(Editor's Notes by Christina Myer - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

A few times a year I am reminded how fortunate I am that my job includes activities such as the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, our newspapers’ annual food drives, The Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee and most recently, our annual cookbook tasting party.

Yes, all those wonderful recipes you’ll see in a few weeks when we print our annual cookbook? I get to taste 12 or 15 of them –and go back in for another bite if I’m not quite sure. The better ones are the ones all judges agree we’d like to finish before we move on to the next dish. The best ones are the ones after which we ask for another portion in a take-home container.

It was fun this year to bring back the presentation prize, too. I want to invite some of these folks to come decorate my house before Thanksgiving, because they’ve got the “Southern Living” food spread vibe down pat. There were lanterns and lights and candles; dishes served in Fiesta Dinnerware to add a pop of color; figurines and garlands … some of them were truly a thing of beauty. And the food wasn’t half bad, either.

As is the case every year, I and the other judges enjoyed ourselves as much because of the conversation and catching up as we did the food. We are a small group of generally the same people (with some who skip a few years before returning) who are not all usually in the same place at the same time. In fact, when one semi-regular makes an appearance, we joke that we should add a box to the score sheet that should be checkmarked if that judge says “it needs salt.”

This year we were missing a couple of familiar faces. Mrs. Joseph C. Snyder was out of town, and we missed her very much. And, of course, we all spent a moment remembering Sarah Jalbert, who had been a judge in our contest for many years and passed away in September. Her expertise and company were missed dearly, too.

I’m excited for you all to read about our winners; and see the fantastic recipes we received — as we do every year. If some of what you read inspires you, or makes you think “well I can do that,” then consider submitting an entry or two next year. The more the merrier. Though we do love seeing what some of our regular submitters come up with year after year, it is wonderful to see new people join in the fun.

***

Speaking of books — and buckle up, this is a sharp turn — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Pay attention to those who fear books and learning the truth. Pay attention to those who want to keep students in the dark; who talk about “grooming,” when what they mean is “grooming that is different from our version and what we’ve been working so hard to maintain.” Pay attention to those who want to present only a carefully curated version of history and a nauseatingly narrow scope of humanity. Learning and exposure to new ideas and experiences are not the enemy, folks. In fact, they’re our only hope.

***

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com