October may be the best month of the whole year for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that mini-Snickers bars are available in bulk, which makes it totally okay to eat four while I write this column.
You may argue that December is the best month of the calendar year, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve lumped into one week, plus extended holidays off work and all those parties. I see your point. December is one big excuse to dress-up and feast. I think if I were the kind of woman who liked to host events, make lavish dinners for my extended family and decorate my home with beautiful displays of holiday sentiment, these would all be good points. I’m not that kind of woman. At all. Ever.
Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest season and that is a significant event, especially if you love food and the taste of anything pumpkin-based. It never escapes my love of irony that we decorate our front porches and dining tables with funny shaped gourds. Why is it that I cannot bypass a tiny acorn or Delicata squash, or a teeny-tiny pumpkin without a muffled squeal of delight followed by a strong desire to put it around dried corn husks in the centre of my dinner table? It baffles me.
In a world where hunger is a reality for so many, even I want to buy vegetables I won’t eat for the sake of décor. I don’t do it though, because, well, see above. I’ll stick to writing. I like words. Gourd is such a great word. Say it aloud to yourself. Gourd. Funny, right? Any time I can use it in a sentence I smile. Good enough.
What I like best about Thanksgiving is the fact there is less pressure to celebrate it. We don’t need to double up on calories and family dysfunction because the calendar says so. Skip Christmas and you’ll hear about it. Skip Thanksgiving to close the cottage and nobody gets offended. I don’t have a cottage so my favourite tradition is the Erin Fall Fair. I enjoy watching the 4-H kids parade their prized animals before the judges because I appreciate their dedication. I love the horse shows. I like to see who won the ribbons for baking, quilting and growing vegetables. From the food trucks to the sights and sounds of the midway, this event makes me grateful to live in Wellington County. It really is the best place to live.
No season guarantees the colourful beauty of October. It’s the reason the Carpenter and I chose to get married in this month. We won’t do much to celebrate. Every day we are married is a celebration, right? (Snort.)
We may remember to say “happy anniversary” at some point on the day it happens, but I can’t promise anything. I think my romantic endeavours, much like my holiday home décor, lack sophistication. The Carpenter wouldn’t notice. We have kept the bar of romantic expectations low for each other. It helps. It really does.
And then Halloween happens. We won’t decorate for that either, but we sure do like it. Carpenter, if you’re reading this, we’re going to need more mini-Snickers chocolate bars. The kids ate them all. Again.
I’m not sure how the wrappers got in my bedside table though. Sneaky kids. Maybe get two boxes next time. It’s October after all.