It’s Pumpkin Time!!

The pumpkin.  It has become a symbol of harvest, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, and can be found in a variety of colors: orange (the one everyone knows), white, tan, and rarely seen red, and blue.  But what exactly is a pumpkin?  According to Wikipedia, “a pumpkin is a gourd-like squash…and is native to North America.”  The University of Illinois published a list of facts about pumpkins, which includes how they “…contain potassium and vitamin A….are used for feed for animals….Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.”  And so, the tradition continues with stores everywhere displaying bountiful arrangements of pumpkins signaling the upcoming holidays.  Growing up, I always looked forward to this time of year with the smells of baking bread, cinnamon, cloves, apples, and pumpkin greeting me as I arrived home from school.  Weekends were spent playing with friends, running and trudging through piles of orange and yellow leaves or visiting family.