Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that’s been sandwiched in to fill the end of the year calendar.  We don’t always stop to give thanks for the blessings we’ve received, but maybe it’s time we did.  Last month, October, the stores were filled with pumpkins and witches.  I found it difficult to find any autumn decorations, because Christmas was already on the shelves.  Now that Thanksgiving is just around the corner, Christmas has consumed the craft stores and there are rows upon rows of ornaments, Santas, Gnomes, cheery little elves, but very little sign of Jesus, the One who we celebrate on Christmas.  So do I sound like a complaining old grandma yet? 

Maybe I am, but I so long for those special days designated for a particular reason.  Yesterday was set aside for all branches of the military and rightly so.  Today, according to the Days of the Year site, it’s Happy Hour Day along with Chicken Soup for the Soul Day.  November is known to most authors as NaNoWreMo (National Novel Writing Month.)  Our church holds Thanksgiving Day services or night before Thanksgiving services.  We used to have a Thanksgiving feast the week before the actual day, but with all the changes that COVID brought, that is no longer possible. November is also popular to hunters of the white tail deer in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  We have gotten used to celebrating Thanksgiving at our house a week or so before the actual day because of celebrations at in laws, distance between us and working around the deer hunt.  This year we’ll celebrate on Sunday of this week.

We used to have turkey, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes and all the trimmings.  This year I am opting for just white meat, which is what most everyone likes.  I may throw in a leg or two.  Instead of peeling potatoes, I will serve the instant version and the stuffing will be a doctored up version of the boxed stuff.  OK, when you get to be almost an octonagarian, you can fudge a little.  The rest of the goodies will come from the kids.  Thankfully we will not be watching football games or reading the ads for black Friday sales, but we will find time to talk and laugh and laugh some more.  

My novel is still sitting on the shelf, waiting to be reworked, even though I thought it was finished last November.  The sales for Christmas were never a big deal for me anyway.  I will give thanks for our armed forces every day of the year.  I will take time to prepare a semi-sumptuous meal for my family.  After it’s all done, I will thank God for allowing me another year filled with known and unknown blessings.  Thanksgiving shouldn’t be limited to just one day.