In case I haven't bragged enough over the years, while my upbringing was not Catholic, it was rich in REAL history and I am so blessed to have had it. A favorite from my childhood? Oh, around this time of year my father and my mother who were both amazing musicians and singers would pull out their guitar and banjo respectively and sing me this song:
Yup - my parents were that cool. I knew the "Soul Cake" song about the same time I knew how to walk. My mother also made the delectable little cakes/cookies herself. For those of you who don't know about Soul Cakes and the original "Trick or Treating", going from home to home on All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day for a cake from the mistress of the home in the words of the great Paul Harvey... "and now you know".
So before you go out today, tomorrow, and Saturday to beg for a treat from the neighbors, just remember, it all started with the Catholics - yup - yet another thing the Protestants can properly "blame" on us. We are responsible for "Halloween".
Over and above the "extras" in your schedule please remember that tomorrow is a Holy Day of Obligation so if you plan on attending Mass in the morning for your obligation, set out clothes the night before and please limit candy to prevent the amount of long term bouncing off the walls before bedtime.
And no, I don't mean the kids - be kind to your waistline - those pesky holidays are right around the corner - only pinch a few treats from the buckets and then set them aside or even consider trading out your kid's treats for a book or special treat they've been wanting.
Now, let's start talking turkey - all that Halloween candy in our home becomes the basis for holiday baking! Anything miniature is often set aside to be melted down and/or put into cookies whole. Solid chocolate bars are saved for melting and putting into homemade ice cream as well as some of the candy bars which we chop up and add in at the tail end. Caramels are saved to be melted down and used in a variety of holiday treats. So, don't be afraid to go grocery shopping in those treat bags.
Now, make sure the few things you plan to tackle over the next few days are reasonable with all the extra things you'll have on your schedule. Tomorrow is the first Family Mission Friday on our schedule and I'm looking forward to having your families pitch in and help. For those who are new to Catholic Creativity, Family Mission Friday is when we enlist our families in our efforts to increase the pairs of hands available and decrease the workload on Mom.
In the meantime please know I will be praying for the deceased in your families and I pray that you will join me in praying for the deceased in mine.
