December is finally here. Our snowbird friends have joined us for the winter, and we’re buckling in for various holiday celebrations and bracing ourselves for the continuance of dropping temperatures. You may have started planning out your month between finances, travel and managing the dwindling hours of sunlight in order to stay organized during the jolliest time of the year. You might also be wondering what would make a perfect gift for that one person (or people) that seem to be impossible to shop for.
November has always been a favorite month of mine. Growing up in the Midwest, it always meant that the weather was officially set for cozy holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and the new year. The cold November rain that Axl Rose so passionately described is in full affect, making it perfect weather to curl into a plush throw blanket and pick up that psycho-thriller novel you’ve been working on for, well, too long.
With autumn well under way, October promises cooler temperatures for Floridians and the hope for less rain than September gave us. Not only does the weather begin to make its seasonal pivot, but this month means the start of the rich, cozy holiday season—starting with Halloween, or Día de Muertos for those practicing Mexican culture, moving to Thanksgiving and finally December’s family-oriented holiday celebrations.
My most comforting memories involve family, specifically time spent with my grandparents. When I was younger, I would spend a weekend here and there at their house. My grandma would pick me up on a Friday from my parents’ house and we would go to our local Meijer. I would “help” her do the grocery shopping for the week.
