It’s the day before Thanksgiving. Whether I end up hosting, traveling, opting out, or stuck in the weather somewhere, each year I try to remember something very, very important. Someone, somewhere is watching the Peanuts Thanksgiving special for the first time. Someone, somewhere gets to witness for the first time the magic of a meal of popcorn and toast. Despite their universal appeal, Minnesotans have a natural affinity with Peanuts, since we’re in cartoonist Charles Schultz’s home state.
I love holiday food, and Thanksgiving is the premier holiday for amazing food. But even a food enthusiast like me likes to take a moment to watch Snoopy whip up a batch of Thanksgiving popcorn and reflect on something more important than food during the holidays—bolstering an attitude of gratitude.
Winter came early this year, there’s a frog in my throat, and the dog smells funny. On the other hand, spring came early last year, honey and lemon tastes good, and the fresh baked bread in the kitchen smells better than the dog’s bad breath.
As Peppermint Patty’s sidekick, Marcie, stated so simply, “You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too.”
With a bottle of Crispin cider in one hand, and a bowl of popcorn on my lap, I’m going to take an hour to relax, eat some popcorn, and work on a holiday list with a twist—a list of reasons to be thankful this year. Sure, that list might include Wild Acres Farm turkey and PastureLand butter, but it’ll also include other important stuff like my husband, family, friends, job, and garden.
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
