Halloween Candy

David and I bought Halloween candy today. 

I'm quite proud of us because this is the longest that we've held out on stocking up for the Halloween rush of costumed kids coming to the door.  Of course when purchased in advance of the actual day that usually means another purchase closer to, if not the day of, because something mysterious happened to chocolate stash!  I have no idea what, it just disappears.  And I'm positive that we're not the only ones who suffer from this phenomenon.  It is Halloween after all, strange and unusual things are in the air.

So with a few days to go and a minimal purchase, we should be right as rain.

My snack size candy bar of choice is Milky Way.  It's not even my favorite candy bar but it has so many memories attached to it.

My Grandma.

Isn't she beautiful.  This was taken when she was younger of course.  She's gone now but it always surprises me how much I miss her at times.  So much that it hurts inside.  I get a lump in my throat and for a minute I can't trust myself to speak.

Halloween as a child carries memories of scratchy burlap sacks and tights (Indian), painted faces, hand-made costumes, snow boots and winter coats.  I grew up in Idaho after all and it wasn't uncommon to have the occasional skiff of snow (or drift as the year went) on the ground.  But out we went.

I also lived in the country which meant everyone piled in the car fully costumed and we drove from neighbor to neighbor.  We mostly kept it to our ward members and started at one end of the valley with Aunt Diane and Uncle Kurt and ended up on the other end of the valley with Aunt Sandy and Uncle Berry and hit every house in between.  Each year we went to the same houses and each year we came home with homemade popcorn balls, Halloween suckers, Tootsie rolls, and the prized snack size candy bars. 

After the usual route, instead of heading home we made one last stop at Grandma's house.  She always had a hug and a kiss on the cheek for us.  And she always had Milky Way candy bars... always.

My grandma was an incredible woman so full of love, hope, and reality.  There are so many things to tell about her, to pay tribute to her character and the strong woman she was.  But today I'll just take comfort in letting the sweet feelings of memory wash over me.  Remember her scent.  Remember her smile.  Remember always feeling special.