editor's note

Born to a sharecropping family, the holidays for my late great-grandfather
Tom Wells, brought few indulgences—save for one, which he recalled fondly
to his grandchildren: oranges.

So precious were the fruits that when shipments arrived at the general store
in time for the holiday season and Papa's father brought home a bag to share
with his wife and five boys, every part of the orange was savored. After the
juicy, sweet inside sections were devoured, the peels were spread out on the
mantel to dry—spirals of intensely orange flavor that would be eaten unadorned
three or four days later.

Though few today prize oranges and their kin like treasures, citrus fruits still feel
like a special part of the season. In our cover story, "Citrus Delight," Rebecca Lang
squeezes tartness and tang into dishes that will shine at the Thanksgiving table.

While ambrosia and candied orange peel have been holiday classics for
generations, chef Tim Dondero's takes on Thanksgiving food are anything but
traditional. The former medical reasearcher now uses the kitchen as his lab,
incorporating international flavors he picked up on on his travels into familiar
dishes at his family-owned restaurant, Donderos' Kitchen. His homey but inspired
creations are laid out in "A World of Thanks."

If Thanskgiving is a celebration of the harvest, then it's only appropriate to say
thanks to the farmers who've cultivated North Georgia for generations. While a
younger generation of farmers in the area bring new approaches to a centuries-old
profession, we found one thing that unites these men and women, no matter their
age, is a love for the land the the bounty it produces ("Earthbound").

Being without Margaret Blanchard's vision for this issue has been demanding, but
it's a challenge we gladly suffer as she adjusts to a new role—as mother to son
Benjamin Weston Blanchard, born Sept. 13. We send our best wishes to Margaret
and husband Chris as they get to know their new housemate—and look forward to
spoiling the newest member of the Athens Magazine family!

April Moore Skelton, Editorial Associate