Storytelling Sunday---"It was ALWAYS about the Candy!"

Yep, we were on a mission. Back in the 1950's and 1960's, we spent ALL of our allowance on candy. We'd get the allowance---10 cents per grade---and hustle up to the little store. We'd get a huge bag of penny candy---because back then, some of the penny candy was actually 2 for a penny. And if Ronnie Miller (our backyard neighbor) was working, she'd throw in a few extras. We'd all have a heaping bag. We usually ate every bit of it that day and then have to endure a whole candy-less week.

Halloween was like the BEST holiday for us. Sure we got lots of candy on the other holidays---those lifesaver books and candy canes at Christmas and great candy-filled Easter baskets---but Halloween was OURS! We had control over where we went and for how long.

First came planning the costumes which were always just junk from around the house. I donned Ronnie's baseball uniform more than once. When we got a little older, we mostly were bums. It was easy and gave us the perfect "act." Back then, kids were actually expected to "do" something for the candy. We sang the song that matches "We 3 Kings." Sing along....

"We 3 bums from the Orient are,
smoking on a rubber cigar.
It was loaded,
we exploooodddeeedd,
now we're the bums from Mars."

The nuns actually laughed a little. Halloween was probably the only time we weren't afraid of them. We went to the convent for our first stop. They made popcorn balls that went really fast.

Back up. Our "group" consisted of Ronnie, Roger, Danny, Reenie and me. We carefully laid out our route. We didn't really have a time we had to be home, so we walked ALL over. After the popcorn balls, we high-tailed it to the lady that made the candy apples and Ronnie Miller's for our "big" score. After that, we relaxed a little and headed to the "subdivision." It's funny that we sort of looked down on the subdivision as not a really cool place to live. But for Halloween, you could hit a dozen houses in the time it took to go to 3 in our neighborhood where the houses were more spread out. We spent all night roaming around collecting candy in our "hobo pillowcases." The biggest problem with Halloween was that it was usually very cold and/or rainy. That didn't deter us. We stayed out until 9:30 or 10. We were off school the next day because of All Saints Day, so it was all around a good time.

When we got home, we'd dump all of our candy on the floor and start the sorting. We'd have piles for suckers, candy bars, penny candy, those orange and black peanut butter things and a separate pile for our dislikes/trades. Then the trading began---"I'll give you 5 Mary Janes for a Butterfinger." And then of course, the fighting---"no, that's not fair", "hey, that's my pile", etc.

How long did that much candy last? About a week.

Those were some very good times, yes indeedy.

I'm 12 here and Ronnie is 11. Me, rockin' that dickey under my mohair sweater---love the outline. Ronnie wearing peg-legged pants before they were actually "in." That boy knew how to dress! His waist is smaller than mine---still is!

The twins did their own thing on Halloween---but not at this age. I just didn't have a picture of them a little older. As for the rest of the kids, they were way too little to go by themselves. I have no idea what they did. As I said, "it was all about the candy." Nothing else mattered.