Living Outside The Lines: Farewell To Candy Season

Please do not throw shoes, I know many will find this abnormal, but chocolate is no big deal for me. However, during candy season, I am a sucker for Reese’s and Snickers in seasonal shapes…

Becky J Miller | Exclusive to Corridor News

Taste buds are interesting little receptors, everyone has them, but not all are created equal. Some tasters are partial to sweet while others prefer salty. Some despise liver while others consider it a delicacy. Mine are surely kin to Cookie Monster’s as his are partial to, “COOKIES!” Mine absolutely adore, “SUGAR!” mostly in the form of candy which is why the turning of the post-Easter calendar is such a solemn event in the Miller household.

Candy Season launches around Labor Day when stores begin stocking for Halloween and lasts a glorious six whole months! It comes to a screeching halt around March or April when all of the candy related holidays are no more.

Please do not throw shoes, I know many will find this abnormal, but chocolate is no big deal for me. However, during candy season, I am a sucker for Reese’s and Snickers in seasonal shapes. For example, Reese’s Halloween pumpkins are the best!!! Never, outside of candy season do I buy Reese’s, but I am convinced the recipe during candy season is somehow different. The same can be said for Snickers, they just taste better in the form of Valentine’s hearts.

While many of the holiday candies are simply regular every day selections repackaged, some are found only during their respective holiday. Mellow crème pumpkins are the first treats I look for when candy season begins, followed by Christmas Nougats, Conversation Hearts, and Cadbury Eggs.

I blame my Gran Becky (who I am named after) for my addiction to sugar. I have yet to meet a Thomson woman who doesn’t like sweets: my grandmother, mother, aunts and cousins. It’s definitely a familial trait. We all like chocolate ice cream too, but I digress.

The sweet loving gene was dominant in my three children as well, and transferred to my husband by association. During candy season, they would all fuss at me for keeping the candy jars fully stocked, but interestingly, the stock dwindled almost over night. Now that the kids are grown, I am forced to either simply not purchase any, #horrors, eat it all myself, #notgoingtohappen, or share with my coworkers, #nowthereisaplan.

Brach’s makes the best jellybeans and while they are available outside of candy season, they are harder to find. Once after we’d devoured the third or fourth bag of the season my husband asked, “Do we need to restock the crack?” Umm no, I think it may be time for an intervention. This year I’ve shown incredible restraint, only purchasing one bag, which I immediately took to work for sharing.

The conclusion of Candy Season causes my heart to ache with sadness and long for it’s quick return next Fall. My bathroom scales, and swimsuits however rejoice and wish a fond good riddance of the saboteurs to my waistline.

Until Next Time,
Becky J Miller
“Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.