I have to admit - I was very fortunate. Not everyone's mom cooked - even though in my day moms were home all day and didn't work. I swear my mom never slept - always cooking and baking.

Those memories are very precious. The house must have always smelled wonderful.

That is the biggest reason I love to go all out on Halloween. My nieces will always remember Aunt Janie taking along hot chocolate, bananas and cookies when they trick or treated and snapping pics the whole time. Then going to Papaw Frank's for pizza, chips, cookies, cupcakes and pop. Before they go home they get their candy buckets I have for them. My Mom's sisters never had a kind word for us so I always make sure and tell my nieces all of the time that I think they are beautiful and smart. My little sister remembers tons of things I used to do like that for her when she was a kid and does them all with her girls.

Children need encouraging words - my babies are having a tough time - their mom is going thru a lot and their dad and his new wife are very cruel - I'm the only one they can depend on - I do their homework with them, praise them, compliment them, make things for them, take them places - what a real gram would do (even tho we are not related in any way) - they don't have a gram to do all that - so I do it and I love it. We may not be blood - but we are closer than blood! they have many wonderful memories that I've given them and I will do it until I die.