Our Thanksgiving pot of cider!

One of my favorite details about Thanksgiving at my parents' house is the pot of apple cider that sits on the stove, perpetually warm and full in the days we are all together. I have begun to think of that pot as more than an accoutrement to the turkey; Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without it! What a wonderful refreshment to have at hand, ready to offer to unexpected guest, or to warm you up after raking leaves in the yard, or as an accompaniment to a game of settlers. In the early modern England, it was traditional to have a spiced (hard) cider on the stove for the entire month after the birth of a child. That was one of the delightful things I read about in graduate school -- the immediate post-childbirth month, in which women wrested power in the household and celebrated with hard cider. I know lots of interesting tidbits about this, if anyone is ever interested.

Something strangely enjoyable this holiday week has been a freelance editing project on a political science book. I've been hesitant in recent months to take on freelance work because it cuts into my free time, but this project was small. I've also vaguely considered leaving my current job and doing freelance work for a while, and this would be a good test for me. Since my last project, "webpage" has become an acceptable alternative for "website" in the house style.