Goose Bumps

Buuurrrr.  Fall temperatures finally got here after teasing us with amazingly warm weather for the past few months.   I’m suddenly adding extra layers and blanketing the dog before she goes outside.  I’m also in a near constant state of goose bumps, but they don’t derive solely from the colder weather.

About this time last year we moved into the house from the camper.  The floors weren’t done.  The sinks didn’t work.  Heck, we didn’t even have counters, but there was heat and that was a lot to be thankful for.  Now the floors are done, the sinks are in, most of the trim is up and we’re getting ready to host our first Thanksgiving.  I’ve never been much of a hostess.  In fact, right now I’m trying to decide where to stash the random construction supplies instead of making seating cards or folding napkins (or sweeping…).  I refuse to stress out.  It won’t be a Hallmark card, but our families will be together.  The light fixtures might be covered in drywall dust, but the warm glow will come from our hearts.  We have much to be thankful for so, rough edges aside, I’ve got goosebumps anticipating the festivities.

The horses are also scheduled to come home this week.  We hoped to bring them up over the weekend, but like anything dealing with construction or horses, the schedule gets shifted.  The list of “Must do’s” is getting smaller.  The list of “Melinda would really like done” is getting longer, but we should have one paddock and three stalls habitable before Thanksgiving.  It’s not going to be the perfect homecoming I always envisioned with sparkling stalls and landscaped walk ways, but we've worked hard to make a horse friendly home.  To borrow the cliche, the dark always comes before the dawn. The thought of good-night muzzle nudges counters the dread of four o’clock mornings in the frigid winter without lights and gives me happy (mostly) goose bumps.

Work at the radio station gets a little lot crazy this time of year.  The holiday open houses, the Christmas advertisements, the special holiday programs, Christmas greetings, and Christmas carols all make life interesting.  But they also bring a special anticipation, an air of excitement, and of course, little pimples of skin all over my body. 

My husband and I are getting ready to spend our second Christmas as husband and wife.  We get to decorate the tree, make cookies, and spread the cheer as man and wife and that gives me goose bumps.

So this Thanksgiving week, each time your skin does its best to mimic the Thanksgiving bird of choice, try to come up with something that gives you good goosebumps and have a fresh perspective on the changing weather and the skin prickling it produces.