TREASURE HUNT

Quite often, in the evening after we get home from work and school, my daughters and I take a walk to a nearby park.

We leash up our silly dogs, grab a bag of stale bread out of the freezer to feed the ducks, and hurry out the door.

The days are so short now that by the time we’ve made a few loops around the pond and tossed all the bread to the ducks that follow us along the edge, it’s almost dark. As we make our way home the windows of houses along the street are brightly lit. The rooms look like little theaters.

The other evening, walking through the leaves on the sidewalk, I could see people through those windows. They were gathered around tables, caught in the glow of flickering candles.

Patio time, I realized, is officially over.

November marks the beginning of the preparation for the upcoming holiday season. We put away the hammock, rake the last of the leaves and store the garden furniture until spring. We move indoors and take a good look at our rooms. We start thinking about friends and family gathered around our table.

Over the summer I left a large, formal dining room and moved into a house with a much smaller dining area.

In that space is a tall oak antique armoire and inside that armoire, stacked on shelves, is the china I’ve collected over the years. It also holds pieces that have been in my family for generations. These are the things I’ve always used no matter where I was living – the crystal and serving pieces and silverware that are always on my table when I entertain.

I may not be able to fit a dozen or so around the table anymore, but I’ll still have friends over for a meal whenever I can. Over the holidays and throughout the rest of the year, the pretty plates and delicate goblets will remind me that although this is the time of year we practice it the most, true hospitality is a state of mind. And it is always in season.