We were going to have a special Hallowe'en "edition" of WaldenCabin.com, but you know what? I don't want to add to the hype. After all, what is this obsession with Hallowe'en anyway? Funny how a date celebrating ghoul and ghosts, gore and death has become the number one "holiday" for kids. Don't be fooled into thinking Christmas is numero uno; everyone gets something out of that holiday.

I've been watching the pumpkin lights go up in my neighbourhood all month long. You know the ones, inspired by Christmas but with tiny jackolanterns. Some people had them up and plugged in on October 1 -- let's call it "All Hallow's Month". I have to admit that I really like the houses that have kids' crafts pasted to the inside of livingroom windows, like the black bats cut out of construction paper, wings made perfectly symmetrical by folding the paper in half while cutting. A neighbour has a tombstone-shaped sign planted on his lawn. It says: Izzy Deadyet. Our friend Linda spent a few hours this afternoon decking out her suburban house for tomorrow's onslaught. Jasper and I went over this afternoon with a hidden agenda: to raid her candy supply. When we arrived, Linda was trying to decide if she was crossing the line by using the costumes her kids had outgrown as part of her outdoor decorations. She was thinking of stuffing them with newspaper and hanging them from trees.

I was also shocked to learn that Linda won't even be home to greet the hoardes that parade to her door. Get this: She leaves bowls of goodies outside her door with a little note: "One per visit, please". I guess there's hope for civilization after all -- an honour system among greedy ghouls (aka preteen kids high on sugar). I'm keeping her place in mind in case I run out of treats at my house -- we can always swing by Linda's to stock up.

>> Check out Suzy's (aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) list
of Hallowe'en links.

URGENT: Pickle recall

Walden Cabin readers have brought to our attention that the Walden Cabin Mustard Pickles recipe posted here recently is flawed! Margaret and Phoebe from Charlottetown contacted us first, noting that the recipe should call for vinegar. (Gram Phoebe has a competing pickle recipe, so we had to take her comments with a grain of pickling salt.) Then Karen from Toronto wrote to ask why there was no mustard in our mustard pickle recipe. Bob in Boston was reached just in time to avert certain mishap as he contacted us yesterday to confirm ingredients. Suddenly we had a crisis on our hands.

Reached at her home in Borden, PEI, Gram Nicholson confirmed the gaffe in our pickle posting. "Yes, dear, I would say that leaving the mustard out would make one terrible mess of pickles. Goodness gracious sakes, I wouldn't serve them at my table!"

We apologize for the inconvenience. Watch this site for an updated recipe soon!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Only during the last week of October, and only in recent years, do you find Satan's pitchforks and nativity scenes for sale in the same aisle at the dollar store. Our society seems increasingly obsessed with occasion-as-distraction. The evidence is the overlap. What we need is less occasion, and more absurdity. Heck, there's enough of it in the news! The greatest military and economic power ever on Earth is starting its fourth week of bombing of a third world country. All reports indicate "it's going well". No wonder everyone is smiling, and public morale is so high. Yay team!

Let's find new things to do to break from the routine: Like brushing your teeth while holding your toothbrush with your other hand (not the one you're used to), or throwing out all those unmatched pairs of socks. Just throw them out!! I stuck a giraffe in my tin of coffee the other day, and I just love it.