When it comes to the weather around mid-Michigan, November is definitely nefarious (wicked).
Typically it’s cold nights and cold days, windy, cloudy weather, rain, and sometimes snow (which can arrive anytime) when November shows up (and sometimes before).
The sun may peek out, as it does just to tease you a bit, but you can bet the clouds will be back again in no time.
Meanwhile, Fall is OVER, and the leaves are coming down everywhere!
Well, it is officially over…fall I mean… and suddenly the countdown to Christmas is on! We noticed Christmas decorations are up in all of the stores and were on display even before Halloween this year!
Jack’s comment: “Bah Humbug.”
Speaking of Thanksgiving, that is the best part of this beginning-of-winter month, that, and a few family birthdays to celebrate. This is the month that a great-grandson will be 3; and our oldest great-granddaughter turns 13. She will celebrate her birthday on the same day as daughter-in-law Micki. We won’t mention the age of that grandma…
It’s also the month Jack and I got married – 57 years ago as of Sunday afternoon.
I have no idea now why we picked November for our wedding. It was certainly not a pretty month for a party that year. Lisa and Terry did much better with a beautiful outdoor ceremony in September when we lived on the edge of the Tobacco.
It can snow anytime after November 1st and it did just in time for our November 5th ceremony. In fact, it snowed already this year on Halloween and on the 1st!
Ahhh Michigan.
Despite the “snowy” start to our lives together, it has been a journey worth taking.
We are still together – and we are still best friends (most of the time anyway) even with our different personalities. We agree to disagree and laugh at ourselves, and each other, often. From the two of us, this family has grown through the years adding more along the way until we are now the patriarchs of three children (and spouses) eight grandchildren (and spouses and a couple of “significant others”) and nine great-grandchildren including two “steps,” for a grand total of nearly 30 “characters” who don’t always get along, but are still family that likes to get together, especially to celebrate the holidays.
In a little over two weeks, although we no longer host it, hopefully once again most that are close enough will get together once or twice for turkey, all the trimmings and pumpkin pie of course – with a lot of whipped cream on it and some sprayed directly into mouths.
Just one month after that it will be Christmas again.
Meanwhile, next Sunday is another special day in the month of November.
It is the 104th anniversary of Veteran’s Day, once named Armistice Day and first held on November 11, 1919, commemorated to celebrate the end of World War I on the 11th day of the month of November.
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.
However, fighting ended seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
This year, the country will observe Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 10, and state and federal buildings will be closed for business to honor the holiday, which falls on Saturday, November 11th.
Veterans Freedom Park in Harrison will host a special ceremony on Saturday, the 11th at 11 am, with all veterans and their supporters invited to attend and with a free luncheon at VFW Post 1075 in Harrison following.
Unfortunately, more than 100 years later, we know it wasn’t the end of all wars for the United States, but each year we will continue to honor the veterans of all wars on this special day.
Don’t forget to “thank a veteran” for their service throughout the year and especially on Veterans’ Day next weekend!