What is the most magical time of the year?
Some of our friends — the dark, deranged, and spooky ones — love Halloween. We can get behind that. The streets of our downtown neighbourhood turn into a 1980s film set. You know we love a good horror movie marathon. Our kids make sure we are up to the armpits in candy; gummies bears, mini chocolate bars, fun dip, toffee. There are costumes. We get to indulge in our fantasies to become Peter Venkman and Wednesday Addams. It’s great. Yes, Halloween might be a contender.
One of our customers loves the winter. The first snowfall is his favourite moment of the entire year. He loves outdoor festivals in the snow, big sweaters, clunky snow boots, and hot cocoa. For years, we’ve been telling him to go and get checked out by a doctor. There must be something wrong with his brain. No. No way. Winter is decidedly out of the question.
How about Christmas? Maybe we could get behind just Christmas, if we can’t support the entire winter season as the most magical time of the year. Yes, the Judeo-Christian holiday extravaganza of consumerism and gluttony. That’s a pretty good time! We’re mostly drunk on boxed red wine and stuffed to the gills with oven baked appetizers. It’s pretty good. But the most magical time? Huh. I think great aunt Mildred and her farts might put a damper on that one. The Christmas season is also one of family. Ew. No, that’s not gonna work.
We’d like to vote for the back-to-school season. After being trained our entire young lives to anticipate it, even as an adult it’s hard to shake the excitement of cooling weather, new clothes, and seeing friends you’ve missed for two months. Who will my new teacher be?
As parents, this means we get back to our much needed routine. As booksellers, this means we get to meet lots of new, eager first-year students who are exploring their new city. This year, Vanessa is even teaching at Brescia and at Fanshawe, so the buzz is really going in our house!
What could be better than the leaves turning orange? The return of sweaters and the end of body insecurity in tight tiny clothes meant for humid days? We adore the fall, and Halloween is part of that, but the best part is the first few weeks of September when the tone of the city changes. There’s excitement in the air. It’s time to LEARN and we are so on board with that.
Welcome, members, to the MOST MAGICAL TIME OF THE YEAR. We are so happy to be part of it.
Much love,
Jason and Vanessa
