The Perfect Thanksgiving III

Here we are again!  Another Thanksgiving come and gone.  This year I must say was very interesting.  For one, the Mister was not here.  He went off to surprise his parents in Kansas.  For two, I did not host dinner at my house.  I know.  Weird.  Practically un-American huh?  You know, this year I just didn't have it in me. It has been a long, emotionally draining year.  The tank is a little low people.   Long before I even knew Mister would be in the land of Oz, just thinking about cooking, and making my house company presentable and all the other craziness that comes with me doing dinner made me tired and long for a nap.

Now come on, if you have been reading my blog then you know I love Thanksgiving and well, am the Hostess with the Mostest.... (The Perfect Thanksgiving II and The Perfect Thanksgiving I   Honestly at first everything just seemed off and not right about not hosting.  For a very brief, and I do mean brief-second, I felt guilty. Like I was betraying the day and everyone in the family!  Like I said, that was brief.

They day turned out perfect, even though I didn't see my dad (he got sick just before he was to come by), my daughter in law and Grand baby weren't there (Grand baby knows her limitations and told her mom and dad she needed a nap, and DIL broke bread with her family), and The Mister was in the land of Oz.  This was the first time in our 25+ years together that we weren't together for a holiday, and I miss him terribly.

I woke up later than I had wanted, got the potato salad and cake (the only things I was responsible for...) done later than I wanted, but hey they got done! Dinner was fabulous, I love my family so much.  I have to say though, the BEST parts of the day really were simple.  Cooking with the youngest son and talking about life, pretending not to peek at the way he makes salmon...the best rosemary salmon ever I might add.  Witnessing his stroke of genius idea to make champagne cupcakes...hilarious!  He is so smart, and so funny.  It was absolutely priceless.   The second part was hanging out with the Grand baby after dinner.  She and I decorated the Christmas tree and let me tell you, the look in her eyes when she opened the boxes and saw the ornaments...words can't describe, you just would have had to be there.  We talked and she told me where to put the ornaments (though at one point she was calling them 'decorates' instead of ornaments).

The day is gone now.  We completed our task of decorating the tree.  Right now Grand baby is sleeping soundly next to me.  I had grand plans to go to the craft store with her in tow but decided that was not going to be the best thing to do after she told me she didn't want to go.  Something about Brown Thursday, craft store and late hours with a 3 year old didn't sound too appealing to me either.

In a few hours we will wake up and start a new adventure.  We have a few more things to buy for the tree, she asked if we can buy an ornament for her sister Tatiana who is due to be born in February.  She didn't think it fair that her brother and sister who are in heaven got ornaments but Tatiana didn't.  I didn't even know where to take that conversation so I just told her okay, we will go get one and she can choose it.  Yep, priming the pump because I can already see the resistance when she realizes we are going to the the craft store!   I can't wait see what wonders await us.  I am so grateful that it was another perfect Thanksgiving.

Seasons

The past few days of early November of 2010 have been beautiful.  Even though it is well into fall, the sky is blue, the weather warm and balmy.  With eyes closed, one could imagine a early summer afternoon.  The winds are blustery, but not too much so that the day couldn't be enjoyed.  I love the colors. Gold, burgundy, red, dark green, orange. The colors are so alive and vivid.   My eyes can't get enough.  I find myself walking with my head up, watching the color scape go by and just wanting fall to never end so I can just enjoy the amazing colors and sensations, a treat for the senses.  Being a La Nina year, it has brought us a mild summer, and led us into a beautiful autumn season. Endless Indian Summer.  It is definitely my favorite season of the year.  Though eventually the leaves fade and then blow away slowly, the promise of winter and depending on the weather pattern of La Nino, bringing a milder dry winter or La Nina, cold and wet there is always spring that brings us color, warmth and new hope and anticipation of all things new.

As I walked and enjoyed the splendor of it all, it made me think of the seasons of life.  I would say that I am definitely in late, late summer.  I'm talking a week to a few days before the equinox!  I stopped and reflected to myself that I am sure that 10-20 years ago I would have said spring or summer were my favorite season because of the sunshine and bright flowers.  I'm sure I would not have considered winter, with its bleak, colorless canvas.  As I reflect on where I am in life, I wonder what the La Nina or La Nino weather pattern will bring me.  Metaphorically speaking my trees are still strong and full of the vigor of summer, but there are subtle hints that fall is around corner.  The curling of a leaf here and there, the almost imperceptible fading of green to orange, gold or pale green.  It doesn't feel like fall, but you know it is around the corner and time to prepare for it.

I wonder what my fall will be.  I thought about all the seasons that I have been through in my 40 some years (that I can really remember, mostly as an adult).  Some years seemed like summer held on long into October, with leaves stubbornly staying green and lush.  The hardest winds unable to shake the leaves free.  Other years found summer a distant memory long before the equinox occurs in late September, seeming to end on that last day before school starts.  One can no more predict or control what may come.  Some people will have long, long summers.  Others will barely have one and not be fortunate to enjoy much of fall before thrust into the harsh winter.  One never knows.

I plan to contine to walk with my head up, savoring the beauty of the seasons I have left.  I hope to be wise enough to recognize and embrace whatever weather pattern I have to endure.  My fall will be here before I know it, giving way to winter.  The thing is though, our winter will give birth to someone else's spring, be it our children, grandchildren or others whose lives we touch. And so it will go on.