Halloween is a fun holiday for me. It's all about candy and having fun. Here in south Texas, it can be 90 degrees or 60 degrees, depending on the weather! I made tombstones last year out of styrofoam, but the dogs knocked over the stack they were in and broke them when we were moving things out of our old shed. I put out skeletons, pumpkins, black cats, bats and ghosts. None of the gory, scarey stuff, just the fun kind. I don't like the blood and gore decorations. Save that for the commercial haunted houses. Halloween was definitely much more fun when my kids were younger. They don't seem to get into it too much, except to see what the trick or treaters are dressed up as, or to see how much of the candy bag they can devour before the 31st. I usually end up having to buy more candy, not because of the trick or treaters, but because of my kids (well, okay, us adults are guilty of digging into the candy bags, too!) Pat, I love the idea of the murder mystery party. A friend of my daughter's had one a couple of years ago and it was a real blast. Our HOA hosts a Halloween party for the little kids each year. Activities are bobbing for apples, face painting, ring toss, cake walk, costume contest, etc. One of the parents got industrious and made a cardboard box haunted maze for them to crawl through. They served punch and cookies and cupcakes and gave out goodie bags. Another parent provided the flat bed trailer and hay bales so the kids could take a hay ride. (The same person does this at Christmas for the neighborhood carolling.) Fun time for all that ends about dark so the kids can head off to trick or treat or parties. As for the bad side of Halloween, our humane society and animal control services stop adopting out black cats well in advance of Oct. 31st. Sad that there are weirdos out there that still commit outrageous acts, but we have been lucky that nothing has happened locally in a few years. ~Kathy

Stacy, this chicken dish is really good and is only about 30 minutes from start to serve. You could serve it over rice or orzo that you prepare in advance and just warm up. Creamy Tarragon Chicken From Fresh Market-Grand Rapids, MI 4 boneless, chicken breast halves Salt & pepper to taste 3T all purpose flour 2T olive oil 1T onion, finely chopped 1/4 c white Bordeaux wine (you could use any white wine) 1T fresh tarragon, chopped 1/4 c chicken broth 3T butter 1/4 c heavy cream Season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper, dredge in flour. Set aside chicken and remaining flour. In large sauté pan, heat olive oil over mediumh igh heat. Brown the chicken 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Add onion to pan and cook 1 minute. Pour wine into pan and increase heat to high. Deglaze pan by cooking until almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium low and add reserved flour, stirring to form a thick roux. Stir in tarragon and broth. Return chicken to pan and cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to plates, add butter and cram to pan and heat through. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve. Joe's Seafood lasagne is rich, and super elegant. You can use any combination of seafood you like, really, and it can be made ahead. WHITE WINE SEAFOOD LASAGNA Makes 6 good portions; 8 for the smaller ones 2 pounds bay scallops 1/3 cup butter 1 cup green onion \-\- chopped 1 clove garlic \-\- minced 1/4 teaspoon thyme \-\- dried 1/3 cup all\-purpose flour 1 cup chicken broth \-\- regular strength 1 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup dry white wine 8 ounces lasagna noodles 1/2 pound crab meat \-\- cooked, shredded 1/2 pound swiss cheese \-\- shredded Rinse scallops well and drain; if using regular scallops, cut into 1/2\-inch pieces. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12\- to 14\-inch frying pan. Add onion, garlic, and thyme; stir on medium\-high heat for 1 minute. Add scallops and cook, stirring often, until they are opaque in the center (cut to test), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour scallops into a large strainer positioned over a bowl; let drain 20 to 30 minutes. In the same frying pan, melt remaining butter on medium heat. Add flour and stir until it turns a light golden color. Remove from heat and smoothly mix in broth, cream, and wine. Return to high heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Set aside. Fill a 4 to 5\-quart pan 3/4 full with water and bring to boiling over high heat. Add lasagna noodles and boil, uncovered, until tender to bite, about 10 minutes; drain. Rinse lasagna with cold water until cool; drain again and set aside. Pour scallop juices into a 1\- to 1\-1/2\-quart pan and boil on high heat, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons; stir near the end to keep juices from scorching. Mix juices and crab meat with cream sauce. Line the bottom of a 9\- by 12\-inch buttered baking pan or dish with 1/3 of the lasagna noodles. Spread noodles with 1/3 of the sauce, top with 1/3 of the scallops, then with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers twice more, ending with cheese on top. Cover pan with a lid or foil; if made ahead, chill up to one day, then bring to room temperature. Bake lasagna in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is golden, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting; lift out portions with a wide spatula. Makes 12 servings as a first course, 6 as an entree. Posted by Joe (Gardenguru) Linda

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Oh, that sounds like FUN !! I love that era, especially the clothes. I was in a show and had to wear a get-up from that time. A friends lent me a dress that was black fringe from top to bottom. I wore a long string of pearls that went past my waist, a black headache band trimmed in rhinestones and pearls with a big feather, and I wore long black gloves. Twenty three skidoo, and Oh, you kid !!