The Friday Five for Oct 22, 2022 & Other News
1. What is your favorite candy/treat to hand out?
When I was in Canada, I made caramel popcorn balls. That was fun and yummy. In Japan, we don't have neighborhood kids coming around but, my kids friends used to come for a few years in their elementary years, and our school has a Halloween event where we make groups out of kids that want to participate and go to their homes... For the school event, I like to prepare little baggies of various treats - some chocolate, some candy, some biscuit, some cracker for variety and to make sure they all get something they like. For the kids' friends, usually they come after the school event so I gave them leftovers from the party where we give out handfuls of various treats.
2. What was your favorite thing to receive as a treat when you were a kid?
I never went trick-or-treating as a kid here in Japan, but I would have loved snickers, peanut butter cups, caramels and cupcakes. My kids went with the kids from our school etc. It was nice to be able to have snacks to give them for snack time for days (or weeks!) afterwards XD
3. What was one of your unspoken rules on Halloween?
I don't know what this question means, but when I was little, kids here were really truly scared of ghosts. I think their parents used them to scare their children into doing what they were told. My mom told me how she decided not to celebrate it in her English classes (yes, she used to teach English in our home) at that time because of that. I sometimes get kids in my classes that are scared of the cutest pictures of ghosts and witches etc. I try to make the songs more jovial, explain how the jack-o'lantern is like an amulet to protect them from the evil instead of being evil itself, etc. to help them enjoy the season. I also never dress up as anything remotely scary at the party because I don't want them screaming or running away from me LOL
I don't think there was any other "unspoken" rule.
4. Did you ever win a Halloween costume contest?
No, I've hosted them, and it is really hard to judge such things and keep everyone happy. This year and last, a little preschool girl won. Last year she was Cookie Monster. This year she was some character from an Anime I didn't know. The costume itself was meh for me. I doubt everyone chose her for it. It was more the fact that she herself was adorable LOL
5. Does your neighborhood decorate?
A few autumn wreaths here and there. The families we visit for our trick-or-treat event sometimes decorate the door area for the kids enjoyment. We did see some other houses decorating this year, but not many.
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Sorry for being away for so long. I just couldn't find the energy to even press the update button recently - probably due to stressing out about the Halloween event.
I haven't been able to find canned pumpkin this year. I've been making pumpkin desserts using kabocha (squash) and they've turned out really well. Kabocha has a deeper flavor than pumpkin and less moisture, but can be used instead of canned pumpkin. I steam it and squash it! Ha!! I made some pumpkin bars, and yesterday, I tried (paleo) pumpkin pie. I am looking forward to getting some Granny Smith apples that I ordered and should be getting in early November. 10 kilos! Will share some with a friend though.
I read two books in a series by Brandon Sanderson -the first being The Way of Kings. I really enjoyed Mistborn and the Well of Ascension so I thought I could expect something similar in quality at least. Unfortunately, I felt he wrote in too many side stories that were unnecessary. I finished the first and second books in the series but I skimmed through a major portion of the second in particular. Skimmed, as in - glanced at the middle of the page on my smartphone, and didn't stop turning pages until I found the name of a person I wanted to read about. I got some good skimming practice at least. I started several books that were supposed to be good witch related books but they were also just not in my alley. I read How to be a Good American Housewife, about a Japanese woman who married an American marine right after WWII. She would have been around the same age as MIL.
It was really good. Fiction but based on fact and gave me all sorts of ideas for a book of my own.
Our Halloween Party was Sunday and I didn't have any energy to do anything but procrastinate (read books) and prepare games etc. before that. Monday I had a day off and although I was tired and my back ached from standing all day the day before, I was able to clean up and organize all the Halloween stuff for next year. Here on out, my Sundays are going to be fully booked again until the end of the school year with cookie making, Christmas Presentation practice etc. I had choir this morning, and Sunday, I think I may have choir until night.
I'm still watching Shameless, now on a free site on my computer because our Netflix doesn't get the later seasons. I am sort of glad Fiona is finally leaving, although she is stupid for doing so - always running away from her problems - but it is better for the others that she does leave. She is definitely an alcoholic.
I like to watch tv while doing my morning exercises, but there is nothing good to watch recently. I am practicing my choir pieces instead by listening to a practice recording. Our concert is on the 20th.
Hope to come back again soon!
When I was in Canada, I made caramel popcorn balls. That was fun and yummy. In Japan, we don't have neighborhood kids coming around but, my kids friends used to come for a few years in their elementary years, and our school has a Halloween event where we make groups out of kids that want to participate and go to their homes... For the school event, I like to prepare little baggies of various treats - some chocolate, some candy, some biscuit, some cracker for variety and to make sure they all get something they like. For the kids' friends, usually they come after the school event so I gave them leftovers from the party where we give out handfuls of various treats.
2. What was your favorite thing to receive as a treat when you were a kid?
I never went trick-or-treating as a kid here in Japan, but I would have loved snickers, peanut butter cups, caramels and cupcakes. My kids went with the kids from our school etc. It was nice to be able to have snacks to give them for snack time for days (or weeks!) afterwards XD
3. What was one of your unspoken rules on Halloween?
I don't know what this question means, but when I was little, kids here were really truly scared of ghosts. I think their parents used them to scare their children into doing what they were told. My mom told me how she decided not to celebrate it in her English classes (yes, she used to teach English in our home) at that time because of that. I sometimes get kids in my classes that are scared of the cutest pictures of ghosts and witches etc. I try to make the songs more jovial, explain how the jack-o'lantern is like an amulet to protect them from the evil instead of being evil itself, etc. to help them enjoy the season. I also never dress up as anything remotely scary at the party because I don't want them screaming or running away from me LOL
I don't think there was any other "unspoken" rule.
4. Did you ever win a Halloween costume contest?
No, I've hosted them, and it is really hard to judge such things and keep everyone happy. This year and last, a little preschool girl won. Last year she was Cookie Monster. This year she was some character from an Anime I didn't know. The costume itself was meh for me. I doubt everyone chose her for it. It was more the fact that she herself was adorable LOL
5. Does your neighborhood decorate?
A few autumn wreaths here and there. The families we visit for our trick-or-treat event sometimes decorate the door area for the kids enjoyment. We did see some other houses decorating this year, but not many.
***************
Sorry for being away for so long. I just couldn't find the energy to even press the update button recently - probably due to stressing out about the Halloween event.
I haven't been able to find canned pumpkin this year. I've been making pumpkin desserts using kabocha (squash) and they've turned out really well. Kabocha has a deeper flavor than pumpkin and less moisture, but can be used instead of canned pumpkin. I steam it and squash it! Ha!! I made some pumpkin bars, and yesterday, I tried (paleo) pumpkin pie. I am looking forward to getting some Granny Smith apples that I ordered and should be getting in early November. 10 kilos! Will share some with a friend though.
I read two books in a series by Brandon Sanderson -the first being The Way of Kings. I really enjoyed Mistborn and the Well of Ascension so I thought I could expect something similar in quality at least. Unfortunately, I felt he wrote in too many side stories that were unnecessary. I finished the first and second books in the series but I skimmed through a major portion of the second in particular. Skimmed, as in - glanced at the middle of the page on my smartphone, and didn't stop turning pages until I found the name of a person I wanted to read about. I got some good skimming practice at least. I started several books that were supposed to be good witch related books but they were also just not in my alley. I read How to be a Good American Housewife, about a Japanese woman who married an American marine right after WWII. She would have been around the same age as MIL.
It was really good. Fiction but based on fact and gave me all sorts of ideas for a book of my own.
Our Halloween Party was Sunday and I didn't have any energy to do anything but procrastinate (read books) and prepare games etc. before that. Monday I had a day off and although I was tired and my back ached from standing all day the day before, I was able to clean up and organize all the Halloween stuff for next year. Here on out, my Sundays are going to be fully booked again until the end of the school year with cookie making, Christmas Presentation practice etc. I had choir this morning, and Sunday, I think I may have choir until night.
I'm still watching Shameless, now on a free site on my computer because our Netflix doesn't get the later seasons. I am sort of glad Fiona is finally leaving, although she is stupid for doing so - always running away from her problems - but it is better for the others that she does leave. She is definitely an alcoholic.
I like to watch tv while doing my morning exercises, but there is nothing good to watch recently. I am practicing my choir pieces instead by listening to a practice recording. Our concert is on the 20th.
Hope to come back again soon!