Happy Halloween!
Hope you’re having a nice Sunday. I can’t believe it’s already the end of October!
Are you all set for tonight? What’s nice about living here is that all the kids in the neighborhood trick or treat together (I don’t think there’s more than a dozen or so kids in all) — which means our doorbell rings only once, we pass out candy, and then can relax the rest of the evening.
Since the houses are spread far apart, it’s quite a bit of walking for some of the littlest munchkins, especially to reach our house (at the end of a long, dark driveway). But they’ve come up with the perfect solution. One of the neighbors hitches a trailer full of hay bales to his tractor — a trick-or-treating hayride! The kids love it, and some of the older ones take turns driving the tractor. The parents walk alongside and make a progressive party out of it, stopping at each house to chat awhile.
Bakerella/flickr
Had a lot of fun celebrating National Cat Day on Friday. Thanks again to all who came by, and to those who contributed photos and stories. Here’s a bonus photo of Julia Denos and Seri — isn’t it quintessential Halloween? Gorgeous!
Check out these posts for more cattiness:
♥ YA author Sonia Gensler posted some cute pics of her cat, Cedric.
♥ Kind and talented artist, Kevin Slattery, shared some awesome cat drawings and cartoons.
♥ Vince, a highly literate cat living with author Pat Zietlow Miller, has reviewed a couple of children’s cat books at Read, Write, Repeat. Charming and amusing!
♥ YA author Robin Graf Prehn shared some pics of Grey Kitty. Cute poses :).
*If you know of any others, please point me to them!
Help yourself to a kitty cupcake and some candy! And have a Spooktacular night!!
BTW, what’s your favorite Halloween candy? Cornelius is passing out mine ☺!
Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan’s alphabet soup. All rights reserved.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Irish folklore claims that if an apple is peeled into one continuous ribbon and thrown behind a woman’s shoulder, it will land in the shape of her future husband’s initials.
The world’s largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, NY. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long. (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery.)
Here’s a lovely poem, 
Aah, What’s up Doc? Apples contain Vitamin C to boost the immune system, phenols to lower cholesterol, phytonutrients to prevent brain disease, flavinoids to prevent heart disease, is low in calories, and its juice can kill up to 80% of bacteria in the mouth! Apples also target multiple cancers and promote healthier lung function. So munch munch munch, to keep both the doctor and the dentist away!
The crabapple is the only apple native to North America. Apples are grown in all 50 states, but only grown commercially in 36 states. Washington is the no.1 apple producer in the U.S. China is the world’s largest producer.
Danish folklore says that apples wither around adulterers (come here, my pretty)!
The term "Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. To play NYC is to play the big time.
In the U.S., Denmark, and Sweden, a polished apple is a traditional gift for a teacher. This stemmed from the fact that teachers during the 16th to 18th centuries were poorly paid, so parents would compensate the teacher by providing food. Teachers would often be given baskets of apples from students, since apples were a very common crop.
Jama's Alphabet Soup 