I had the best apples of my life last month at Cedaredge Apple Fest. Who knew that this little town of just over 2,000 people could grow this exemplary product of nature’s goodness and make them taste so delicious?

It was my first time attending the festival, which was much bigger than I expected. I’ve lived on the Western Slope for 15 years and I still stumble upon its gems. There’s no shortage of natural wonders on this side of the state, which I’m incredibly grateful for.

A salute to veterans

It’s appropriate that Veterans Day and Thanksgiving are both in November. This month’s BEACON honors our military men and women with stories of wartime and our appreciation for their service. We have a story about USO shows and how musicians traveled to play for our troops, bolstering their spirits and giving them a taste of life back home. Joyce Corley tells of her travels to some of our nation’s military cemeteries, paying tribute to our fallen heroes.

Stories of gratitude

Reading the stories inside this month’s issue got me thinking about the many ways people express gratitude and how they approach it with grace.

Our cover story is about Captain Taylor Perez, who donates his time and skills aboard Mercy Ships, a Christian-based ministry that brings hope and healing to nations via state-of-the-art hospital ships.

Melanie Wiseman reflects on a time when writing and receiving a thoughtful thank-you card in the mail was a regular thing. “Remember those days? What used to be a token of gratitude and thoughtfulness is now a thing of the past,” she writes.

Our garden columnist, Paige, writes about valuing the earth, composting and eluding food waste.

These stories have themes based on gratitude, even though the writer may not have sat down with that direction in mind.

How do you show gratitude? Do you pay respect to our veterans at local events? Do you visit grave sites of deceased loved ones? Do you donate your time or money to community organizations? Let us know by emailing [email protected].

Last call for the BEACON Guide!

We’re getting ready to publish our 2019 edition of The BEACON Guide. Do you know of an organization we should include? Pass along their info by calling 243-8829 or emailing [email protected]. Readers will find the 2019 BEACON Guide tucked inside the December issue.