In the north, November can be a stark month. Gone are the brilliant gold, scarlet leaves of autumn. Gone are the hot, lazy days of summer. Many birds fly south to warmer climates. Some animals slow down by finding shelter and preparing for their long winter nap. Tree buds go dormant. The sun rises in the southeast as the days

The fear of dying is quite common, and most people state that the thought of dying is scary, at least to some degree. Some reports indicate women fear death more than men, and others argue younger people fear death over the elderly. It’s not something we talk about at a cocktail party or having coffee with friends. “Oh, hello, nice

October is usually the time of year I start seeing pumpkin flavors advertised at supermarkets, coffee shops, and eateries: pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin crème brulee, pumpkin bread, and tarts, cookies, soups, cheesecakes, and muffins, building up to the holidays and, yes, that infamous pumpkin pie. I don’t mind pumpkin flavors now, but I hated them for a long time, avoiding