I woke up yesterday morning, after my usual melody of alarms would not relent. One alarm simply won’t do for me. There is something so unnatural about using awful, high pitched electronic noises to force ourselves out of slumber in the morning. I’m convinced I was born with the soul of a Sunday. Not the church part per se, but more of the sleepy lounging til late morning, followed by a stroll out onto the shaded veranda to take my breakfast and plan the day’s events amongst the delicate shaded flora. Or in the breakfast room overlooking a snowy blanc wonderland. Gardens and snowcastles completely vanish with the electronic pierced rings of my final wake-up call.
As I foggily grumbled my way towards the coffee aromas, I stopped to pour a bowl of my overpriced, healthy cereal topped with unseasonably fresh blackberries and a tropical citrus juice. A pause at the sink to rinse the berries, and an odd metallic clanking vibrated through the wall instead of water pouring from the faucet. No running water. A lovely start to the day. As I was deciding whom I should call to complain and investigate the situation I realized how ridiculous I was being. A week before a holiday centered around the idea of gratefulness, I was whining about the inconvenience of one morning without running water; a luxury millions around the world have never experienced.

Like everyone else in this material oriented culture, I get so caught up in the process that I lose sight of the grand picture. Dessert is an indulgence, not a necessity. But it is also a way to celebrate the tastes and textures with which we have been fortuned. Not sure I’ll ever completely come to terms with the proper dose of responsible, humble worldliness versus acceptable levels of celebratory indulgences, but Thanksgiving is a good time to put things back into check and to take a moment to appreciate.

So to honor the American traditions of our young heritage, deliciously wholesome dessert staples never fail. Aside from the pumpkin cheesecakes and pies, pumpkin mousse cream puffs and Dutch apple pies (filled with crisp apples picked from local orchards) will be spinning out of the shop next week. Gladly still accepting Thanksgiving orders, until 5 pm this Saturday (November 19th).

And a special thank you to everyone who helped me make the Sweet Ruminations shop a reality this year!