November is a month of Remembrance. Last weekend we honored the Ancestors and other departed loved ones. This week we remember the veterans who have served our country in peacetime and war. Later in the month Thanksgiving arrives with its complex patina of memory, culture and meaning.
November in Vermont brings dark gray skies and dramatic swings in temperature. There are few sunny days, night comes early, and the snow line slowly moves down the mountains. Here by the lake the wind has a bite when it comes from the west or northwest. As a result, we burn wood in the wood stove more often as the month and the cold advance.
The longer nights and deepening chill encourage us to turn inward, physically and spiritually, and the idea of hibernation becomes more inviting. As the month progresses the spirits seem to gather around the hearth; this is a time for sharing stories, personal, sacred and profane. It is a good time for remembering and appreciating those who made our lives possible, and pondering our role as bridges between the generations. Continue reading
