Pace Yourselves

 I noticed something a bit odd while we were walking the dog this weekend: about a third of the houses in our neighborhood already have Halloween decorations in their yards. Oh, I'm not talking about fall decor in the form of pumpkins or scarecrows, either. It's officially fall and by all means, stack your gourds to the Lord and enjoy that pot of mums on your front porch. I mean ghouls and graveyards and gore. It seems a bit strange to me, given that it's not even October yet, and I commented as such to my husband, who told me (as he typically does) to calm down.

Don't get me wrong, you know I love a holiday. My bins of Halloween decorations are down from the attic and at the ready for Thursday, because according to my trusty calendar, that is October 1st (I can't help myself, I'm a consummate rule follower). October has thirty-one whole days in it, and I would argue that is more than enough time to enjoy all the all-hallows spookery your heart would desire without getting a September jump start. At this rate, y'all are going to be sick and tired of those fake spider webs in your shrubbery by the middle of the month and your plastic Santas and Christmas lights will be up by October 15th. I guess we'd better go ahead and carve the Thanksgiving turkey tonight for dinner and hang the stockings up after dessert. Pace yourselves. There is fun to be had, but we don't have to rush it.

It's not that I don't love it. It's just that I love it more in October.

It's been a rough year and we are all desperate for any kind of fun and distraction any way we can get it. I just want to point out that the Halloween decorations look fantastic during their appropriated Halloween month, but any other time of the year it kind of looks like your home is the site of some kind of Satanic cult ritual. I know it takes a lot of time and planning to plug in that eight foot tall red inflatable winged demon with the hissing sounds, but maybe he can wait until trick-or-treat month to make his hell-hath-no-fury appearance in the cul-de-sac? Just a thought. All these faux graveyards and severed limbs and fake rodents certainly add curb appeal, I wanted to maybe hold off a smidgen longer on festooning my house with them. Maybe a few more days? No?

I read that Reese Witherspoon threw a New Year's Eve party last week, because "we're ready for this year to be over." Reese, honey, we are all right there with you, and if that would work, I would had the confetti and streamers and champagne out about three months ago, ready to usher in a whole brand new year that is anything but this one. I think we are going to have to muddle through this 2020 thing just a little while longer, so we might as well not do it at some kind of strange breakneck holiday speed pace. Now, I'm sure some of you have Valentine cards to make and Easter eggs to die, and I've said my piece. Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year!

Reese's New Year's party last week. If only it were that easy.