I grew up on a farm and no one came to our house for trick or treating. We went into town and hit most every house in our small community. Only rarely did anyone give out homemade treats which were not appreciated by us kids. Store bought candy was the rarity for us, not homemade goodies. Homemade popcorn balls and fudge were Christmas treats. Tootsie Rolls were not only appreciated because they stretched that dime but also because they were chewy and lasted longer than some candies. The ones we bought were about 3" long and skinny, not the short fatter ones. My favorite penny candies were lemon drops, lasted a long time and were delicious. I don't remember candy kisses being anything except chocolate.

Karen , Sharon what a great job! I loved everyone of the pics. Such memories.....not just of get togethers but of the people who have shared so much of themselves ,on this forum, over the years. I miss so many of those folk. Runs in my mind Gina had a slide show too...Gina? Baby pictures were so much fun but whoever has the baby pics, don't post the names! See who can figure it out. Woodie knows which one I am..... something to do with a long forgotten shampoo! LOL Thanks again Karen and Sharon, this was so much fun....and thank you GW. If not for you our paths would likely not have crossed.

I used Pantene for years but then it seemed like the conditioner stopped making my hair feel soft, so I switched to Fructis for now. My niece who is a hair dresser says we actually should be careful about using the great smelling products because they usually contain a lot of alcohol, but I just love the scent! Just some trivia, my sister learned in med school that hair and nails are incorrectly sometimes referred to as being dead because there is no pain when they are cut. But that is simply because they contain no nerve cells.

I haven't shopped in dollar stores for a few years now. Simply because it is imported items of a low value, which reflects in the price. Some items are counterfit to look like brand names (even if they aren't brands WE recognize). Others may have quality issues - such as toothpaste that contains antifreeze. Some of the decorative items are cast offs from factories (where workers are paid pennies per day and there are no standards for safety for worker nor consumer) or the makers are paid almost nothing as piece work. Again, there is no way to know what materials are being used and how the items are being made. I don't want to support the exploitation of a cheap workforce that is being abused, simply to get a little vase with a crooked hand painted design for a dollar. Local companies cannot compete with these cheap products so they undermine our economy. They also underscore the idea that it is cheapness and quantity and not QUALITY workmanship that should be a priority. We are a disposable society. Go ahead and throw it out, you can get a new one at the dollar store. With rising prices and sinking wages I know that there are many who feel they cannot afford NOT to shop in the dollar store, and I commiserate. But for me, it was a choice I made for myself, my family, and my community. And I am sticking with it ROFL.