Thanksgiving, the All-American Holiday, is fast approaching.

I have made the menu considering all the eating habits and restrictions of my guests and family. For the vegetarian, there will be a minestrone, cheese ravioli, eggplant, fish, and plenty of vegetables. Some have requested the meatballs, sausage, and pasta course which will be there. I make a sausage stuffing, and my wife makes one with no meat. The turkey will take center place. My daughter will bring her homemade sourdough bread. And Polly will have two desserts of some kind. Oh! And I will have chestnuts.

The bigger and more diverse feast will happen on Christmas. 

Weather-wise Thanksgiving in Connecticut can be in the sixties, but I have also seen it in the twenties with snow. I hope it is in the upper 40s with sun.

But no matter what the weather outside, I know that inside it will be a convivial day at the table.

After this edition, we have one more for 2026. Next year there will be some big changes coming to Friends And Neighbors that we will share with you next month. I know that you will be excited by what is on tap for 2027.

In this edition, we have our vast array of columnists including Pastor Chad, Doctor Michele, and David Hafner. Our columnists are the backbone of our community journalism. They work very hard to bring you diverse viewpoints and information on a number of subjects.

Over the years, we have become the place for nonprofits to showcase their accomplishments. In many other states, much of what our nonprofits do is handled by the government. Not so in Florida. Without them, many members of our community would not be served. That is why I have tried to give them a forum to highlight their accomplishments, and I am proud that we are the largest forum in Martin County to do just that.

Our government reporting is all here including an in-depth 4-part look at Stuart’s finances, and how in less than a year with the wrong leadership, the city may take years to recover. We have seen this week around the country that elections do matter, and they do so here at home for local government.

So sit back, have another cup of coffee, and dig in to a very full edition.