By Michele D. Baker
To my mind, the “holiday season” begins with Halloween. That was just a few days ago, and now we’re in the full swing of all the autumn and winter fun. Then, Thanksgiving!
There is lots to love about November. The first day, All Saints Day, seems somehow like a cleansing from the decadence I personally enjoy in October. That was the month when I indulged my love of horror movies, ate too much candy, and – usually unnecessarily – dragged my winter clothes out of the closet.
Now that November has officially arrived, I’m grateful for a fresh start. The air is cooler, the skies are that amazing shade of blue that only happens in the autumn, and we start heading into soup season – in my humble opinion, the best food season of all!
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With the fresh, new start comes a month to focus on gratitude. Although ideally we should be grateful every day, I really remember and focus on it in November. The thanks begin on Veterans Day, when I think of my late father and my uncle, who were both drafted into the Army during the Vietnam war. Two of my male cousins are Marines (one earned a Purple Heart), and one female cousin joined the Army this summer and has recently graduated from basic training. I salute them all, and all men and women of the armed forces, past and present. Thank you for your service.
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At the end of November is the “Superbowl” of gratitude: Thanksgiving. This year my family is going a different route, food-wise. Instead of the traditional turkey and mashed potatoes, each person is going to bring his or her favorite dish and we’re going to enjoy the lot, whether they go well together or not. Who knows? We might end up with seven pumpkin pies (or a pumpkin pie cheesecake) and a bag of candy corn! In any case, I am grateful we will be together as a family.
No matter how you celebrate this beautiful month and its beautiful holidays, I wish you fair skies, juicy turkey, and a heart full of love.
Until next month,
