Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

Halloween being just days away now, I've been noticing the costumes that are in the stores. They seem rather cheaply made for the prices they go for. Of course, that's just my opinion (and everyone's welcome to it!) The days of homemade costumes are hopefully not behind us, because they can be more fun, less dangerous and downright funny. Every little girl wants to dress up as a princess. So go to the thrift shops and buy a frilly "I'll never wear that again" prom dress and adjust the fit with scissors and pins. Make a lovely tiara with cardboard, tinfoil and glitter. The entire costume won't run over five dollars, if that. Take an old coat and sew patches on the sleeves an old pair of pants, patches on the knees, get an old vest to go over a ratty shirt, burn cork and apply a "beard" that washes off easily with soap and water...what's that, three bucks? Nothing? Buy a cheap eye makeup palate and sit your little darlings in front of the mirror and let their imaginations go wild. They can make bruises and with a bottle of ketchup, apply blood and become a ghoul from the "Night of the Living Dead". Then, there's the all time favorite...a black dress, black stockings, green eyeshadow to make the face appear green, witch's hats are only around two dollars apiece and you have a fantastic little witch. I never got the "run out and buy a costume" routine. We never bought a costume in our lives. I've been a princess a hobo a dancer a clown...I was laughing at my niece, Kari (still Sissy to me) who went dressed as half woman/half man and believe it or not, been there, done that. So, save your money guys, let the kids use their imagination...why spend thirty bucks on someone else's ideas? You and your kids will have so much more fun coming up with your own...and as a bonus, there will be no face mask to block your child's vision. They'll easily see the cars on the roadway, and spot anyone or anything else that seems suspicious...safety is the key word here! Fun should be secondary to that.