This morning much needed rain is finally falling on Northern California and will, we hope, douse the fires burning to the north east of us and clearing out the air that has been weighing — literally: it felt heavy and thick — on us for almost two weeks and keeping us mostly inside. I’ve been trying to get in the Thanksgiving spirit but it’s been a bit challenging; witnessing first hand the dramatic effects of climate change and knowing how many people lost their homes and everything else is quite sobering. Focusing solely on cooking has felt trivial. But! We humans like our rituals never mind if the world is actually on fire, and so I’ll pick up my turkey at the market later and will make my butternut squash soup and nibble on this pumpkin bread. Grounding in tradition during times of upheaval is steadying, and keeping up a gratitude practice is essential every day of the year. It feels extra important during the Thanksgiving holiday. This year I’m thankful for hard-working firefighters, for being able to open my windows again, for being settled for the first time in many years, and for our good health.
