Silenty, November arrives...

I have always thought that November arrives silently: after the hoopla that is Halloween and before the festivities that surround Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a quiet time with quiet surroundings- the foliage still turning in most parts of the country gives us beautiful and tranquil sights as we go about our everyday chores and duties. It's a time to enjoy and savor before the non-stop activity that will take us in to the new year.

I am glad that the first day of November falls on a Saturday this year. Most of us enjoyed a fun filled last week of October with candy, pumpkin carving, costumes, parties and just plain fun. Having November 1st fall on a Saturday gives us a chance to refuel and regroup before the first Monday in November arrives - when we will be back to school and back to work and the silence slowly starts to give way to holiday time activity. Maybe some of us can even get away with savoring the first couple of weeks of the month before really gearing up.

As the month progresses our thoughts will turn to turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie, not to mention shopping. The dreaded Christmas shopping season. Dreaded for those of us who take so much time and effort finding just the right gift for someone, anyone, who would probably prefer a phone call or a lunch out or a handwritten note to a new scarf or socks. Try to remember the tranquil first weeks of November, the silent time. Let yourself buy one less gift this year - to be replaced by a more personal touch. See how that brings you back to a simpler time, a time when more wasn't necessarily more. A time like the silent beginning of November...

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