It's hard moving to a new place, a new town, and a new state....especially if you are a teenager.

You see, Cinda and I (Karla) grew up here in South Dakota.  As young adults, eager to start our adult lives we looked to the horizon...as far as the eye could see, anywhere but here to live and work.  

For twenty years, my work took me places.  Places like Wichita, Kansas (the air capital)  and area with about 500,000 people; Battle Creek, Michigan (the cereal capital); and Omaha, Nebraska (also about a half million people) for large companies with more and more responsibility as time went on.

We have had a beautiful fall, the weather has been good to us (but not the farmers) and I am not ready for winter. But then again I never am. I do however relish the Christmas Season. There is something magical about Christmas lights and lightly falling snow. The colors in the night sky dancing on the house with the lit up tree in the window makes me feel whimsical every time I see it.

My kids have grown and moved on into their adult lives. Christmas morning is quiet, too quiet. I miss the giggles as the kids wake up much too early to see what Santa has left under the tree. I miss the tearing of wrapping paper and the "OOOHHHH LOOK!" as the presents are released from their secretive coverings. I understand now why Mom wanted us to return home for Christmas every year, because she missed it too. I have always sworn quietly to myself I would never harp on my kids to return home for holiday celebrations and really haven't needed to. But this Thanksgiving one was different as my children weren't able to come home. The day was off, and now that it is passed, I think forward to Christmas. I yearn for the morning giggles. My husband and I will open our gifts Christmas morning with laughter, smiles and gratitude. The whole time, I will be secretly considering finding children to rent to be there with us next year. Just to bring the innocence and giggles back to my Chrismas morning.....

My favorite part of late summer/early fall......is not the fact that my kids are heading back to school and that means that they are another year older *sigh*.

No.....it is the fact that sweet corn is available at every farmers market and at street vendors all around town.

 

I consider myself VERY lucky:  I have a family of farmers and gardeners.  They range from having only a single rhubarb plant tucked into their landscape someone, to having a simple garden of tomatoes/peppers/green beans, to full out farmers with hundreds of acres of land that they use to help keep America fed.