🍖🍖🍖Damn, these lentils taste good on da bus

Good morning. It is the 30th of October and this week sees the beginning of winter. This may seem like an odd statement, but by ancient custom in Europe and especially the British isles, November 1 was the end of the year when most of the cattle would be harvested. Halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, this is truly the turning point. Growing up, it would always snow on Halloween here in my corner of New England, so the boundary was laid early for me. It is appropriate. This weekend saw a cold hail fall and fierce winds that ripped the last leaves from the trees. The hills are now a dappled dead grey and enduring evergreen. Evergreen. A remarkable term that alights the heart and invites us to look forward another 45 days to the solstice when the days begin lengthening again. The eternal promise that although the year is dying, nothing ever truly dies. Most people around here call the time leading up to Thanksgiving “stick season” but for me, it will always be evergreen time. So welcome to winter and evergreen time, the time of fires, of holly, of spruce, of pine, the time of eternal reassurance where we are reminded nothing ever truly dies.