Four feet of November snow in parts of NY—and still snowing! People are urged not to leave their homes, and if they must, to equip themselves with blankets, water and warm clothing since there’s a good chance of being stranded in their cars. Now granted, these folks are well-seasoned in snow-survival skills. Still my heart goes out to them! And there’s not an iota of envy in it, I can assure you!
Here in Southern New England, we are still enjoying beautiful sunny days, albeit a few dark-dismal rainy ones in between, but its cold—unseasonably so, according to our local weathermen, even record-breaking. Records schmeckords! All I know is the furnace is chugging, the woodstove’s cracklin’ and it’s still so cold the midnight trip to the ice-ringed throne is enough to send my teeth into a chatter! And once I’ve dived back under warm covers, I want to stay burrowed long after the clock says its time to get up.
Yes, I’m grateful today—grateful that I don’t live in Buffalo, thankful that I do have a warm place to huddle and nurse my cuppa, and most appreciative of the blessing of a wood-fire and a place to toast my tootsies, which by-the-way are clad snuggly in two pair of warm socks and fleece-lined slippers--I'm pretty thankful for them too! Ah winter-in-New-England—gotta love it. Only thing is, it’s not winter yet! [sigh]
MouseHouse Village is bustling these days, preparing for their Harvest Festival next week. All the ladies-of-the-Village are busily preparing their finest dishes—casseroles and stews, platters of tarts and pastries. Fivelina has several choke-cherry pies ready, well preserved in the attic ice-box, and let me tell you that’s one cold place up there! She plans a delectable sunflower compote for the salad table, served in carefully cleaned acorn shells of course.
The Village gentlemen are busy getting The Hall ready—normally a sorting room in Underground Warehouse. All of the as-yet-unprocessed products are carefully moved and stored in other areas, the sorting tables then carefully scrubbed and arranged in rows. The ladies will cover them with colorful tablecloths the night before the festival. Long benches are brought in from Miss Winklesnout’s school auditorium, and placed around the tables, so all is ready when the day comes.
The school children have been collecting and drying miniature autumn leaves to decorate tables and wallsl and Miss Chipalina—recently relocated from up-north, plans to donate several dried arrangements from her flower shop as centerpieces to grace the long tables.
Oh what a glorious day they’ll have, feasting and chattering, catching up with each other’s news, but not before they all join hands before the meal, and bow their heads in gratitude for their Creator who provides all. There are no doubters in The Village—they all know that every day is a gift, every provision a blessing, and that sharing-and-caring for one another is what it’s all about.
Wonderful inspiration for all of us.
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