Almost party time...

I've been getting ready this week for our Halloween party.  The house has been decorated since just after Labor Day... way too early for Halloween decorations for most people, but we really like Halloween and I love the decorations I've collected over the years, so I like to put them out early and enjoy them all for more than just the month of October.

One of the neighbors told me yesterday that she was happy to hear that I was 'back in the party mode' again.  I didn't realize I had gotten out of it.  This past summer was just very hot, and we did a lot of traveling, so I just didn't get any sort of party together in June, July, or August.  Just seems that it was either scorching hot or we were busy getting ready to go out of town.

Every summer is scorching hot here, so that shouldn't be a surprise, really.  In the summer, I think people like BBQ get-togethers, which isn't something we do.  We do have a BBQ in the garage, but we haven't used it in so many years that it's been gathering dust since we moved here.

My husband and I talked about having an Ice Cream Social over the summer, but we just never got going on that plan either.  From time to time, I think about having a ladies-only get-together once a month, just to get all the ladies here together, but I never got a solid plan going for that either.

With everyone's property here being at least 10 acres, and all the houses not right-next-door in the conventional next-door design, if you don't make a deliberate effort to see your neighbors, then you end up seeing no one at all.  And some people here like it that way...... as we learned early on when the community got together for the Annual Neighbors' Night Out.   It's held once a year... they started it in August about 10 years ago, but quickly realized that a summer night in the middle of August is not conducive to outside parties.  So now the Night Out (at least in Texas) is held in early October, which is still hot, but not broiling with over 100-degree temperatures.  I'm pretty sure this was started as a nation-wide thing, but I don't know if all the states honor it.  My cousins up in NY have never heard of this Night Out event.

We went to the first two Night-Out get-togethers after we moved here....... and now we don't go at all.  We know all of our neighbors, and we do make an effort to see everyone. We don't need a 'national night out' to do that..... and besides, out here in this community, people were saying "See y'all next year!" as they left the Night Out get-together.  Not exactly our kind of party.  If I like someone's company, I'd like to see them more than just once a year, for goodness sake.

Anyway.... our Halloween party is coming up.... mostly everyone will be in some sort of costume or get-up.... and the Halloween parties are always fun.   We're expecting Miss C to drive up for the weekend of the party..... it will be so good to see her, and hear about all her adventures in Yellowstone.  She really loved that summer job there, and now she has began a full-time job close to Clear Lake, so she'll be telling us all about that when we see her.                                                         

C has always been very creative with her costumes, so I can't wait to see what she comes up with this time.  I remember one year when she was still in high school, and she came to our Halloween party dressed up as a bag of jelly beans. She had taken a clear dry-cleaning bag and cut out holes for her head, arms, and legs. Then she blew up balloons of all colors and put them into the bag..... instant Bag of Jelly Beans! During the party, the seams of the bag started to split, so she was dropping jelly beans all over the house as she moved around. 

Oh well......... no more time for memories at the moment.... I have a bunch of things on the party to-do list that need attention.