We are now in the midst of my favorite time of year. Halloween was spent enjoying my adorable great-grands’ excitement, and now it is time to look forward to the big holidays.
I say big, because although we celebrate holidays all year long, the next two months bring families together to share memories, enjoy the comfort of each other’s company, and have an acceptable excuse to eat non-stop for at least six weeks.
Tickets will be purchased by family members and friends who live far away, and airports will be filled by those coming and going.
Menus for special meals will be selected, and recipes will be shared, and folks will bring their favorite dishes to add to the feast. Charitable organizations will feed the less fortunate, as they always do, and ensure children receive a visit from Santa.
Volunteers will share their time and talents to bring joy to us all – some by giving and some by receiving.
Veterans will be thanked and celebrated for their service and sacrifices. Many of our local restaurants, including Applebee’s, Denny’s, Olive Garden, and Outback Steakhouse, offer free meals on November 11 to veterans, and many more local restaurants offer discounts. (Most require dine-in service, some have special menu choices.)
November is also Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the contributions of indigenous people's cultures, traditions and histories to the United States.
Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa will brighten our holiday season as will Diwali, a five day festival celebrated by our Hindu, Sikh and Jain neighbors. And the pagans…well they find something to celebrate daily.
Clearly, this time of year offers something for everyone.
Art and Craft fairs are scheduled in our local communities and those who prefer handmade gifts can shop for unique gifts and decorations. You can see the listings for these events in The JOLT’s Community Calendar.
Christmas tree farms will offer outdoor excitement and fun and Santa will be on hand at many events to make sure wish lists for the children are heard.
Hopefully, many of our independent shop owners will find their businesses filled with customers.
Halloween decorations in homes and yards will be replaced by autumn and Thanksgiving colors, which in turn will be followed by lights and other holiday décor.
Shopping will begin for family members, friends, co-workers and, in our household, the pets.
Our dogs will have Christmas stockings filled with treats and toys. They will have a special meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas and a bone or two for good measure. Halloween pumpkins will be chopped up and placed in the woods, out where the deer and raccoons can find and devour them, and the neighborhood birds and squirrels will continue to have their feeders filled.
Which brings me to our chickens. What can one do for special meals for chickens? They love melon rinds, cooked oatmeal, and corn, but they get these things throughout the year. What would constitute a ”special meal” for chickens? This will be their first Christmas, as the latest bunch are still youngsters and have yet to lay their first egg.
Nothing popped into my mind, so I decided to check with our local feed store, Eastside Urban Farm and Garden. After all, this is where we buy our chicks, so I figured they would know.
And they did! They recommended mealworms feeders -- these include organic corn, oats, flour, spices and more -- and…wait for it…an item called Ball of Bugs, which is exactly what it sounds like, and the sales lady assured me the chickens love to play with it.
My shopping list just grew.
Children and adults can tell you what they hope to receive during the holiday season, but animals are trickier and are an important part of the family. So, thanks go to the Eastside Urban Farm and Garden crew for helping me find a special gift for our chickens.
After all, I don’t have a crystal chandelier in my house, but the chickens do so, clearly, they are accustomed to the best…wouldn’t do to disappoint them at Christmas time.
If you have any questions about animal care and feeding or nursery needs you can find more information at their website.
Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia. Contact her at kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comments.
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