Why I Dislike November ...

Quiet season is settling in, and it feels good. The phone no longer rings with requests from travelers. Hits to the StatCounter have decreased dramatically, despite my having posted a Thanksgiving Special for Seagull Cottage at Bedandbreakfast.com, a stark reminder that the recession is not over. Sven and I have the house to ourselves again. There are fewer cars along Main Street in downtown Wellfleet. Shops are closing for the winter. What leaves remain on the trees shudder in the cold north wind. Chipmunks prepare for hibernation. It’s time to put the garden to bed for another year. November must be my least favorite month. The days grow longer. Summer has become a memory. The promise of spring is not yet in the air. Both my parents passed away in November, my mother in 2006, and my dad in 1999. It’s sobering how time passes, seeming to accelerate as we age. November is a month for holding close those we love, and for counting our blessings …