12/4/25 – Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers… the best part of Thanksgiving!

Hey there happy reader!

I hope your Thanksgiving celebration was fun and stress-free! We had a great time with family and friends… and I was happy to not have to cook the next day at all!

On the Friday after the feast we braved a very cold and windy New York City afternoon and took both of our grandsons to a special performance of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” 

I’m sure most of you are familiar with this wonderful storybook by Eric Carle. This show was geared toward a young audience, with large puppets and masterful puppeteers who truly brought the story to life.

Our almost three-year-old grandson was glued to his chair, enthralled by the entire experience. Our almost two-year-old grandson enjoyed dancing in front of his seat and participating in the antics of the caterpillar as the performers encouraged the children to interact with them. A good time was had by all!

For me, I’m thrilled that both of our grandsons have fallen in love with books. 

One doesn’t need to follow the multiple studies on reading to children to know that storytelling is an important component of early education. But storytelling serves multiple purposes…

In my work-in-progress, “Below the Horizon,” storytelling plays a key role in my plotline. 

Since the people who lived on Salisbury Plain had no written language, it was the oral history that gave historians a clue as to what happened there.

Storytelling is important; it links generations, offers a window into the past, and helps us understand where we’ve come from. I’ve developed a healthy respect for storytelling during my time researching this novel – and that’s a good thing!

I hope that you have the chance in this busy holiday season to spend time with family and tell the younger generation some of your own experiences growing up.