So every year it seems Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, Reformation Day, or Harvest (depending on your particular theological bend) seems to sneak up on me. This year I’m patting myself on the back for at least working with the sewing grandmother so that two of the three children can wear fabulous costumes.

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I, on the other hand, have never been much in the spirit this time of year. I’m not one to celebrate a holiday when I have to work with the colors of black and orange! And I’ve struggled with the whole line of what’s evil, why scare ourselves, I’m forever traumatized by sneaking off and watching The Shining when I was sixteen, etc.

But each year, this day shows up and the older I get, the more I want to participate. Today as I walked around our downtown amidst all the costumes and festivities, I thought, “You know? I think I want to play! A day to poke fun at all our fears and dress up outlandishly might be just what the doctor would order, even for a tea party girl.”

And come to think of it~that’s one of the reasons I love to blog. I want to play along! There are so many fun, funny, and fearless people I’ve met through hanging around the Internet and this extroverted writer can’t bear to not be a part of it. Meeting “ordinary” folks like Scribbit, Alison, and Shannon help me (at least through communicating online!) a little more fun, funny, and fearless, too.

So I think I will really go all out next year and dress up, especially for the last Halloween of my 30s. This year, the best I can do is help us all play with carnivals online. This week you can find Tea Party Girl:

Two children who will transform into a fairy and a Jedi just pulled in. It’s time to scramble and prep for the night’s festivities.

So, how good are you at laughing in the face of fear? How do you celebrate this day? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.