Halloween is a great time. We get to dress up as characters, usually a character we always wanted to be. My son is a HUGE fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Almost as much as I am. This year he wanted to be Frodo. He lived his fantasy despite the fact that he was in bed with the flu for two days prior. He was still weak and only made it to a few houses before wanting to go home, but he lived in his costume for days. He was as content as any child who returned from a night of walking & door knocking with a pillow case full of candy, though he only had a few pieces collected. It was the role he was playing, not the reward that he cared about. Yes, I am one proud mama!
One stop on the list was Aunt Sue's house, across the street. Who says you have to be going out to dress up???
Grandma Cecille joined him on Halloween.
As for me, I enjoy hanging out at the Texas Renaissance Festival, where normally mature & responsible adults dress up, live out their own character fantasies, and escape the mundane life of a working world. Again, Lord of the Rings was present in the shops in the form of weapons for sale, statues to admire, and props to decorate with. Fantasies are good, they keep us sane. As our pediatrician said to me after the death of my second daughter, we need the escape, to get away for a while & take a break from the painful reality of those things we suffer through in life. 
This little cutie pie was absolutely fearless! She flew as high as I did & asked for more!
Sauron, the dark lord of Mordor.
Just practicing my skills with the blade!
This daddy & his little girl were just too cute not to get a picture of them!
My view looking up as I laid in the grass for nap in the middle of the day
So with that I'll ask each of you readers this question:
What escape do you retreat to when life gets mean?
Coming up next... Part 3: Friendship
