Cinnamon days of November

Ah these cinnamon colored & cinnamon scented days of November, the days when many sleepy animal folk say goodnight & are tucked in for their long winters nap, when the wind dances with the leaves, either wild folk dances, square dancing, or Celtic dancing. Or the soft, last pirouette dance as it gently plucks the last leaf from the trees, round & round in its waltz, swirling, twirling, until it gracefully nestles among the nest of leaves on the ground. Sometimes, their destination is to be piled up in a crisp heap & jumped into with abandon! or, to be used as a leaf burial ground. My kids loved to be buried in a mound of leaves! Then there is the ritual of burning the leaves after raking them in little piles, then raking all into a leaf mountain. But my favorite leaf activity is just walking in the woods, where the leaf carpet is vast & the fragrance is...what? I don't know what it could be called, because the fragrance is all its' own. Woodsy, moldy leaves, crackling leaves,  dead leaves, the color of dusk, shadowy, even melancholy, & yet stirring to the olfactory sense, which for me, is invigorating, sharpening my pleasure & joy senses. & my appetite!

Yes, I cheated (again) & made a pre-Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! It helped to satisfy one of the cinnamon cravings, as does Molasses cookies, Spiced Tea, Apple pie, ( I know, that was last month too) Cinnamon rolls, aaaaand...

homemade Apple Butter on toast! MAN! Add a cup of hot Chamomile tea & voila! You have the perfect 'just came in from a crisp November walk in the woods' repast. Add a crackling, (musical ambience) woodstove fire & you have a delight to all of the senses, a restful respite. But first comes the making of Apple Butter which is a lengthy process.  I render it down in the oven & it can take up to eight hours, so the wonderful aroma of cinnamon & apples fills the house & lingers even for a day or two. The fragrance & flavor of November.

We are now coming into the end of November, the trees are bare, we have been visited by at least one snowfall (visiting because it isn't cold enough yet to stay), the outside water is turned off so the pipes don't freeze, several flocks of geese have flown over, going to their warmer & sunnier climes for the winter, woodpiles have been stacked high, & grocery shopping for the coming Thanksgiving buffet has been done. Mostly. Families are either planning for the trip to Dad's & Mom or grandparents, or getting ready for company, relatives & friends as I am. I LOVE the planning & preparation for my loved ones, whether family or friends. The cooking, baking, the putting together of little love blessings for each one is my joy. 🦃 There are empty places this year, of our animal family. We have had to say farewell to doggies, Rosie & Schnitzel, & Buttons kitty, dearests. I haven't been able to really talk about it as it is a sacred grieving. I know they are with many other animal family members, waiting for us in heaven. This is not something I hope. This is something I know.  The human family circle has been broken over the years, my Dad & Mom, my Grandmother, sister, & grandson beloveds have left an empty chair at the table. & if any of my readers are having the first Thanksgiving without a beloved, know that the Bible says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit." This is very comforting to me. & even in the midst of pain, we can still offer our Thanksgiving. Things will never be the same. But they can still be good in many ways. The new normals can have a future & a hope also. & that really is what thanksgiving & thanksliving does. By expressing gratitude, we are saying 'Yes' to the things that the Lord still has for us on this planet until He calls us home. There are still awakenings, surprises waiting & we are making the way for them by our honest thankfulness to the Lord, breathing in life, exhaling the lifeless. It feels good doesn't it? & because November harbors the celebration of Thanksgiving, it's a good time to give expression of our gratitude. To remember the Lord in all of His faithfulness to us, just a humble, 'thankyou'. One day at a time. Even this day. This cinnamon day of November.

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 Raintree Perk of the Day:

"November is tied together with the heartstrings of  gratitude."

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