More Pumpkins

This is me on my first Halloween. Up until the my younger sister was born our family lived in a little trailer beside my grandparents' farmhouse. I have almost no memory of this time, except for one that could be a dream. I'm standing in my PJs in my crib, awakened by thunder and lightning, and I am terrified. Many times I think I remember people, places or events like this, and then I find the exact image in one of these old photos, or in one of Mother's old home movies.

Mother was a creative person whose only real outlet was our family. She went to Layton Art School in Milwaukee for a year, but then dropped out to marry our father. She took pictures and home movies. She decorated for holidays. She sewed and knitted. We had lots of dresses, all sewed by her, and she made slipcovers, covered pillows and curtains. She smocked little baby outfits for her friends, and knitted little sweaters and caps. In almost very holiday related picture there is something she made, in this case the little carved pumpkin. It was hard for her when she was older and sick, when she lost her ability to do fine handwork, since that was the way she expressed her creative side.

Anyway, today we'll go out to get pumpkins. My husband isn't a fan of holiday decorations most of the time, but he likes carving a jack-o-lantern at Halloween. He works for hours on his creation, and loves to roast the seeds in butter and salt. I enjoy the finished pumpkin, but am not excited by scooping out the slimy seeds. And to tell the truth, I'm a little scared of handling a sharp knife. Maybe I can get him to do the scooping.