“Suddenly, sun. Over my shoulder

in the middle of gray November

what I hoped to do comes back,

asking.

Across the street the fiery trees

hold onto their leaves,

red and gold in the final months

of this unfinished year,

they offer blazing riddles.”

~ Jeanne Loehmann,

excerpt from

“What the Day Gives” 

Raise your hand if you feel stuffed more than any turkey lately.

Yes, the holidays are upon us, Dear Reader, as is winter cold.  Between the two, I feel like an over-stuffed bear trussed-up with L.L. Bean sweaters and jackets.

Speaking of stuffing, does anyone out there agree that stuffing is more important than turkey? I’d say the highlight of any Thanksgiving meal is homemade giblet gravy and (drum roll) stuffing!

It seems to come in many ways, along with being called stuffing or dressing. Some folks stuff the bird, some folks make it in a pan.

A friend was telling me about her fancy-schmancy feast at an elegant (code word for expensive) establishment that featured linen table cloths, wait staff and the whole-nine-yards.

Yet all she can remember is how bad the stuffing/dressing was, how disappointed her family was — in that it was not HERS (and that it really was awful), a dense square of rubbery glop on her china plate.

All the poor woman wanted was a rest on T-Day from decades of cooking/clean-up. And delicious stuffing. 

“You’d THINK they’d have wonderful stuffing at such a nice place,” she cried.

“Well, what did they do to make it so bad?” I queried, wondering how any fancy-schmancy place could commit such a horrendous crime — on Thanksgiving, no less!

She vowed the offending stuff was bought pre-made from a restaurant supply, then reheated from the freezer. That is what she remembers about the whole meal.

Now she’s planning on making her own dressing, and doing it up right. Turkey, gravy and all the fixings, with her own cornbread stuffing — the recipe she’s made for over 60-some years.

As Dorothy said, there’s no place like home (and your own stuffing!). 

• Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W. Main St., will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Carolina Special passenger train’s last run up Saluda Grade from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday. A drop-in reception with special guests and speakers will celebrate the event. For more details, visit saludahistoricdepot.com.

• Saluda Community Land Trust can be reached at SCLT’s office at 828-749-1560 or saludasclt.org. Join in for a wreath-making day at Twin Lakes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. Thanks to Polk County Community Foundation for sponsoring this family-oriented event! If inclement weather (rain or too cold), the event will be at Saluda Presbyterian Church. Bring clippers if you have them.

• The Saluda Police Department/City Hall are accepting unwrapped toys/donations for Saluda children. Donations need to be turned in to City Hall by Dec. 17. For information, call Jessica at 828-749-2581.

• Saluda’s annual Hometown Christmas is from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, with an Ecumenical service at 8:15 p.m. at Saluda Presbyterian Church.

• The Children’s Christmas Workshop is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec.15, at Saluda Fire Department; free for kids 5 years and older. If you’d like to be a helper, call Laura Fields at 828-749-4521.

•  The city of Saluda has started leaf pick-up — please don’t bag them, put curbside in a pile without large branches, etc.

• Saluda Get-Well goes to Charlene Pace, Mary Ann Asbill, Cissy Thompson and Doris Marion.

• Happy November Birthday to Rich Igoe, Rita Igoe, Karen Johnson, Nancy Barnett, Dawn Pearson, Dusty Jespersen, Gwen Garren, Stoney Lamar, Jim Boyle, Tom Ellwood,  Wendy McEntire, Aaron Burdett,  Jane Thompson, Candy Oakes, Bruce Hunt, James Hrynyshyn, Hannah Jane Kirby and Sam Woodbery.

Thank you for reading this column; as ever, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying small town life in a friendly mountain town called Saluda. Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, 828-749-1153 or visit bonniebardosart.com.