DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Here;s a picture of the moon from last year.  Kind of looks like a Jack O'"lantern    Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. The Legend of "Stingy Jack"    People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy ...

  Now that you've chosen the perfect pumpkin, carved a flawless design into the pumpkin and made it into a Halloween jack-o-lantern, how do you keep the pumpkin fresh until Halloween?  You must keep your pumpkin hydrated, and there are several ways of doing that.  Here are some tips for keeping your jack-o-lantern just-carved fresh until Halloween.  After you have carved the jack-o-lantern design into your pumpkin, coat the cut edges and the inside of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly.  Good old Vaseline will help seal in the moisture of the pumpkin and extend the life of your jack-o-lantern.  Vegetable oil can be used instead of Vaseline, or spray the inside of the pumpkin with hair spray.  Either of the three will seal in moisture and keep your pumpkin fresh until Halloween.  If the cut edges of your jack-o-lantern have begun to curl, soak the pumpkin in a tub of water overnight to re-hydrate it.  After remo...