and a spooky house.
Even the woods near Westport had that grey, wintry, look that makes you think dark, melancholy thoughts.
Hallowe'en is on everyone's mind, it seems. And so is Hallowe'en candy. The problem is that I'm a chocoholic. I LOOOOVE chocolate. It doesn't even have to be the good stuff. A Coffee Crisp will turn me on almost as much as an expensive truffle. I lose control around chocolate.
So, my coping strategy is avoidance. I almost never have chocolate in the house and I almost never allow myself to have even a single taste. I can't ever stop at just one bite.
So, what's a chocoholic to do at this time of year?
Buy wool. That's right. Replace one indulgence with another, especially since wool has numerous advantages over chocolate.
1. Warmth. While both wool and chocolate can warm you in the cold, let's face it, a wool sweater, mitts, hat, scarf, and socks can get you through an October night in a broken-down car in the middle of nowhere, while the rush from chocolate is short lived.
2. Looks. Wool is beautiful and you feel more beautiful when you wear it. Chocolate just leaves your fingers gooey and (especially when eaten in the car) your clothes messy.
3. Durability. That chocolate treat beckoning from the goodie basket will be gone in minutes. Your wool/silk gloves will be with you forever (so long as you don't drop them onto the floor of a movie theatre or leave them in some moth-infested dark drawer).
4. Health. However much the chocolate industry tries to convince us that chocolate (at least the dark stuff) is good for us, the medical experts usually end up raining on their parade by announcing that the negatives (in the form of sugar and calories) outweigh the positives. Wool is sugar free!
5. Sheer fun. OK, so chocolate birthday cake is undeniably fun, but think of the HOURS of fun you get from a skein of Fleece Artist. Wool wins again.
About the only thing to be said for chocolate is that it's (usually) cheaper than wool. But you don't have to break the bank when buying wool. Go to sales and yarn swaps, make big shawls with fine yarn, look for classic wools that just happen to be amazing bargains, like this (that's right, 430 yds for $5.80!)
What did I do today to satisfy my cravings? I bought all this.
Then, I drove home and ate a Kit-Kat.
