The approaching holidays

Okay, Thanksgiving is around the corner for those of us in the US,
and Canada has already celebrated their day of Thanks! This is a
great time to reflect on what we have. There are lots of the
additions to our household that were never dreamed of years ago.

People give little thought to the grocery store today, but I
remember Mom calling in an order and the food was brought to
the house. You also ran up a bill at the grocers settling the
account on payday. Today, you can buy milk from the grocer.
We used to get ours from the farm and later it was delivered
in glass bottles with lots of cream on the top. Packaged frozen
foods did not exist, and you got butter and eggs from the local
farmer. Margarine looked like lard, white. There was a small
bubble of yellow dye in the middle which you broke and mixed
with the white stuff.

Of course, radio was your entertainment, or card games and family
sing-alongs. A trip to the library meant you had a book to read.
You didn't have many books because they were expensive. So, no
TV, no computers, no internet, and no internet or computer games.
Your telephone was usually a party line and the operator would
ask you what number you wanted when you picked up the phone. If
you lived in a small town, you ask the operator to connect you to
so-and-so. And you didn't use the phone during a storm. Lightning
traveled over the wires and into the house.

Thanksgiving meant you bought a live turket from a farmer, or if
you had a farm you raised them yourselves. Before Thanksgiving,
you killed it and dressed it. Cranberry sauce meant fruits, nuts
and whole cranberries chopped up and let me tell you, those
suckers are hard to chop.

The family gathered together for Thanksgiving, but that was no problem
because everyone lived only a few miles apart. Of course, not everyone
had a car, so the family would see everyone made it to the table by a
pickup and deliver system. But that worked because gasoline was only
15 - 25 cents a gallon and you didn't have to drive a distance to
collect the family members.

No microwave to cook the food, so every burner on the stove was either
on or lit, depending if you had electricity or gas. You hoped the cream
you whipped for the pies didn't turn to butter because cool whip wasn't
invented yet and of course the minced meat pie did contain meat.

I'm so glad I live today, but I clearly remember what it was like. Yep,
I'm delighted with the additions to our household we have today.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
"Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch"

Mardi Gras

I live in the south, the deep south. And one
thing I've learned in the years since I moved
south - they love a party. And tradition. We
can't forget tradition.

I don't think that's a bad thing. After all,
how many people do you know who have traditions.
A special meal at Christmas, the way birthdays
are celebrated, even things like going to church
on Sunday.

We have traditions here at our house. Oh, they
changed over the years as the kids grew up and
left so we have different traditions now. Still
I love the knowledge that some things will probably
go on far longer than I'm around. Like Mardi Gras
and King Cake. And birthday parties, and shrimp
festivals, and Christmas celebrations.

Think about your traditions and hope they long
outlive you.

Allison, truly enjoying the season.

Watch for excerpts from my new medieval
coming in Aug '08 from Champagne Books at
www.AllisonKnight.com