We give out full-size candy bars. Why not? We live in a community where people are afraid to let their children out alone, so the few kids we get are always accompanied by their parents and few parents these days take the time to take their kids trick-or-treating. So, we give out full-size candy bars. Thinking that 30 candy bars would never be enough, I bought two boxes. We had 60 full-size candy bars to give out. That way, I reasoned, we could be generous to the cute ones or the ones we knew well, or the ones who were just greedy (and they are!).

So, I put the candy in a bowl, lit some candles for ambience, turned the lights down, but not off so as to look somewhat inviting to the trick-or-treaters, and turned on the porch light. At the stroke of sunset, the doorbell rings...our first trick-or-treaters! The dog announced their arrival before the doorbell, of course, and he runs to his kennel. After a quick peek through the peep-hole, I opened the door to be nearly trampled by an adorable pirate who though he should just come in. Not so fast...little buckaroo...his older sister held him back but not before his hand landed in the bowl of candy. His eyes lit up by the sheer size of the candy bars in the bowl and he could not choose. His older sister grabbed one, his sister's friend grabbed one, and then another one for her other brother, she said twice, and the little pirate just stood there with his hand in the bowl, feeling the candy and looking at me like I am crazy to be offering him this ginormous goodie that surely his mother will never let him have. The greedy one grabbed it for him finally and they disappeared without so much as a thank you.

I closed the door and waited for the next one.

I now am sitting here with 56 full-size candy bars. I may as well book my dentist and my weight-loss program appointment now because there is no way these 56 bars will still be here in a week. Mark my words.