Halloween 2008

I had been starting to physically not feel like myself. My stomach hurt a lot. It was usually the same type of pain, but some times it was worse than other times. I woke up to a really sharp pain in my stomach just before 6:00 on Halloween morning. It was a Saturday and my shift at Target started at 8:00. I spent most of the morning in the bathroom. Luckily, I felt better with enough time to pull myself together. I took a quick shower and headed to work.

The only thing that made me feel like it was Halloween was being at Target! Back in Newburg, the day of Halloween or the day before, if Halloween fell on a weekend, we had class parties. The year before, Hess, put on a haunted house and games for the school and community. It was a great! No one at the school I taught at the day before was able to dress-up or bring candy. When I got to Target, it was time to start condensing all the Halloween costumes, candy, clothes, and décor into fewer aisles. I was put in charge of it. I love organizing and this was right up my alley! It was hard to work around all the people because why would anyone get candy and costumes before the day of Halloween?!? Before I knew it, it was 4:30 and it was time for me to go home! I had to hand off my work to a couple other teammates and I was bummed that I couldn’t stay to keep organizing. I was told that there would be plenty leftover Halloween items, and I could continue my job in the morning!

Lawyerboy was hanging out at home. We had thought about going to a Halloween party, but we hadn’t decided on a costume. Plus, I had to work at 8:00 the next morning, and I hadn’t been able to eat more than a banana at work, so we decided to enjoy our evening together. It was really great to relax, watch TV, and do nothing for a few hours!

Most of us have our favorite things to eat or drink when we aren’t feeling well and have that empty stomach feeling. Orange juice with citrus soda is always great. Another one I like is Jell-O, and not premade Jell-O that you buy in the store! I love my Mom’s Jell-O recipe. My brother and my cousin, Sarah, are probably the two biggest fans of Mom’s Jell-O! Sarah would ask my mom for the recipe and said she could never get it to taste like hers! She even made her mom, my Aunt Mary, buy a Tupperware container like my mom’s because she thought that was the secret! I think the container does contribute to the texture, but there really isn’t a secret. It is water, gelatin, and Jell-O! It is so simple. No baking necessary!

Mom’s Jell-O

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Makes: 15 Jell-O squares (or more or less depending upon size!)

1 box (4 packages) gelatin

9 ounces flavored Jell-O

1 cup cold water

3 cups hot water

In a small bowl, pour in four packages of gelatin. Add one cup of cold water and mix together. It will appear thick and gloopy. In a saucepan, boil three cups of water. While the water is heating, add nine ounces of your choice of flavored Jell-O to a medium-sized bowl. Once the water boils, slowly add the water to the Jell-O. Then, carefully add the cold mixture to the warm, colored mixture. Stir until smooth. Add it to a square or rectangular container. I us a 13 X 9 Tupperware container like my mom! Cover it. Put it in the refrigerator until it sets. Cut it into squares. I cut 15 to 20 squares when they are for a crowd. When it is just Lawyerboy and I, it is more like 8 to 10!