Monthly Musing – October 2022 – Keeping up with tradition ::::::: Blogtober 2022 : Day 31
“Do you think this will be the last year you’ll want to carve pumpkins?”
I’ve been watching my girls as they have been standing together at the kitchen worktop, hollowing out large pumpkins and drawing faces on them ready to carve. There’s a large bowl between them on the table, gradually filling up with the insides of the pumpkin and more seeds than you can shake a stick at (and more of them on the floor than I’d like too!). This is something they’ve been doing together since they were both small, when the three of us would carve the pumpkins between us (them in a more supervisory role until it was safe for them to handle knives) and now they no longer need me to help with the pumpkin-innards removal or using a knife or even make helpful suggestions about faces.
They’re both far better than me at giving pumpkins faces and I put this down to my years of having only swedes to hollow out at Hallowe’en. They’re bored of my stories of cutting eyes with potato peelers and the smell of singed swede and candlewax these days. Gone are the Hallowe’en nights when I could persuade them to bob for apples like I did, or throw apple peel over their shoulders to discover their true love’s initial. Goodness, we must have gone through a fair few apples when I was younger!
Instead, I’m sitting at the table and listening as they’re chatting away, teasing each other about boys and boyfriends, discussing music and their days at college and work. I’m forgotten as they become entirely immersed in their conversation and the task at hand. It’s lovely! They get on so well together and it makes my heart full to bursting with happiness to see them like this.
I did wonder this year if they would take more persuading to carve their pumpkins but they were both ready to make a start when I brought the pumpkins in from the car where they have been keeping cool for the last week or so. I love that they are both keen on keeping up with our family traditions (not just Hallowe’en but at other times of the year too) and I wonder if they will pass them on to their own families one day, adding their own touches to make them unique to their families. Not so small daughter has told me very firmly that she will not be having any children but I said the same at that age so we’ll wait and see! For now, they are happy following our own family tradition, and I am glad that this year, at least, they didn’t want to stop. Next year, though?
“Do you think this will be the last year you’ll want to carve pumpkins?”
My question catches them by surprise. They look at each other, then back at me.
“Absolutely not!”
I won’t mention giving up on Christmas stockings, then!
Family traditions are so important and unique, it’s lovely that you’re girls are continuing yours. I think you will be filling stockings for a few years yet.
I have really enjoyed your blogtober, thank you so much for taking the time to write it
It’s been lovely to read in the comments that Christmas stockings is a tradition that’s continuing even with “children” in their 40s and 50s! I think I’ll be filling stockings for a few more years yet, too! I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed the Blogtober posts, thank you! 🙂 xx
Lovely blogtobes.
You mention about Christmas stockings.
When my girls were about 16-17 one year I didn’t do Christmas stockings. I was really busy with work and that and in those years I used have 22 family on
Christmas. The girls were very upset tears even. I still do Christmas stockings and love it. The girls are now 45 and 46 years.
🌺🌸😊🎄🎄
I don’t think I’ll be giving up on the Christmas stockings any time soon – for me, as much as for my girls! I do like finding little fun things to put in them that I think they’ll like and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of wanting to do that! 🙂 xx
Good job girls!! have a very happy Halloween! loved reading the blog everyday, can’t wait for Winter Haven
Ooh yes, the Winter Haven KAL will be the next thing … it’ll be here sooner than we think, won’t it? 🙂 xx
I really can’t imagine my sister and I carving out pumpkins together! I think we’d be bickering all through it! Those faces are quite comical though, better than supposedly spooky ones! I’ve really enjoyed reading your blogtober posts and can’t wait to visist again soon!😀
They seem to prefer comical faces – I was looking for last year’s post as I’m sure the faces were similar! Congratulations to you on keeping up with Blogtober too – I hope you enjoyed it! I’ve been a bit rubbish at visiting over the last couple of weeks but now that Blogtober has finished, I should have more time to spend catching up so I’ll definitely be back to read yours! 🙂 xx
Thank you for sharing the month with us. My youngest daughter is 51 and I still do stockings for everyone. They also do stockings at their homes for my grandchildren. Again, thank you.
I don’t think I would ever get away with not doing Christmas stockings – and I’m not sure that I would want to either. I love that you still make them up for your family too! 🙂 xx
What a lovely post…..my two eldest could never do anything together, they still fall out despite living on opposite sides of the globe!
Thank you for all your posts this month, they have been fun to read.
I didn’t always get on with my brother when I was growing up so it’s been really important to me to try to encourage the girls to get on with each other whatever their ages. Of course, it helps that they do actually enjoy spending time with each other and that could be luck as some siblings never get on, but it makes me very happy to see it 🙂 xx
I have so enjoyed starting each day with your Blogtober post. Thanks for giving so much time to them.
I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed reading them. They’ve been fun to write – there is a part of me that’s sad it’s over – but it definitely is until next year! 🙂 xx
I’d also like to thank you for your Blogtober posts. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy to find the time in your busy life but they were much appreciated. Some other blogs gave up part way through but you kept going!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! There were some days when it was getting a bit closer to midnight than I might have liked, but I managed it 🙂 xx
Thank you for your your October blog posted i have enjoyed reading them. Its lovely to see your daughters pumpkin
They’re great faces, aren’t they? Now we have to remember to do something with the pumpkins before they turn into slime! 🙂 xx
Thank you for doing blogtober again. I’ve really enjoyed your daily posts with all the lovely photos!
Our daughters are in their 30’s and 40’s but I still do the Christmas sacks they had as small children with tiny presents. They would be most upset if I didn’t! I’m thankful that we all live in the same village and they do get along quite well, but like most siblings they have their moments! Enjoy some time off (but not too long! 😉)
The more I think about it, the Christmas stockings are one tradition that I don’t want to give up, never mind anyone else! 🙂 xx
Thank you for all your Blogtober posts! They have been a ray of sunlight on some very wet and dreary days. It’s been great to read about what you’ve been doing and I can only applaud you for keeping up with the posts and fitting them into your busy life. Looking forward to next year x
Thank you! I’ll have been writing about things that you can probably see out of your window sometimes so we’ll have experienced the same weather at the same time – I love it! 🙂 xx
What a lovely post. Your daughters are so like us. So many traditions here too especially around Christmas. I guess that’s what makes a family. It’s been great this month reading all your posts and dipping into your life. Thank you. B x
Yes, you’re right – those connections that mean something to us as a four (as we are) but that get taken on by the next generation with their own families. I’ve loved your posts too! 🙂 xx
What a lovely tradition! My eldest is 16, and up until now he’s joined in with the matching Christmas outfits I sew my children each year. I’m crossing everything he’ll agree again this year!
He may well do – teenagers seem to go through a phase of thinking that everything is beneath them but given the right circumstances, they really enjoy joining in, even if on the face of it it’s for the benefit of “the little ones”! 🙂 xx