Boy, I messed up in the newspaper world this month!

I forgot to send my requests to the teachers of the kindergarten, first, second, and third graders for those famous turkey and pumpkin pie recipes we usually print in the newspaper the week of Thanksgiving Day.

Those are some of my favorite issues. The kids always are a delight … “And after you cut off all the feathers you stuff it full of onions and stuff and then bake it for nine hours at 520 degrees and then you eat it. Mmmm, good …”

You usually can tell which students are either in 4-H or have mothers who do a lot of cooking at home. They are the ones who list the ingredients first … “For a pumpkin pie you need two big pumpkins, some raisins, and some water, and a pound of flour, and a crust.” Mixing instructions follow … “Take all the seeds and icky stuff out of the pumpkin and throw it away and cook the other part with all the raisins, flour, and water. Then pour it in the crust and cook it on low until it isn’t so runny. You can add some spices if you want.”

I know I have said this before, but it seems the holidays always sneak up on me and for some reason I am surprised to find myself unprepared. I’m pretty old and after this many years you would think I’d know just as soon as Halloween is over, I should start thinking about Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I am just not a well-organized person when it comes to holidays.

I have a friend who cooks, decorates her own cards (and remembers to mail them … with Christmas stamps, no less), shops all over the state, even makes angel costumes for her granddaughter, and goes caroling with her family. The only part I have ever done is sort of decorate and sometimes purchase Christmas stamps.

So it’s no wonder I had a major lapse about those darling recipes that should be filling next week’s Peabody Gazette-Bulletin. They simply weren’t on my radar. You have my apologies. I know they would have been cute and you all would have loved them.

I will try to do better when it comes time for the kids to write letters to Santa. Maybe it would help if between now and about the second week of December, you all would mention “Santa letters” whenever you see me. Then again, you know how happy I am to be reminded of my shortcomings. Perhaps we should skip that part and I will just write it on my calendar.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

— susan marshall