It's true that the Wizard of Oz has remained a perennial favorite throughout these many years. According to Wikipedia, it was the repeated network showings, between 1959 and 1991, which helped it become a family tradition. And, Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's Over the Rainbow ballad is considered one of the most popular songs ever written and recorded in the American Songbook. But to see such a wide-spread embrace of the iconic Dorothy this season seems to speak more to a rediscovered appreciation of our core values. 
Along with that simple costume comes the widespread embrace and longing for a simpler life. Can it be just a coincidence that vegetable gardening (your own piece of Kansas) has seen significant growth? Or, that canning has become a popular by-product (be ready for all those lovely holiday gift baskets filled with preserves). Oh, and if you didn't know, crafting has become a 30+ billion dollar industry embraced by both indie artisans and grandmoms alike. There is something special sprouting from the seeds of common sense planted alongside all those vegetables. Perhaps it's just what Dorothy says before bursting into song as she longs to go "someplace where there isn't any trouble." An escape. The ability to feel at peace. Have some control. Find a creative outlet. Give me those ruby slippers, my pretty!
