O Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. ~William Shakespeare

 When I was looking at quotes about November, I noticed that opinion is divided as to the merits of this month. 
There are a few people, (quotees?) who hesitantly say nice things about November, but I sense they were unsure they actually meant the things when they said them and have probably moved on. 

               "A tingling, misty marvel
                  Blew hither in the night,
                And now the little peach-trees
                 Are clasped in frozen light."

            Evaleen Stein, November Morning

 See what I mean? She starts out all magical and lovely, but ends with cold, imprisoned peach trees! She is not convinced!

The following folks are emphatically not convinced:

"November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year."
- - - Louisa May Alcott

 "November always seemed to be the Norway of the year."
- - - Emily Dickinson

"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!"
- - - Thomas Hood  
           

 
"Fog in November, trees have no heads,
Streams only sound, walls suddenly stop
Half-way up hills, the ghost of a man spreads
Dung on dead fields for next year's crop.
I cannot see my hand before my face,
My body does not seem to be my own,
The world becomes a far-off, foreign place,
People are strangers, houses silent, unknown."
-   Leonard Clark, Fog in November

 

 And the ultimate . . . and my personal favorite . . .

"The gloomy month of November, when the people of England hang and drown themselves."
-   Joseph Addison

  Here's a reasonable observation . . .comforting and calm.

"The stripped and shapely
Maple grieves
The ghosts of her
Departed leaves.
The ground is hard,
As hard as stone.
The year is old,
The birds are flown.
And yet the world,
In its distress,
Displays a certain
Loveliness"
-   John Updike, A Child's Calendar   

"The name 'November' is believed to derive from 'novem' which is the Latin for the number 'nine'.  In the ancient Roman calendar November was the ninth month after March.  As part of the seasonal calendar November is the time of the 'Snow Moon' according to Pagan beliefs and the period described as the 'Moon of the Falling Leaves'
by Black Elk."

 


 And of course, best of all . . . . . . .!

"The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway-
Thanksgiving comes again!" 

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln, declared the last Thursday of November to be a National Day of Thanksgiving.

 Thanksgiving Day, a function which originated in New England two or three centuries ago when those people recognized that they really had something to be thankful for - annually, not oftener - if they had succeeded in exterminating their neighbors, the Indians, during the previous twelve months instead of getting exterminated by their neighbors, the Indians.  Thanksgiving Day became a habit, for the reason that in the course of time, as the years drifted on, it was perceived that the exterminating had ceased to be mutual and was all on the white man's side, consequently on the Lord's side; hence it was proper to thank the Lord for it and extend the usual annual compliments.  ~Mark Twain

 

"I ate too much turkey,
I ate too much corn,
I ate too much pudding and pie,
I'm stuffed up with muffins
and much too much stuffin',
I'm probably going to die.

I piled up my plate
and I ate and I ate,
but I wish I had known when to stop,
for I'm so crammed with yams,
sauces, gravies, and jams
that my buttons are starting to pop.

I'm full of tomatoes
and french fried potatoes,
my stomach is swollen and sore,
but there's still some dessert,
so I guess it won't hurt
if I eat just a little bit more."
-    Jack Prelutsky, I Ate Too Much

 

"Thanksgiving, man.  Not a good day to be my pants!"  ~Kevin James

But in the end . . . . 

 

"Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God." ~Ray Stannard Baker

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."  ~Thornton Wilder

 What my opinion of November as a month is, I'm not certain. It has always seemed a prelude to Christmas, ending in a great meal! The special nature of that meal has always been associated with gratitude for friends, for it is with friends that I am blessed to share it. It seems a cozy beginning to a busy, bustling month ahead . . .a time out to set the heart to 'Grateful.'

"Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving."
~Joseph Auslander

Thank you for reading my blog!