Pumpkin, Peppermint, Party-Punch, OH MY!

Is everybody ready? Do you all have your feet firmly planted onto the ground? Because the whirlwind of holidays that are about to be upon us will sweep you off your feet, spin your head around on the top of your shoulders, and carry your body as light as the air all the way into the New Year – without you ever knowing what hit you.

About two week weeks ago everything pumpkin started showing up. Pumpkin latte’s, pumpkin-filled doughnuts with sprinkles on top, pumpkin-spice pancakes, pumpkin flavored creamer for coffee and the list goes on and on. Not to mention all the pumpkin spice candles and potpourri that are sending your mouth and nose sensoria’s into pumpkin orbit!

And none of that has anything to do with all the pumpkin bread, pies, and cakes people will be baking from now all the way into Thanksgiving which is a month and a half away. I mean seriously folks, I have zero memory of pumpkins being so popular when I was growing up.

I mean there were fields of them, stands selling them, and places you could go to have your child’s picture taken among them. And somebody’s aunt always seemed to make a pumpkin pie and bring it to Thanksgiving dinner to contribute to the spread; but that was it. In the last five years or so the world has gone crazy for holiday flavors.

Finally, the last of the pumpkins will still be in the grocery store bins when they break out all the Christmas candy and spread it among the items to gorge over. Then the peppermint phase will start the cycle all over again when Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts begin making a killing off all the specialty coffees that they pour-up and serve this time of the year.

The transition from one holiday to the other will be so smooth, so nonchalant, you’ll never see it

coming. One day Walgreens will have Pumpkin Reece’s Cup’s lining the shelf, the next day, it will be Christmas Tree Reece’s cups and your hands and eyes will never know what hit them.

The ghosts and goblins will be gone and the Christmas lights, decorations and wreaths will be hanging in their place. You’ll be so transfixed with the beauty and sight of it all, you’ll unconsciously roll with the flow just as they intended.

Yes sir, those merchants know exactly what they’re doing. They know just how long they can string all you pumpkin addicts along and then seamlessly and successfully transfer your addiction right into peppermint and eggnog as if it was your idea all along. It’s the most perfect example of ebb and flow that exists – the holidays move up and down like waves in a warm ocean, calling, “follow me, follow me,” and you mesmerizingly do so.

Then finally New Year’s Eve is here, and that’s a whole nother awakening. That’s the King Daddy Dog realization that life can start anew, and you have another chance to get it right this time.

Hang on folks – cause that ride is about to begin!