Sunday, November 1, 2020

Tommy's Birthday, Ballots and Pandemic Halloween

 Have you ever been confused? A month off confused? I know Tommy's birthday is in December. Yet, I keep hurrying to get things for his birthday this next week which is not December.  In the car Saturday, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday--birthday brownies, cupcake, cake and what kind. He said just ice cream. Well, I may make birthday brownies for myself! When I asked him what kind of ice cream, he said "homemade." What kind? Something with fruit in it. No chocolate, I ask myself? Apparently not. I think I will make vanilla to go with my brownies. 

The ice cream freezer makes good ice cream, but not with fruit pieces in it. The fruit is little pieces of rocks and so cold I cannot even taste the fruit. I think I will thaw the gallon of strawberries someone gave me and use that over the ice cream. So, this is early planning. I would never have frozen strawberries in a gallon bag, but I do not mind receiving them! Maybe I can have strawberries on brownie, topped with ice cream or something like that. Or, I can stir in blueberries after the cream is frozen. 

I even ordered one of his small gifts from Amazon so it would definitely be here in time. I have been planning for Dec. 9 for this whole last week! 

We took the box of food to a food store parking lot and offered it to a woman. She told us she had a daughter with five children who needed money. The woman said she only had $30, but would give it to her. She was very appreciative, thanking us over and over. 

We pulled out and I had Tommy go back. I told the woman where we got food today. I suggested maybe her daughter could get some food there. She said her daughter was so busy with five kids in school, so she was not sure she could. I told her that if she would give me her phone number, I would call every week when I had food. She happily gave me her number. 

I have been fretting about whether my ballot arrived and whether it was accepted. Several times each day I have gone to the site to check. Finally, Sunday at 1 am my ballot was registered. It feels like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one. All this unnecessary talk of ballots being held up in the mail and people's ballots not accepted for a multitude of reasons has drained me. 

Halloween night, we had to go get a vital med before Walgreen's closed at 6 pm. I saw a huge pumpkin down a side street and we stopped to gawk on the way back. Then, I wanted to take pictures and had to go home and get my camera. 

One home had the fire pit out front with a roaring fire and three people sitting, waiting. We talked to one guy there.  Lots of people were out and about, all in costume, before 6 pm.

One house had maybe 18 people out front, adults and children, all in costume. A lawn tractor appeared to have dug up skeletons. There were two skeleton dogs chasing a skeleton cat up a tree. Of course, the dogs had the cat treed. I am not sure how they did it, but looking at a window, it appeared we could see inside. There was a skeleton jazz band playing. One skeleton was playing a saxophone. And, a skeleton was swinging in a swing in a tree.  It was a fun looking house. I asked to take pictures and everyone sort of posed for me. 

That ride made the day's end,  a good Halloween for us. Then, we came home and ate the last six Snicker minis. Dinner was great. I had a dinner for one--chicken breast stuffed with cheese and new potatoes. I opened a can of green beans and there was enough for both of us sharing the dinner for one. Halloween 2020 is gone now. It seemed the children and adults were having a good time. I just hope they stayed safe.

The memories of our decorations will remain. Now, I will start on a graveyard for next Halloween. Okay, maybe I will wait until next summer to work on it, just gathering the supplies for now.

Would you describe this 2020 Halloween as a good Halloween memory? If you mailed in your ballot, have you checked to see if it has been accepted? 

Tommy died

I am distraught! He died at 12:15 am on 3-14.