Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Boo Bags

Boo bags have been completed and distributed to the neighbors (number 8 on The List!)

Last night after I put dinner in the oven I grabbed the kitchen timer, we loaded up Dash's wagon with the bags and did a tour of the neighborhood.

For bag decoration I used Martha's Halloween Lethal Libations labels as a starting point, but I swapped out the boozy language for something more appropriate for cookies.

I printed the poems onto sticker paper and adhered them to craft labels.

Each Boo bag contained some Halloween-shaped sugar cookies, double truffle brownies & devils food cookies with sprinkles (all baked by moi.)

We got caught by three neighbors and even had a chance to chat a little (while dinner burned in the oven).

I have such an incredibly hard time reaching out to new people. I never know what to say, and whatever I do manage haunts me usually for weeks afterward. Did she know I was making a joke? Did he know I wasn't hitting on him? Did I say her name wrong? It's an endless source of anxiety for me, so more often than not I opt to wave and smile but keep walking.

But we're planning to make our new neighborhood our permanent home. We want to create a community for ourselves and, more importantly, for Dash. And that requires me to challenge myself by actually meeting people. And then talking to them. And maybe even socializing (eek!).

For some people the path to growth is to climb a mountain when they're scared of heights. To give a speech when they're phobic about public speaking. To run a marathon when they don't like exercise. This is my path to growth. To bake cookies and then deliver them to people. And then maybe come over for a drink when invited. I guess I can keep trying to manage it.

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

Love, love, LOVE the boo bags! SO adorable!

Also squealed with delight at the Halloween card...cutest Batman EVER.