November 19, 2023
“I have found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay.“ ~ Gandalf the Grey, in The Hobbit
With blessings to you all this Thanksgiving week, we share a warm message from our friend Pamela Perkins:
Where I live, the golden light of Autumn has faded; hillside colors are subdued remnants of their earlier splendor. The earth seems to shiver beneath its blanket of leaves or a glaze of frost or first snow; skies can be gray and dreary. The wind has a definite bite to it, and even the occasional mild days seem somehow out of place. This can feel almost unsettling …indeed, in these times there is a lot of uncertainty everywhere.
In the midst of this landscape of approaching winter, we can offer heartwarming, simple gifts to one another, to bring a bit of ‘inner sunshine’ to those whose spirits may languish during the darkening months ahead: kindness, compassion and thoughtfulness…a warm smile. Perhaps a simple call to say hello, a checkup on a friend, family member or neighbor to let that person know they are remembered, and not forgotten in the shuffle of everyday struggles and busyness. The sharing of a dish of warm apple crisp. Let’s not forget our own self-care: sleep in, turn off the news, enjoy that morning coffee, tea or late night cookie; go for a walk on a mild sunny day.
Speaking of apple crisp, choose from the array of baking and cooking supplies that fill bins and shelves, and transfer the harvests of apples, pumpkins, winter squashes and roots through the warmth of your heart and hands into nourishing, cheering foods to enjoy and share.
** Enjoy making some apple crisp of your own this week! Who will you share it with? **
