Thanksgving to Christmas

There is an old joke that I have used often. It says "Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit." This time of year, when I do get to sit, I tend to sit and think.

Fall has held a special place in my life as long as I can remember. It has always conjured up feelings of warmth, energy, and a little bit of melancholy. I also enjoy winter. I like hiking in the woods when it is cold and especially when there is a little snow on the ground.

It seems that people, for the most part, tend to associate fall and winter with the end of something. I have never really thought of it that way. In my mind it is more of a continuation, another change, or a time of celebration. Some of that is probably from my rural upbringing, as fall was the time of harvest. There was some rest involved, along with the celebration of the year - especially if the harvest was good.

That I was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1953 may also have something to do with how I feel about this time of year- it was the beginning for me. Though I have no personal recollection of that particular day, or many days thereafter, I understand that there had been snow on the ground for about a week. The weather has changed quite a lot since then, most of the change happening since around 1980.

This is a season that I am anxious to play music as well. Well, I seem to always be anxious for that, but even more so in the fall and spring. The air feels so good after a hot summer. It is nice to find some cool mornings and evenings.

Whether you look at fall and winter as an end, a beginning, or something else altogether, I hope you enjoy it as much as you possibly can. It is a wonderful time for us to reflect on the past year and plan for the next. It is a time to think of all this season and it's holidays mean to us and the world. So whatever you think and wherever you are, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.

Nelson