Tonight, around dinner time, our doorbell rang.  Hmm, that’s weird, I thought.  Who’s calling at this hour?  Surely, if it was the HOA, telling us that we violate section 42a subsection B of our homeowner’s agreement that specifically states that all pumpkins displayed on our porch must be no bigger than 15 inches in diameter without an appeal submitted in triplicate, they would have caught us before now.

I opened the door, and there stood a pumpkin filled with goodies and a cute note, telling me that I’ve been spooked!  The note also included a picture of a white ghost and instructions to spook 2 other neighbors, and to put the little ghost in our window so we don’t get spooked twice. 

My inlaws have been visiting, and they were as delighted as I was with the neighborhood offering.  And it was clear which neighbor it came from, as it included doggie treats for Maggie.  Maggie has only met 2 of our neighbors, one of whom has a Golden Retriever and set up a “doggie play date” immediately.  The other waved nervously from a distance, and said she’d come and meet the dog when the dog calmed down a little bit.  Yeah, tough call who thought of the canine’s needs.

Suddenly, a new Halloween tradition has been born in our family.  J is already planning on who we can spook, when we can do it, and even what treats we can put in our little phantom treat bag.  Suddenly, Halloween has new meaning.  Even The Wiz could get behind this one.  So, go get a little plastic pumpkin, some treats, and make up a dopey poem about the white phantom and getting spooked, include a picture of a ghost for them to put in their window, and go spook someone.  It will make you feel like Christmas came early.