O Lord, not a normal Christmas! We exchanged gifts with family, not around our Christmas tree, but met in a park we’d never seen before. Sharing fervent, but distanced love and hot chocolate to combat chilly Michigan weather helped, but — crazy!
What’s that? OMG, of course, You’re right. The first Christmas was pretty crazy, too.
Embrace November, with its nasty
weather and nastier heating bills?
Warm hats have gone AWOL, except
the pom-pom wonder Aunt Mabel knitted last Christmas. Buttonless and
zipper-challenged coats should have been dry-cleaned in August. Umbrellas are too
obsessed with their broken ribs to provide protection.
Fortunately, fireplaces ignite so
we can toast our toes. Along with the season’s first steaming cup of hot
chocolate, we’ll savor equally delicious books.
Although, authors sometimes diss November. Poet Robert Burns speaks of “chill November’s surly blast,” and in Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s alter ego, Jo March, considers November the worst month of the year: “That’s the reason I was born in it.”
But readers rejoice that both Jo
and Louisa made their first appearance in November, along with C.S. Lewis, Robert
Louis Stevenson, Madeleine L’Engle, Stephen Crane, William Blake and Mark
Twain.
My dad also was born this month.
Pastor, missionary, tie-hater, woodchopper, even at age 91 — without him, I
remind my husband, I wouldn’t be here. Another reason to appreciate November,
right?
Hubby pleads the Fifth.
Continuing on.
Cozied up on November evenings, we
forget about washing windows or putting away garden hoses and patio furniture. If
coulda-shouldas yammer, congratulate yourself that you are not wearing a back
brace like the people who did.
November also grants a few weeks
to meet pre-holiday weight loss goals. But why let downer diet thoughts bother
you? The red top and black pants you’ve worn the past 19 Christmases will suffice.
Speaking of weight, ice cream
lovers don’t stand in long lines in November. So what if it’s cold? Be brave. Add
hot fudge or caramel to counteract frostbite. An even more appropriate choice: warm
peanut butter, as November is National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month.
It’s also International Drum
Month in which we celebrate school bands whose stirring rhythms warm frozen
football crowds. Mothers whose toddlers bang toy drums may not cheer much, nor parents
whose garages house teen bands. But November 19, Have a Bad Day Day, serves these
moms and dads well.
All that daylight we saved since
March is nowhere to be found. But November, National Sleep Comfort Month,
confirms that snuggling in bed an extra hour only makes sense.
Jogging in the dark doesn’t.
Nor does yard work — especially with the blessing of an early snow. If we’re lucky, frozen ground won’t permit our planting 900 bulbs bought while under the influence of Lowe’s commercials.
Then we can watch football, “Face
the Nation” or “Punkin Chunkin,” depending on whether we want to cheer the demise
of quarterbacks, politicians, or vegetables. We’ll welcome Thanksgiving with
true gratitude that we remain safe in our recliners.
Yay, November!
Your Extraordinary Ordinary: What’s
your favorite/least favorite thing about November?