It’s a chilly morning, and a cold drizzle is dulling the brilliance of the red and gold leaves in the back yard. Apples are slouched in their tote bags, waiting for me to turn them into glass jars of applesauce comfort. Cookies are in the oven and cooling on their trays and racks. It’s November’s version of paradise – some work, some moonlit mornings, the last glimpse of plants in leaf before winter strips everything to its spare beauty. I love it.

Last year, November was about the many blessings said before and after meals. This year, it’s about blessings and prayers for what’s on the table, the hands that prepared it, the loved ones gathered there, and the whole world beyond it…