to follow:

Every day for 12 days, you will follow the lines of the song, but rather than the quirky and utterly space consuming gifts (like 8 maids-a-milking!), you will make note of simple, positive things you notice about yourself each day – big and small.

Storage suggestion: write each day’s “gifts” on a small slip of paper, fold and place in a jar or box until January. Here are some examples of gifts starting with Day One of  The Twelve Days of Christmas:

Day One: “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” This is where you take note of just 1 positive act, thought, or idea you had that day. It could be something as simple as, “I remembered to say ‘Thank you’ to the grocery clerk after he chased me to deliver the bag I left behind,” or “I gave up that prime parking space to the mom with the car full of weary little shoppers.”

Day Two: “On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” Following the familiar theme, this day you record 2 items. Maybe today was a day you made the choice not to cave to the perfection pressure and you bought store-bought cookies for an event rather than adding one more stressor to your plate by making homemade fudge! Perhaps you sent a card to an old friend or distant relative just to make their holiday a little brighter.

Day Three: “On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” You’re rolling now—hopefully you’re starting to notice the little things that mean a lot throughout your days. Today’s list of 3 might include things like: made myself some delicious hot chocolate; told someone “I love you”; dropped some coins in a red bucket and told the bell ringer, “Merry Christmas” rather than ignoring them.

Keep on going for the next 9 days. By day 12, you guessed it! You’ll have 78 positive things that are all about your goodness – things that you’ve noticed about yourself during this somewhat hectic holiday season. Remember, the items on your list can be creatively simple or deep and meaningful. Once you’ve completed your The Twelve Days of Christmas, put the slips of paper away until January.

Once the holiday frenzy has passed and the blueness of winter is knocking at your door, look over your little gifts from The Twelve Days of Christmas. To make the experience more delicious, I suggest that you open each day’s “gifts” (slips of paper) for twelve consecutive days, keeping the spirit of gift giving and the joy of receiving gifts alive into your new year.

Feel free to share with me and other sweet readers what you noticed on any one of the given 12 days.  We’d love to hear about it!

Chipotle & Rosemary Nuts

Takes care of 8-10 names on your gift-giving list!

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
½ cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
Kosher salt

Directions

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil.

Combine cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly.

Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again. Spread nuts in one layer.

Roast nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary. Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool.

Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely before storing in airtight containers at room temperature or filling gift bags.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Serves 4-6 ready to relax holiday shoppers

Ingredients

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate or Mexican chocolate tablets
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso granules (Café Bustello or similar brand)
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chile powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
4 cups milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Combine chocolate, sugar, espresso granules, cinnamon, salt, orange zest and 1 1/2 cups water and mix in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in milk and almond extract; reheat but do not boil. Remove saucepan from stove; whisk hot chocolate until foamy.

Pour into mugs. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, and chocolate curls, if desired.

Directions for gifting:

Place the following ingredients in a clear glass jar or even a decorative Ziploc baggie:

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate or Mexican chocolate tablets
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso granules
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chile powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Include the following directions attached on a decorative tag:

To enjoy this festive holiday beverage, simply pour dry ingredients into a saucepan, add 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. Then slowly add 4 cups of milk and ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Garnish with whipped cream and enjoy!

]]> http://www.lisabourdon.com/2011/12/chipotle-rosemary-nuts/feed/ 6 http://www.lisabourdon.com/2011/12/gifting-grace/ http://www.lisabourdon.com/2011/12/gifting-grace/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:00:11 +0000 Lisa http://www.lisabourdon.com/?p=708

The task at hand was familiar: Find iconic, beautiful holiday objects for the cover of a glossy catalog showcasing a shopping mall’s glitzy stores and products. This was my job for years – producer, stylist, creative director – and I was good at it. A perfectionist in the details, I worked very hard at delivering very effective advertising – creating the perfect picture to generate maximum desire.

At this point in my illustrious career I had grown weary. I’d reached the proverbial end of my fashionable rope – I no longer delighted in my part of the process of, literally, faking it.

To ease my distress, I was on a “let’s make this real” kick. This led to great dismay among the photographers and production crews that surrounded me. I was told, “Lisa, none of what we do is about being real. It’s advertising. Our job is to create image, fantasy – we make people want stuff. And you don’t do that by being real.”

Dissatisfied with their take on our make believe industry, I was determined to prove them wrong. I would do everything I could to make it real!

For this shoot, I decided to create the perfect Christmas environment in the photography studio. Absolutely everything had to be authentic. The ambience, the props – everything. No short cuts, no food styling tricks. I refused to settle for gingerbread cookies that didn’t smell and taste as good as they looked. The same for the cups of hot chocolate. I wanted real whipped cream to float atop the steaming beverage. Did I mention this was a photo shoot in July? In Atlanta?

Sensing the crazy yet?

Overboard is the word that comes to mind when I recall dragging an enormous Frasier Fir Christmas tree (from a tree farm in North Carolina) into the studio to fill it with the memorable scent of Christmas-time. Not only were we using a farm-fresh tree, and not only were the presents wrapped, I’d insisted that each be filled with actual gifts covered with hand-painted wrapping paper and topped with perfect satin bows!

The crew started calling me Martha. I played Christmas music non-stop, made the crew join in a rounds of carols, while making them sip piping hot chocolate.

At some point, maybe when the real whipped cream melted for the 13th time the second it was put under the hot studio lights, the photographer gently took me aside. She told me she understood and admired my noble gesture to be authentic in my work. She said that I had created an amazingly beautiful perfect picture of Christmas. But, if we were to finish this shoot before the real Christmas arrived, I would have to “get real” and use some of the techniques that I knew got the job done.

Then she asked me to look around at the crew – did they look happy? Did they love this Christmas in July?

They did not.

Much to everyone’s delight, I came to my senses.

That day, the photographer gave me the gift of grace. She recognized my motives and with soft eyes and an open heart, allowed me to see what I was doing to others and myself. In trying to make everything perfect and real, I was creating a perfectly unbearable situation. Isn’t that what perfectionism does? I learned that authentic was for me – for all of us – to be in the present moment rather than trying to manufacture an image of one.

The photos were beautiful. The Christmas catalog was delivered. And I received the precious gift of learning to be present which changed the direction of my life from a world filled with fake – to one lush with authenticity.

What perfect December picture are you going overboard to create for yourself or others? What do you do to stop yourself from being drawn into the holiday madness? I’d love to hear about a gift of grace you’ve received or given to another!

In the spirit of gratefully feasting on good
eats, love and laughter, here’s a cornucopia of Thanksgiving quotes, poems and sayings to share with your family and friends. (I even tossed in a riddle for good measure.) Enjoy!

“Thanksgiving, man.  Not a good day to be my pants.”  ~Kevin James

“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.” ~W.J. Cameron

“May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner 
stay off your thighs!” 
~Author Unknown

“What were really talking about is a wonderful day set aside the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?” ~ Erma Bombeck

“Here’s a Thanksgiving tip. Generally your turkey is not cooked enough if it passes you the cranberry sauce.”  ~Joan Rivers

“Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” ~Proverb

“You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out.” ~Jay Leno

“I hate turkeys. If you stand in the meat section at the grocery store long enough, you start to get mad at turkeys. There’s turkey ham, turkey bologna, turkey pastrami. Someone needs to tell the turkey, ‘Man, just be yourself’.” ~Mitch Hedberg

“We’re having something a little different this year for Thanksgiving. Instead of a turkey, we’re having a swan. You get more stuffing.” ~George Carlin

“Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.”  ~Author Unknown

“Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Arthur.
Arthur who?
Arthur any leftovers?” ~Author Unknown

Feasting, fellowship, family, friends. What are your time-honored Thanksgiving traditions? Any new traditions you’re starting with your grateful, gathering group this year? I’d love to hear about your Turkey Day. Please leave a comment… you could become the next beekeeper. 

Feasting on the exquisite beauty that surrounds us not only brings us into the present moment (where gratitude lives), but also gives us a sense of belonging to this big beautiful world in which we live.

This month let yourself feast on nature’s bounty by taking an art walk in nature and making some impromptu art as a token of gratitude.

Simply:

1. Head out into nature and take a walk. (Easy, right?!)
2. Along the way, collect fallen leaves, seedpods, acorns, small rocks, bird feathers, twigs, and anything else that catches your eye. Walk slowly, deliberately and notice your surroundings. Really notice the colors, shapes and textures all around you.
3. Once you’ve collected your natural treasures, stop and make an “art installation” with them. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or make left-brain sense. Let the natural materials that you’ve chosen guide you in creating a shape or structure. Create it in the location and leave it right there. Then, say thank you! This is your token of gratitude to nature.

Please let me know about the natural treasures you discovered while walking. I’d love to hear about your creative process and your experience with your own grateful art installation…

Looking for more? Then check out Andy Goldsworthy’s work. He’s perhaps the most renowned and revered nature artist of our time. His art installations are amazing, both in their simplicity of the natural materials he uses and in the complexity of his diligence and craftsmanship. Andy Goldsworthy says, “I enjoy the freedom of just using my hands and ‘found’ tools – a sharp stone, the quill of a feather, thorns. I stop at a place or pick up a material because I feel that there is something to be discovered.”

Chocolate Pistachio Pie

gratefully serves 8-10 at a Thanksgiving feast

No Roll Chocolate Piecrust
makes 1, 9-inch pie shell

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa (preferably Dutch processed)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. cold milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or almond oil (I use almond oil)
1 Tbsp. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) frozen butter, grated

Directions

1. In medium size bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking powder.

2. Add grated butter (cheese grater works best) and cream cheese to dry ingredients.

3. Using your fingers, work cream cheese and butter into flour mixture, until combined.

4. Combine milk and oil in a separate bowl.

5. Pour milk and oil mixture into flour and butter mixture.

6. Using a fork, combine ingredients until liquid and dry mixtures are joined. (dough mixture does not need to form a perfect ball – do not over mix)

7. Place dough in a 9-inch pie plate. Using your fingers, press dough into bottom, sides, and along rim of pan to uniform thickness. Trim excess dough. Crimp edges.

8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chill pie shell (approximately 15 minutes).

9. Line chilled pie shell with parchment paper and fill with rice or pie weights. Bake 10 to 12 minutes; remove rice and paper and bake until crust is cooked through.

10. Cool before adding filling.

Chocolate Pistachio Filling

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream
5 tsp. pistachio paste (available at KingArthurFlour.com)
2 tsp. sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp. pistachios, finely chopped
Chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk half-and-half, yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and bubbles. Cook 1 minute more; remove from heat.

2. Stir in bittersweet chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Pour into pie shell; cool completely. Transfer to refrigerator to set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

3. When serving, make a topping by beating heavy cream, pistachio paste, and sugar in a cold bowl to soft peaks. Sprinkle pie with pistachios and chocolate shavings; add a dollop of pistachio cream to each slice.

Note: If you buy pistachio paste specifically to make this recipe (which doesn’t require much), use the rest as a delicious snack. Combine it with honey and smear on bread or toast.

The posh dining room was alive with vibrant colors, delectable aromas, and stimulating clatter and chatter. Upon entering the restaurant, the maître d’ invited us to take our time viewing the sumptuous gastronomical presentation before taking our seats at our beautifully appointed table.

We were amazed as we eyed the lavish ice sculptures, towering fountains of bubbling champagne, cascading waterfalls of Belgian chocolate, as well as strikingly decked linen covered tables filled with the most artful arrangements of food imaginable.

Multiple chefs, in full regalia, manned their various stations with culinary prowess. This was undoubtedly the most magnificent holiday buffet I had ever seen. To describe it as opulent would not do it justice.

My six year old niece, Liza was having her first grand resort restaurant experience. Dressed for the occasion with matching purse, dress and shoes, her wide eyes were taking it all in.

My family and I surveyed the grandeur of the feast that lay before us. We oohed and aahed as we watched flames blaze while chefs flipped omelets mid air, carved sides of beef and filled silver buckets with freshly shucked oysters. Liza wriggled with delight as she experienced the drama of it all.

Once seated, the maître d’ handed us leather bound parchment menus. Collectively, we buried our noses in the menus and studied in polite silence before my mother offered that the duck sounded appealing. My brother stated that the Caesar salad was probably large enough to share. Meanwhile, the delicious aromas filled the air as the chefs continued to amaze the holiday diners with their culinary flair. I could see the look of bewilderment grow on Liza’s face as we conversed about the menu choices.

Growing more and more frustrated with the menu conversation, she turned to my father and asked in a polite, yet frustrated tone of voice, “Why did that man give us menus?” My father responded to her question but the answer did not satisfy her.

“No grandpa, I mean, why did they give us menus to order from when that huge buffet is right over there? Isn’t that for us?” He quickly understood her confusion and tried to explain that we could either order from the menu or eat from the buffet. The choice was ours.

Still perplexed, she questioned, “Why would anyone do that? Why would anyone order from this (pointing to the bound pages of parchment lined paper with hard-to-read italicized type), when they could have that? (Pointing to the most magnificent display of food imaginable.)

“I don’t know,” Liza. “Maybe that’s too much of a good thing for some people.”

“Not for me!” she exclaimed, “I choose the buffet!”

We all closed our menus and piped in, “Me too!”

This isn’t a story about all-you-can-eat buffets.

Or about gluttony versus abstinence.

Or even opulence versus simplicity.

It’s a story about how relishing the bounty laid before us – our amazing, magnificent lives – is always a decision we can make.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded to take our noses out of the limited menu and “choose the buffet!”

So, how do you relish the abundant feast of your life? What are you grateful for that has you wide eyed and marveling? I’d love to hear how you practice gratitude each day…

Long gone are the days of kids making a simple Halloween costume using a white bed sheet with jagged holes cut out for eyes, nose and mouth and roaming the neighborhood for the mother-of-all candy hauls.

Halloween is big business these days. The holiday generates up to $7 billion in retail sales – including candy, costumes for kids, adults and pets, decorations, parties, movies, ghost tours, haunted houses, and more. The National Retail Federation is fond of saying that Halloween is not just for kids anymore.

And to prove the point, take a look at Martha Stewart and the creatively elaborate costumes she’s worn over the years. Her dress-up has included Queen of the Wild Things, a Spellbinding Sorceress and Jane of the Jungle, just to name a few.

Martha, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Halloween”, is my go-to Halloween source. Her website is chock full of Halloween ideas and inspiration. They run the gamut from detailed directions on how to make creepy plaster appendages placed in serving bowls (if that’s your Thing) to photographs of Halloween costumes pet owners create for their adorable, furry friends. I love surfing the site to check out Martha’s recommendations for a spectacular Spook-fest!

If you’re participating in the seasonal merriment this year and are in a quandary about your costume, then take Martha’s light-hearted, seven question quiz: “What Should You Be For Halloween?”  It’s sure to spark your imagination.

If scary places are up your dark alley, then take this little quiz to see how much you know about “America’s Most Haunted Sites and Frights”. I took the quiz and got 6 out of 7. The score read: “Congratulations! Are you sure you haven’t been alive since 1775? You’re practically an expert on the creepiest and most mysterious parts of America’s past”.

What are your Halloween plans this year? Will you be dressed in a costume and candy-ready as you answer the doorbell for groups of cute and cleverly costumed kids.

Or maybe you plan to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, hoping that this will be the year Charlie Brown gets more than a rock in his trick-or-treat bag?

This year I’m going to dress up as, you guessed it, a ghost! I’ll be cloaked in tulle fabric from head to toe and adding to the haunting good time as the Roswell Ghost Tour walks past my house. I’ll let you know if I see Catherine…

I’m at the door waiting to hear about your festivities…Trick or Treat!