Over the Rainbow

It is meatless Monday and I usually talk about food, but today I am vying.  Last night, I watched the Wizard of Oz for the bazillionth time.  It is my all time favorite movie, and I look forward to it on TV each year, before Thanksgiving, and like to watch it in real time.  It’s just one of those childhood gems that I love to revisit each year.

The movie is terrifying on many levels.  Personally, I often have dreams (or nightmares) about being unable to get back home.  Last night, I came to understand these might be directly related to the impact this movie made on me as a young child!  Beyond that there are witches, flying monkeys, fire, and a very terrifying wizard who hides behind a curtain.  Dorothy, who was looking for something, beyond her farm, perhaps even over the rainbow, finds out that in the end, there really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

Ironically, (or not at all) after watching the movie last night, I did have “the dream”.  I can’t remember everyone that was “there” but I do remember Debbie Wolff (who was opening a new Pilates studio), Jolene and Derek (dressed for winter) and Joann Figueroa, who offered to drive me home, though I remember thinking it was much too far (ya think?).

As we struggle with out of control, rising numbers of new Covid cases, perhaps remembering what Dorothy learned, is more timely now, than ever before.  I was so saddened to learn, last week, about the passing of a great friends 38 year old nephew who had just gotten clearance to return to work.  While we are all OVER the virus, the virus is NOT over us.  Not even close.   We are their host.  Without us, the virus cannot survive.  Please be smart.  Make some sacrifices and keep your Thanksgiving safe.

Here in our home, we have joyously hosted Thanksgiving almost every single year since the early 80s.  This year we will cook and deliver.  We will set up some time to do some video toasting.  Above all else we will give thanks for the good health of all our loved ones and continue to consider all the ways we can help keep it that way. Our somewhere over the rainbow, will be right here at home.

And we will repeat the most timely mantra, there’s no place like home.