Saturday, November 3, 2018

The seasons

 I haven't heard any talk of Indian summer this year, or is it now Native American Summer? I certainly wouldn't want to offend anyone. Whatever you call it I think it may have arrived here in Greensboro. I also believe it is supposed to leave today. I did enjoy temperatures in the 70's for the last two days. The fall foliage has begun to change although a bit dull this year. The weatherman on television explained it was because of excessive amounts of rain. Apparently rain washes the colors out, well, who knew? Halloween night was quite pleasant for the trick or treaters and that's always a good thing. I even slept with the window open last night, won't be many more like that. There are 48 days before winter arrives.
 It won't be long before the leaves will blanket the ground for the coming winter. It's God way of keeping the earth warm. For that reason I don't think we should be raking all those leaves up, they are put there for a reason. I see the trees against the skyline and can't help but think of them as the skeletons of summer. They will stand, stark against the horizon until spring arrives again. Whereas I feel the leaves serve a purpose on the ground, burning leaves are a pleasant memory. I hear now inhaling that smoke is a carcinogen. I'm not surprised, I think inhaling anything other than fresh air isn't a good thing. And cancer, cancer is a multitude of illnesses that we don't have another name for. But then again it is not important what you call it, the important thing is to find a cure for it. I do enjoy that smell though, I don't understand why Yankee candle hasn't made one like that yet. I heard they made a bacon one. No thanks, I would rather smell the leaves. I would expect it is a universal smell, one that everyone would recognize.
 Yes, it the beginning of the holiday season. We do like to be entertained; don't we? Thanksgiving became official in 1863. Thank Abraham Lincoln for that. Abraham declared a day of " Thanksgiving " right in the middle of the civil war to boost moral and improve spirits.Thanks and praise was to be given to a benevolent God. That was part of his proclamation. That part of the holiday seems to have been forgotten, for the most part. The story of the Pilgrims and their Thanksgiving was being told and had already been, shall we say creatively, rewritten. Today we see Thanksgiving as a day to eat to excess and the gateway to Christmas. And Christmas, Christmas is a day for excess as well. It's all about the gifts. Amazing how we have changed the intent of the holidays entirely. The holidays were intended to be days of Praise and Thanksgiving but have morphed into a gluttony of consumerism! The Praise and Thanksgiving being the excuse for it all. Nothing new about it, it has really always been so. Our prosperity enabling our more pagan traditions. We pray for success and when we get it, forget where it came from. Human nature I suppose.
 The " celebrating " begins earlier every year. By celebrating I mean the commercial portion of that celebration. This year I hear " experts" saying that's a good thing, that it is comforting to people. One claim being it evokes childhood memories of Christmas's past. Yes, going to the mall and charging gifts you can't really afford, is a regular Norman Rockwell experience. Well, that's what the retailers would have us believe anyway. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the holidays. I only question how the holidays wound up being an entire season! When I was a kid it seemed like each holiday was a, well, holiday in and of itself, a unique celebration of an event. Maybe that has something to do with being a kid and the perception of time. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was a lot longer when I was twelve. Back then, Santa Claus did show up for the leftovers of Thanksgiving dinner, right at the end of the parade. After his Christmas eve run you won't see or hear about him till the next year. Tis the season. That phrase comes from the song, Deck the Halls and had nothing to do with Thanksgiving. So, I'm wondering, how come Christmas is a season? It is though, ask anyone. There is Spring, Summer, Fall, the Christmas season, and winter. Indian summer is optional.    

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