No Tricks, Please!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

(I know, I had never heard of it either.)

We had no idea what to expect on Halloween. We heard a lot of people say that it isn't a big deal here, that few families celebrate. We talked with the boys about it, and prepared them for the chance that it would be a dud. To be honest, I was nervous. I hate to see the boys disappointed. They are missing Tucson a lot. They miss their sister and brother, Grandma, cousins, friends, 2nd St. School and our house. Also our cats, toys, pool, jacuzzi, Martin's quesadillas, etc. etc. The other night Dominic put his little arms around my neck and said that he was going to close his eyes and pretend he was in our house in Tucson. I asked him what he was doing at home and he said he was in the living room, on the couch watching Sponge Bob, with me sitting next to him, giving him snuggles.

He is grieving and I wanted Halloween to be perfect. Pretty please, England!

Harry Potter and the curls of a ghoul.

It was perfectly perfect!

We live in a neighborhood that is a string of cul de sacs along a main road. It was true that few of the homes showed signs of celebrating, but there were just enough to walk around for an hour, fill a bucket half way and enjoy the night. It had rained all day, but it cleared up and the weather was perfect.  We may have even seen a star. I can't remember. Last night I saw the moon. We don't get much of the night sky here.

Something I thought was curious, was the adult response to the kids saying,

''Trick or Treat?!" 

Nervous laugh followed by emphatic "No tricks, please!!"

I wanted to say, ''Are you serious?''

The ghoul/death eater needed to peek out now and then.

Halloween surprised and delighted me. Mike and I were the only adults accompanying children not in costume. I felt naked. Everyone was friendly, warm and happy. It was just what I needed. After we hit the last house (which was the woman who we met when we first moved in, the one who said, "This is worst mistake of you life!", she is featured in earlier post called ''Neighborly'') I felt like my empty tank had been refilled. I needed to see people laughing and smiling and having fun. I needed to see people happy to see us and happy to see our children. I needed to see English people being silly.

This is our pumpkin, gurning and mutilated.
I think it's frightening.

Happy as hell.

And then there's Guy Fawkes Day...

This isn't it.

Polite notice.

Every year on November 5th since 1605, England commemorates The Gunpowder Plot by burning Guy Fawkes in effigy and going absolutely bonkers with fireworks.

Guy Fawkes belonged to a group of provincial Catholics and in 1604 he became involved in a plot to assasinate the protestant King James, and replace him with his daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Following an annonymous tip, authorities searched Westminster Palace and Guy Fawkes was caught guarding a bunch of gunpowder. He was tortured and came clean. He jumped from the scaffold at the moment of his execution and broke his neck, avoiding the experience of being hung, drawn and quartered. Click on that link if you want the gruesome details...

The fireworks happened right over our heads. I loved it.

We attended the celebration at the boys' school. There was mulled wine, beer, super nasty hot dogs and hamburgers, and lots of sparkley things to buy.

Fosters!

We had our choice of places to celebrate. In every school there are fireworks, and also nearby towns celebrate at well. The fireworks were not as big as 4th of July displays, but there were countless smaller displays. I was told that this used to be hosted by individual families, a backyard drunk-fest with bon fire and firecrackers. Health and Safety ruins everything.

Dominic with his pal Archie.



Michael lost in the smoke.


A remarkable feature of this night, it that all over Crowthorne, and I imagine this includes all of England, there are so many exploding fireworks, the entire town is smokey. It was dense and foggy, and the cracking went on well into the night.

So, I want to wish you all a belated Happy Halloween and Happy Guy Fawkes Day! I send love and hugs and kisses and squeezes to my babies. I miss you and yours my Niddy and everyone else you know who you are. I send you lots of love, and we will be thinking of our American friends and family celebrating Thanksgiving soon!!