All Hallows Giving
Halloween is so much fun! Sometimes I dress for the occasion. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I don’t wait for the holiday to dress.
We always plan to answer the door and give out whole bars of candy. It’s not more expensive than a handful of little bars and feels better to receive, so it also feels better to give. We also have a bowl of plastic trinkets for little ones who can’t or don’t choose candy. I have some qualms about spreading cheap plastic junk around, but who are we kidding? Sugar isn’t a harmless thing to spread around either. It’s an annual indulgence that the adults sometimes cull after the overabundance is forgotten.
A few years back, I saw that some people offer a russet potato. Mom called those “Irsh” potatoes, one syllable. I had no idea she was saying “Irish” until years after I was grown, moved away and having a light bulb potato famine moment. Epiphanies aside, I just had to add that to my repertoire, not just for the novelty, but it’s also real food with minimal packaging, none if you were to grow your own, a winner in every way! So, in the middle of my goodie bowl there’s a large uncooked potato. Last year I forgot and ran out last minute to get the spuds. Glad I did. One of my regular takers was looking forward to it.
This year I saw a charity advertisement for Halloween themed milkweed seeds to support Monarchs. The packaging was themed and cute. The pricing was “Well, it’s a donation.” Drilling down, I read that the seeds were native to the midwest, but they didn’t give scientific names, or even specific common names, so I couldn’t tell if they would be the varieties also native to Georgia. Looking further, I discovered a one star rating for the charity. It wasn’t a buy decision based on the product or the charity, but I still liked the idea to offer native seeds.
Not to be foiled, I remembered that I’m in a book club with the chairman of the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District and was going to be at a location where the organization distributes small native seed packets. They don’t come with cute Halloween art, but are packaged in biodegradable paper and most importantly, they list every seed that might be inside by scientific name. They are all locally native, locally sourced, helpful to the habitat around the Trick or Treaters who will be coming to our door, and free! I feel really good about spreading that around. It will support many species, not just the charismatic flagship species that everyone knows they want to protect.
Our granddaughter loves all the butterflies that come to our yard, but she’s skeptical. I’ve been surprised to see how many kids don’t choose the sugar when they have all the options. I can’t wait to see how many takers we get on this option!
Have a glorious day, and we’ll see you on the trail.
