Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,

The seasons come and go.

The harvest all is gathered in

And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,

The fields, their yellow grain,

So open wide the doorway - Thanksgiving comes again!

-old rhyme

Oh how I love this time of year! I'm grateful for heartwarming poetry, the wild wind that whips through the trees and falls the last of the golden leaves, and the gentle rain that cools the air. I'm grateful for many things today, especially that JSM got the bat off of our 12 foot ceiling and out of the house last night (surely a result of the whipping wind!) What a fright! 

Yuck!

But mostly I'm grateful for time. Time to spend with my sweet JSM in front of the fire, time to catch up on a few magazines, time to play with my new Kindle, time to relax and pretend to enjoy the football on TV because it makes JSM happy, and time to enjoy a relaxing meal courtesy of New Seasons Market while I read a book by Chris Kimball. I'm sad that I won't be cooking a Thanksgiving meal this year, but I'm excited to live vicariously through one of my favorite foodies as I read about a 19th century meal recreated in the comfort of a 21st century kitchen.

I'm grateful for my 40-hour a week job as a librarian even though it's mostly to blame for why I am not cooking today. Working in public service is a much different, and in many ways, a much better experience than working in the private sector. So, since my Thanksgiving holiday is sandwiched in between two work days I'm going to spend the day on a little professional development, which gratefully, is fun! What I really mean is I'm going to play with the Kindle and figure out why it's so popular and hope to goodness that I like it since it was purchased on a whim and cost me $79 (gotta love no tax in Oregon!) I can't tell you how many library patrons ask about e-books and once and for all I want to know what they are talking about! I've been a little slow on the uptake as far as e-readers are concerned. Like many librarians, I have books in every room of my house, most of them still left to read and I adore the written word. So, how will it feel to reach for a 6 oz. electronic device instead of 5 lb. copy of War and Peace? I'll have to get back to you on that one, but at least it will be a lot easier to eat and read and the same time. Lunch hour at the library will never be the same and that is something to be very grateful for!

So, to our friends and family who are 3,000 miles away today, happy thanksgiving! We love and miss you and hope to see you soon!