Opinion

Nov. 27, 2012 — Now that we’ve celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, the Christmas shopping season begins in earnest with a mad rush to buy all those colorful presents we stash under our brightly decorated Christmas trees to surprise our family, friends and loved ones.

This holiday season, we once again challenge you to spend $100 locally.

Three years ago we began challenging our readers to spend $100 locally during the holiday season. With our still sagging economy it’s worth making the challenge again for one reason: a number of you have taken it to heart — and it has helped.

Nov. 27, 2012 — “How old are you?” asked the woman I had just met.

I took a deep breath, but answered honestly.

She smiled, clapped her hands and said, “So old! But I’m much older than you.”

This conversation would probably not have taken place in this country where it’s considered impolite to ask someone’s age on first introductions, but when I lived in China, it happened regularly.

I was in my forties when I lived there, that dubious time for a woman when we’re no longer young and the big 5-0 is looming, but, there’s a lot to be learned from a culture that doesn’t fear aging, and I think it helped me accept, and not deny, my own aging process.

Nov. 27, 2012 — It’s just hours before the Turkey Day Feast as my clumsy paws type this, so I’m literally taking matters into my own hands and hastily considering my new Thanksgiving resolution options right before your very eyes. I know, you’ve probably never heard of Thanksgiving resolutions before — that’s because I just made them up to help me get in the Christmas spirit a little bit sooner this year.

You see, I’ve never actually decked the halls with boughs of holly (I’d be deathly afraid of pricking myself with the thorns), and when I meet someone skipping down the street singing, “Fa la la la la la la la la,” at the top of their lungs, I’ll start running in the opposite direction as fast as my worn out wheels can carry me. I promise.

Nov. 20, 2012 — As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I’m reminded of all the precious Thanksgivings passed. I know many of the old practices and traditions will fade into memory and new ones will replace them as we hurtle around the sun, the days turn into years and all those years become decades much too quickly.

At 62, I see Thanksgiving much differently than I did as a child. Back then it was simply a time to feast almost to the point of sickness — a time to enjoy every last bite of turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams and rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie I could swallow. After dinner all I could do was roll around the couch and moan.