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There is no question at our house-November has arrived. A cold chill has
settled over the area, and frost covers the ground and rooftops. Snow
glistens on distant mountaintops, and soon it will act as a warm blanket
protecting plants in my yard.
This time of year, I can't help but want to put on a pot of stew, bake
an apple pie, throw an afghan over me, and cozy down in my favorite
chair by the fire to read a good book. But woe is me, I'm on a diet (as
usual) so no pie. My dear neighbor just lost his wife to cancer last
month and I'm sure some stew, and a big chunk of hot apple pie would be
a blessing to him. That takes care of my share-
The seasons seem to come quickly these days, could it be because I'm
sixty, (and at the end of this month have another lousy birthday?) Well,
I won't dwell on that subject because inside I feel no more than thirty.
It's those poor folks who have to see me from the outside who realize
I'm older than I think...
November will bring the first big holiday of the season celebrated with
family and friends. I love this time of year-another excuse to eat?
Thanksgiving is a marvelous time to reflect back on our ancestors, the
pilgrims, and how much they sacrificed to settle in the new world. Can
you imagine preparing that first meal celebrating the end of
harvest-wild turkey, corn on the cob, potatoes and gravy, sweet biscuits
with lots of melting butter, squash, and turnip greens? And don't forget
those punkin' pies-my mouth is watering. Can you see Indians and white
people joined together as friends at this great feast? And with hands
clasped tightly over heaping plates to give our Lord His due? Ah, yes, I
can just picture it!
My grown children have taken over the BIG DAY, and do all the hard work
while I contribute a dish or two they favor. Taking time to relax, talk,
and reminisce is my greatest duty now-not a difficult task for me. My
Stephen enjoys the camaraderie with the fellas too. Though he's more on
the quiet side, he loves playing card games, and swapping tales about
golf, jobs, and the latest car models.
It makes me sad in modern times that Thanksgiving has all but been
forgotten in the mad dash to commercialize Christmas. I don't know about
you readers, but out where I live, Christmas decorations and gifts are
up in stores by September, far, far too soon for my liking. It used to
be, in the good ol' days, (as us kids past fifty have a tendency to say
just like our parents and grandparents before us), Christmas ads and
decorations were begun on the Friday after Thanksgiving. No stores
decorations or TV ads were in sight until that day, starting the
Christmas season off right and to last only four, fun-filled weeks. Now,
I'm so tired of being bombarded with Christmas ads and music by the time
Christmas Day arrives, I just want it all to end and let me return to
some kind of normalcy. And another thing, (while I'm still on my
soapbox), where is Jesus in all this hoopla? Some in government don't
even want to acknowledge that it's a Christian holiday-But they sure
want the two weeks off from work for their 'Winter Holiday' as they now
have christened it. Bah-humbug! Christ is the reason for the
season...period!
But I digress. Here is a poem you might enjoy to get you in the mood for
winter's chill:
WINTER
House stands in mock defiance
of blustery winds that blow,
ice crystals pelting windowpanes,
precede the winter's snow
Barren limbs-stretch to sky,
frost hardened furrowed fields
await the winter season,
anxious for spring yields
Landscapes agonize for change,
snow flurries soon appear,
covering white dear Mother Earth
at closure of each year...
***
Rosy cheeked with
numbing lips, we bundle 'gainst the cold, frozen ponds bid winter games
that never shall grow old Nestled 'neath our Granny's quilts while
fireplace crackles warm, tranquil peace now settles thru' winter wind
and storm.
(c)2001
Don't be afraid to listen to the Angel on your shoulder.
Granny Tam |
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