Guru Goddess

The Great Pumpkin was thought up by Peanuts creator Charles Schultz. One of his most memorable characters, Linus Van Pelt, tries to convince all of his friends that they should wait in a creepy old pumpkin patch instead of going door to door for their treats.

Of course, they ignore him except for Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally. She is so love-struck that she can’t see the pumpkin poo for the starts in her eyes. But, even she has her limits. Year after year, she is left with no candy and itchy arms from spending the night in the pumpkin patch. I wonder if her parents knew where she was.

Many parents have endeavored to solve their kid’s curiosity with a little Great Pumpkin action of their own. Instead of waking up to the horror that their kids have snuck off to sit in a pumpkin patch all night, they have used the Great Pumpkin idea to start their own holiday traditions.

Kids who donate part of their candy haul for a good cause will get a visit from the Great Pumpkin. He will take the donated candy and leave a toy or some cash in its place. Hey, no one can eat all that candy and they get good stuff out of the deal.

There are other ways for the Great Pumpkin to manifest himself during the fall months. Maybe the Great Pumpkin actually takes over for the Tooth Fairy so she can go on vacation for a few months. Who knows? I guess we’ll all find out this fall if Linus was right.

We have heard of the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus, but what about the Great Pumpkin? The only one rumored to have seen him has no corroborating witness to validate the claim. Does he really exist?

This issue needs to be resolved once and for all. It started with Charles Schultz and a little boy named Linus, but it has taken on a life of its own. Now, all kids want to know the origins of the Great Pumpkin.

According to Linus, the Great Pumpkin visits all of the pumpkin patches around the world. He appears to the one who has the best pumpkin patch in his opinion. The kids waiting for him will receive candy and treats for their efforts.

First of all, kids don’t grow pumpkins. They may have started off by planting the seeds, but most of the day to day work is done by the adults. So, why do the kids get all the fun?

Kids can do wonders with pumpkins if they are given the chance. When fall finally arrives, let them see what they can do with pumpkins and pumpkin images.

Small pumpkins are so cute. They sit over in the produce section looking like holiday decorations. They look more like gourds than a form of squash/gourd.

Buy a few of these tiny pumpkins and bring them home to your kids. They are too small for carving but each one of those pumpkins can have a unique face. Using non-toxic paint, allow the kids to decorate those pumpkins.

Besides paint, kids can use squiggly eyes, pipe cleaners, glue, construction paper, and other accessories to turn those pumpkins into great table centerpieces or household decorations for fall. Using non-toxic pain allows you to skin the pumpkins and cut them up later to be used in food dishes.

These tiny pumpkins resist bruising and dents. Use them for outdoor fall games instead of the bigger pumpkins. Try a pumpkin toss or pumpkin bowling. Be sure to conduct any pumpkin games on grass or other soft surfaces to avoid damage to your pumpkins.

The majority of the work is done. Kids also like to come up with their own designs for pumpkin carvings and they can use the same method. With kids and most adults, the better choice for carving would be a pumpkin carving kit.

Pumpkin carving kits take into account the fact that we are clumsy people. No one wants to end up with body parts inside the pumpkin. The tools are great for slicing through the soft flesh of a pumpkin but friendly to our fingers and hands. As always, when using any sort of cutting tool, cut away from the body to avoid accidents.

Electric carving tools are available on the market. This simplifies the process even more. Just turn in on and let it do all the work. Don’t let the tool get away from you or it will shred your pumpkin before you can say, “Boo!”

Pumpkin carving is a time honored tradition for fall. Towns that hold fall festivals award major prizes for the best carving in each of several categories. Just because you are not the Rembrandt of pumpkin carving doesn’t mean the prize for Funniest Looking or Most Original won’t go to you.

Pumpkin carving doesn’t have to be a hard task. The purpose is to have fun and create something new and exciting. Following a few safety precautions means a safer autumn activity for all involved.

Fall is fast approaching and that means pumpkins. As far as the eye can see, fields will be filled with the orange colored delights. Thousands of pumpkins will be carved this year for contests and the front porch. Here are some ideas to make pumpkin carving less of a mess and more fun.

For the novice, it is enough to be able to cut out a design that others can recognize. Most people take any old pumpkin and a kitchen knife that could slice off their nose to practice their pumpkin carving skills. This is a mistake many of us make.

First, deciding on the size and scope of the design for the pumpkin determines the size and shape of the pumpkin used. Elaborate scenes (usually out of the expertise of an amateur) may require a fat squat looking pumpkin. Witches on brooms do well with tall thinner pumpkins.

Draw the design on a piece of tracing paper. Using tracing paper makes it easier to see through to the pumpkin when it comes time to transfer the design. Using an X-acto blade or a sharp knife, score the pumpkin through the design on the paper. Scoring makes carving a lot simpler. And, simple is what we are going for.