(a simply lovely life)

“Sylvie scooped all the seeds and pulp out, then Grandpawp made eyes and a nose and a big grinning mouth with horrid crooked teeth.”  Pumpkin Moonshine, (1938) by Tasha Tudor

“It was evening by then so they put a lighted candle inside the pumpkin to make him look as fierce and horrid as all true Pumpkin Moonshines should.”

“Sylvie and Grandpawp put the Pumpkin Moonshine on the front gate post, then they hid in the bushes to watch how terrified the passers by would be at the sight of this fierce Pumpkin Moonshine.  They had a wonderful time.”

“Sylvie Ann saved the pumpkin seeds.  Next spring she planted them.  The vines grew up and ran all over the cornfield, with lots of pumpkins on them, just waiting to be made into pumpkin pies and Pumpkin Moonshines to please good little girls like Sylvie Ann.”

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The children had Columbus day off from school and Mike came for the day.  They had such fun carving their pumpkins.  I’ve read Pumpkin Moonshine to the little ones so much that they use that name, which I find so dear.  Sarah wouldn’t touch the “guts”, they were too disgusting for her.  Mike carved Seth’s pumpkin for him, and I did Sarah’s and Caleb’s.  Ethan printed off a design so his was very unique, a hand.  Grace and David didn’t carve theirs, Grace wasn’t feeling well and Dave was at a friend’s house.  It was a fine time out in the bright day, with seeds flying and pumpkin pieces dropping down in the grass.

Just yesterday, Sarah was on the porch with me and she bumped into Jacob’s pumpkin.  It bounced away, rolled down the hill and splashed into the pond.  It’s floating there even now.  I thought Jacob would be mad, but he laughed when I told him.