WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Happy Halloween to all you ghosts, goblins, and other creepy creatures out there. This is one of those days when most of us hide the bathroom scales and magically forget to count calories. It’s time to clog the arteries with cholesterol and anything else that “THEY” say is bad for us. After all, it’s been over a month since we consumed an elephant ear or funnel cake at the St. Joe County Fair. It is time to inspect our children’s trick-or-treat bag for our favorite treat. Children should not consume too many candy bars, because they cause tooth decay. Vegetables are much better; besides it’s been a long time since I’ve heard of a child getting a tummy ache from eating too many raw carrots. If you don’t want to be bothered by trick-or-treaters, offer them small baggies full of carrots and celery. They probably won’t bother you next year.
Speaking of Halloween, we have a neighbor who goes all out when it comes to decorating and dressing up for this annual spook-a-thon. I’ve witnessed children avoiding their house, because it looked too scary. Forget about getting up on their porch.
On a serious note, I feel it’s a good idea to accompany your children as they travel the neighborhood. Remind them to say, “Thank You” after receiving a treat. After getting back home, help them go through the bag of treats looking for things that might cause them harm or an upset tummy. Help them make wise choices when it comes to the consumption of the sweets. If you’re a grandparent, feel free to give the grand kids plenty of sugar before sending them home with their parents. Paybacks can be so much fun.
In Three Rivers, the hours for trick-or-treating are from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Check your local paper and the radio station for the many activities that have been planned as an alternative to trick-or-treating.
As we go into the final days of autumn, it’s the perfect time to take your lunch break in one of the many nearby parks. Take the time and enjoy the fall colors and the peacefulness that can be found on or near a park bench. A reader reminded me the other day of how much fun it can be to just sit in the park and people-watch.
This is not the time to procrastinate when it comes to getting those outside chores done. Sunny and warm days are few and far between. You don’t need to do everything at once. I usually fee pretty good about myself if I do one or two chores at a time. By taking care of those fall chores this way, you can still have time to relax and enjoy some free time. The weather probably won’t go south for at least a couple more weeks.
There’s no need to handle these chores alone. You’d be amazed how much fun children can have by just raking leaves or helping to put away things for the winter. If you’ve read “Tom Sawyer”, you know how to make certain things happen.
Tomorrow is November 1. This will be a busy month, because we must remember to set our clocks back one hour Sunday, November 5. We must also plan that family get together, known as Thanksgiving. Don’t forget the day after Thanksgiving, known as “Black Friday”. Oh yes, Black Friday, the day when the ladies get Out and About and make new friends at the department stores. We guys will stay home, because we still have plenty of time to do our holiday shopping. Most of us will hit the stores around 4 PM on Christmas Eve.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
The sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
