Last night was all about a return to childhood (because in spite of what you might assume, one does NOT need to have kids – or even access to kids – in order to enjoy childlike delights!) as Peter and I spent a fun evening with a friend, her carving kit, and four unsuspecting pumpkins.
Unfortunately, we found out last night that some of the pumpkins we’d chosen had started to turn soft in the time between buying and carving. You’d think they’d keep for two weeks in a cool garage, but I guess they’d been sitting for too long before we brought them home. Still, we – rather, they (because I can’t take any credit for the end results!) managed to create three terrific Jack-o’-lanterns for us to display on the front porch tomorrow night:
Peter’s Jack-o’-lantern is on the left, and our friend carved the two on the right. Spooky!
So what happened to my pumpkin? Well, I tried to work on it, but it was one of the ones that had started to turn, and as I scraped out the insides big chunks of the soft parts kept breaking off the bottom and sides until it threatened to topple over. I finally gave up on the carving part of the party and headed to the kitchen to dispose of four pumpkins’ worth of guts and then bake a puddle cake for the three of us to enjoy with some tea, post-carving.
All was not lost, though – first off, because UNEXPECTED CAKE!… and secondly, in spite of its mushiness my pumpkin cooperated in giving me a photo that I’m really quite pleased with.
Perhaps it’s silly to find joy in an evening of pumpkin carving, but the evening made me realize just how much I am blessed – with a husband who is game for silliness, with friends who have an endless supply of great ideas and a tremendous capacity for fun, with a home available for entertaining and three insane cats to provide the floor show.
It may not be what others would choose, but I love my life.
Did you carve a pumpkin this year?
Please share!
