THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610240036
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 55 lines
NOT TOO BIG, not too small. Not too round, not too tall.
Wait. It's just a pumpkin, after all.
Don't tell that to the Maffei family.
All six of them drove from Norfolk clear to Virginia Beach to find the perfect pumpkin.
And now here they are, in this pumpkin patch, insulting pumpkins right and left.
``This one looks like a strawberry,'' says Connie Maffei.
Travis, 8, and Daniel, 7, climb over pallets of pumpkins and work their skinny arms to hold up first one, then another for Mother's approval.
She's a tough customer.
``I don't think so,'' says Connie, turning up her nose first at a lopsided number, then at one that could have used another week or two on the vine. ``No, not that one, either. It's too small.''
Jacob, 2, walks wide-eyed on chubby legs through the field at Hunt Club Farm Market. Every now and then he bends over to touch one, his mouth goes slack in wonder and his pacifier falls out on the ground.
Little Chelsea, 3, scampers through the pumpkins, picking up the ones no bigger than grapefruits. Overwhelmed at some, she plants kisses on their ridgy, orange cheeks.
``This one,'' she chirps, holding up another mini, ``I waaaaant it.''
``No, honey, we've got one just like that in the van,'' says Mom. ``Besides, look, it's got a boo-boo.''
The hunt goes on.
Gene Maffei watches as his wife and kids try to find the one he'll carve into a jack-o'-lantern.
Too pimply. Too flat in back. Too big. Too small. Too wrinkled.
Mom presses on. And then makes a find.
``Now this one, I like the stem,'' she says, pondering. ``It almost has too many wrinkles to cut through. But we'll take it.''
Travis and Daniel will dress up as Ninjas this Halloween. Jacob is going as Barney. Chelsea hasn't decided - maybe Esmeralda.
Dad looks up to find Chelsea's feet hovering above the pumpkins.
``Travis,'' he orders, ``put her down. Don't choke her.''
As the Maffeis head for the weigh-in, Jacob takes a detour and steps ankle-deep into rotted pumpkin goo. Mom snaps open the travel-size case of baby wipes she's been carrying through the field like an evening clutch. No purse, just the wipes. You just never know.
Feet clean, sneakers trashed, Jacob waves bye-bye to the pumpkin patch. The Maffeis' gourd came to 22 pounds. Big enough for Dad to carve a lot of grin into. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
KRYS STEFANSKY
The Maffeis (Gene and Connie and two of their children, Daniel and
Travis) weigh their choice, a 22-pounder. by CNB