24 November 2013

Ready Set Go!

I truly love this time of year.  I love the weather (yes, even though it's 27 degrees today), the anticipation, and the fact that - in spite of what everyone on TV and in the media want to tell me about calories - this is the time when some of the best and most special foods are painstakingly prepared, and happily received on the table.

Our season starts slightly earlier, as this past Monday was The Tim's birthday, so there was cake, presents, and a day off work.  Some years, we have barely finished the birthday cake before it's time for pumpkin pie, but this year there was enough time difference to savor one and look forward to the other.

One thing I don't love though, is how people have begun to let the holiday shopping season encroach on Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's because I am  not usually interested in the things that are marked down on sale, or because shopping at any time in a big crowd is not appealing.  One of the reasons  I have always loved Nordstrom's (even though I can seldom afford to buy anything there), is that a) they do not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving (which if I were in charge would be the law!), and they stay closed on Thanksgiving.  It was bad enough when a lot of the "big box" and/or discount stores started opening in the evening - and now many of them, much earlier - on that day, but this year Macy's has joined in.  So very disappointing.  One of my friends posted this link on Facebook, and I think it's a very thought-provoking piece.

However, I am an expert at ignoring things like this, as well as places that start playing Christmas music or put up decorations way too early, and now - it's Thanksgiving time!  It will be here in just a few days.  I can already smell the stuffing, and the baking pies.  I am already thinking how nice it will be to have a day when the only real expectation is that it will be cozy and relaxing.

Only after Thanksgiving weekend will it be time to gear up for December.  But as far as I'm concerned, it's all good .... REALLY good.  :-)

No comments: