The holidays are here once again! And Mark and Janice, in their columns ó Markís Meanderings and Perspectives ó remind us that the holidays can†be chaotic and anxiety-ridden for some. I keep myself grounded through the holidays by staying organized and realistic about what I can and cannot†do: setting priorities, as Janice mentioned in her column.†This Thanksgiving, John and I are grateful and excited for another addition to our family. My oldest daughter, Megan, and her husband, Jesse, welcomed their†second baby girl Oct. 10. Her name is Mila James, and she is beautiful, of course. Her big sister, Harper, is 2 years plus, and she is slowly†adjusting to the new little person in the household. Doing the opposite of what mom and dad say is just temporary, weíre sure!†Now, we have three granddaughters ó and all of them will be at our house for Christmas. I am looking forward to ìchaos!î†A few years ago, we asked our writers to write a paragraph or two on a favorite Thanksgiving memory. We have new writers and the ìoldî writers have†new memories, so we decided to do it again this year. Be sure to check out their stories on Pg.†††.†In this issue, we have also added a new feature, a restaurant review. For now, Robin Widmar and Lindsey Harrison will be dining out at various†restaurants, and writing a review of the food and atmosphere. We will run the review every other month. Their experience for this task is simple: They like to eat! ìA Taste of Öî will cover our†readership areas, from Black Forest to Calhan. This month, the column is A Taste of Falcon, so enjoy our first-ever restaurant review!†Be sure to check out our Black Forest page, too ó Breeanna has an especially interesting article on a concert by a young African group.††We change time this weekend, so be sure to set back your clocks. Iíd like to set back the clock a few years because itís all going way too fast! It is hard†to believe we are rounding the corner to 2018!†If you are traveling this holiday season, be safe, and be sure to read Lindsey’s article on winter driving tips.†From outdoor cats (Prairie Life) to fire safety issues in Robinís column on the FFPD page, we have you covered!†Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! See you in December.†– Michelle
