Happy Samhain, Blogosphere

Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, marking the beginning of a whole new cycle, just as the Celtic day began at night. For it was understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Whereas Beltane welcomes in the summer with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st, known today of course, as Halloween.

It was a very quiet Halloween here at the Little Lair in the Barrio. Not one single trick-or-treater. I'm disappointed. I've always loved Halloween and miss having a party to go to (even though I am really not "good" at dealing with parties... too many people, too much noise) or the joy from youth that was trick-or-treating (although my stepfather did his damndest to ruin it by insisting I hand over all my candy... I used to have a friend hold a pillowcase for me before we went out trick-or-treating and then I would take the plastic pumpkin I'd used for forever as I went out the door. Before I got home, I'd take all the candy I didn't really care for, put it in the pumpkin and stash the pillowcase full of loot somewhere safe until it could be retrieved the next morning, then I would turn over the plastic pumpkin to my stepfather... Don't try to rob a kid of their Halloween candy! I honestly think I'd have eaten 1/8 of the candy I did as a kid if my parents hadn't been so uptight about not allowing me to have candy so it became a CHALLENGE to me to get it in the house).

AnyyesIhaveissues, it was a pretty uneventful day. Yesterday, however, Mr. POSSLQ and I had an adventure. I'm sure it's going to sound lame, but we had a lot of fun. We went to the Supermercado. Now, I can hear you wondering "What the hell is so fun about the supermarket?" Well, this was a place where the PRIMARY language was Spanish. So all your aisle markers? Written in Spanish. How many supermarkets have you been in where they have freakin WHOLE SIDES of "Pork rind"?? 15 limes for a dollar! And snacks I haven't seen for 30 years, since my grandparents used to send me goodies from Mexico. And the baked goods! WOW! They make fresh tortillas right at the store, there's a juice bar that looks pretty damn impressive, the seafood department was fabulous and did I mention the BAKED GOODS??

Tomorrow, NaNoWriMo begins and I will be embarking on a new literary adventure. I am actually going to take a new tact and work on the idea I was working on last year. I wasn't at all happy with how it turned out and I think I have found a way to make it the novel I want it to be. Expect that I will be posting alot about novelling in the next month.

Time to get to bed. Lots to get done tomorrow.

(Did I mention... baked goods??)