The Evil Around Us and Being Too Old to Trick or Treat?

Ahhh Halloween, a time for carving pumpkins, crunchy leaves, scary movies and most importantly trick or treating with friends and family! While trick or treating has been a Halloween favorite for many kids, teens and even some young adults, some neighborhoods in Atlanta and the surrounding counties are banning children 8 and over from trick or treating at their house!! Crazy to think that a time would come when trick or treating would be banned for some age groups and that you would actually be turned away for trick or treating at age 12.

I came upon this interesting piece of information this morning as I was watching Fox 5 before work and enjoying my breakfast. The title of the story was "How Old Is Too Old to Trick or Treat?" The crew at Fox 5 allowed some of the viewers to answer this question and many of them stated that as long as the children or young adults were not causing harm or trouble then how cared if they went trick or treating. What do you all think about this issue? Would you turn people away from your door if they were over the age of 8?

While this issue may seem absurd and believe me it is. However the reason this was put in place by some neighborhoods was simply because of sex offenders. All sex offenders in the Atlanta area and surrounding areas were forced to report back to jail on October 30-31st while most children are out trick or treating. For parents and espeically the over protective parents this might be music to their ears yet a little crazy in my opinion. The government will now have to spend extra to feed, cloth and shelter these men during their two day stay in prison until the Halloween season passes. I understand that more children are out on Halloween then any other night of the year and county officials want to be on the safe side and "cover their asses" but this is craziness. My brothers and I trick or treated well above the age of 8 cap off and we were perfectly fine (my daddy always went with us). We were never bothered by older men and we always trick or treated in safe, well known neighborhoods. While we were out loading up on candy my mommy was home giving out candy and never once complained about the older children (over the age of 8) who came to join in on the fun.

As like every other holiday, event or debate in America and especially 2015 people have tried to take the fun out of innocent events or make a mountain out of a nonexistent mole hill. In my book, no one is ever too old for trick or treating. Everyone should be able to freely from door to door and ask for candy no matter your age or gender. And lastly, and some may strongly disagree with me but here I go...parents, if you are so worried about your children coming in contact with a sex offender on Halloween while trick or treating then go with them (what a bright idea (sarcasm))!! The men/women that have been listed has registered sex offenders are roaming the streets the other 363 days of the year and the other 2 days they are behind bars so your children can enjoy Halloween.

I see both sides, I do I really do, hear me say that but when did every single holiday turn into a debate. Next they'll be saying no one over the age of 8 can sit on Santa Clause's lap in the mall. 2015 has been the year of sensitivity and absurdity in the news. Evil exists in this world everyday and locking up the sex offenders for 2 nights might make parents feels better but it will not stop bad things from happening to your children (however God forbid) Lets change that in 2016 and go back to enjoying Halloween for what it is no matter what age you are. If you ring my doorbell tomorrow evening I will give you some candy.

Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia

It's beginning to look a lot like fall! The leaves are changing colors and slowly falling, sweaters are making a reappearance after months of being tucked away and all of the basic Betty's are shouting, "I scream, You scream, We all scream for PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES". Yes...fall is in full swing and Halloween is just t-minus 2 days away.

Because I enjoy every major holiday and plan to celebrate it to the fullest I love going to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, decorating the house for Halloween and so much more. While I was able to do all of the above, I also did something very different this fall/Halloween season and that was, going to Helen, Ga to attend their Oktoberfest. I had never been to Helen before but I must say, if you enjoy beer, yummy German food and atmosphere with a side of cheesiness then Helen needs to be your next destination!!

A few short weeks ago, my boyfriend, Joey Timbers and I made the quick decision to make a day trip to Helen to partake in their Oktoberfest. My parents made a trip back in the late 90's and told us about the adorable town of Helen and how it resembled a small German town in the mountains. Because we live in Atlanta, the drive to Helen was only an hour and a half drive. Upon arrival we were greeted by a small "German" town that was completely decorated for fall and Halloween.

Our first stop in Helen was some lunch at Heidleberg where Joey enjoyed some good German sausage and I on the other hand (the more picky eater) enjoyed a good old fashioned burger. After lunch we decided to do a little shopping before entering the Oktoberfest tent. Our first store happened to be a little country "redneck" store with thousands of t-shirts. At this small store Joey and I actually bought something (even though we were a tad embarrassed). I purchased a t-shirt for my 21 year old conservative, patriot and America loving brother and Joey purchased a t-shirt and a koozie with the confederate flag. To say the least, we fit in with the people of Helen a little better after our purchases. Next few stores we popped into reminded me of places in Gattlinberg, Tennessee because everything was so cheap and cheesy.

When we had finished poking around in the stores we decided it was time to hit the Oktoberfest tent...the whole reason we came to Helen! Once we had entered I was delighted to discover that one of the beers on the Oktoberfest menu included Strongbow. Strongbow, for those of you who do not know is a cider beer that is absolutely delicious. Finally, beers in hand we went to find a spot to listen to some live music and enjoy the crowd!

The crowd at Oktoberfest was definitely a mix to say the least, your average folks and then some people who were a completely different breed. We both agreed that watching the crazy, drunk and wild partakers in Oktoberfest was the funniest thing we had seen in a while. When we had had enough beer we decided to visit the local art gallery of Helen. There we came in contact with some gorgeous pieces of art from local artists. Most of the art portrayed actual places throughout the mountains of Helen, Georgia. I wanted to buy a piece of art from the local gallery but the pieces were a little out of my price range.

To lift my spirits of not being able to buy any expensive art we stopped by Hansel and Gretel to pick out some handmade chocolate. We ended up purchasing 3 yummy milk chocolate and caramel truffles and 3 milk chocolate with almonds and coconut truffles; they were simply delicious and a good end to our day in Helen.

For those of you who have not been to Helen, Georgia I recommend the trip if you are looking for a fun day trip. Helen, Georgia's small German town and Oktoberfest will now be a new fall/Halloween tradition that Joey and I carry on for years to come.