SMALL TOWN HALLOWEEN

Unlike today when "Trick or Treaters" are given prewrapped candy purchased from the local market, Halloween was a special time growing up in my small home town of Corbin, Kansas.  The local housewives would prepare wonderful home-made treats for the local children who would knock on their doors.  These included fudge, divinity, cookies, rice krispie treats, bags of nuts and raisins, an occasional scoop of candy corn, perhaps a candied apple or an orange and the best of all: popcorn balls.  















I remember there was always a group of us, my cousin Jerome, the Wilson twins and a few others who would visit every house in town  (I told you it was small) on Halloween night wearing our rubber monster masks and "terrifying" the local residents  when they opened their front doors.
             


The next step would be our host/hostess trying to guess who these pint-sized creatures were.  (This was long before parents wised up and painted their tots faces, so it was much more difficult then.)

As I recall, many mothers (mine included ) supplied pillow "slips" to haul home the loot which could get a bit messy if an unwrapped candy apple was involved.  And those masks?   We didn't wear them between house calls because they were simply too hot.   You might say we were "Sweatin' for the goodies."  It was a magic time to be young.  And tasty, too.  Today's kids don't know what they missed.  Although a peanut butter cup from today kinda makes up for it.  Happy Halloween y'all!

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