Surviving November
Real Fall
Usually dawning cold and crisp, the day may start with going to the local Early Bird Sales where the shops open at 5:30 or 6 for deals to start holiday shopping. Maybe I've made
muffins, popped a movie on, taken a walk, or curled up with a good book and some tea. Halloween is over, which I have a love/hate relationship with; the weather has snapped to cold, we've started having morning frost, but by noon the sun can feel warm, and maybe we will see a snowflake or two soon (the forecast says, yes, maybe this week!). Hunting season and wreath-making starts as does the craft fair season. Wood smoke curls from chimneys, the sun glints through the bare trees (and with shorter daylight hours and the sun lower in the sky, we get to enjoy what sun there is), and the sun is up in the mornings again with the "fall back"/reversal of Daylight Savings Time. Folks finish up yard work, planting their garlic and other spring bulbs, and finish topping off the wood pile. I've already seen a few pickups with plows loaded on.
Celebrations Begin
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| The dogs are hunting season ready with their colored bandanas. We enjoyed the sun and 64 degrees on our south facing deck on the first weekend in November. |
Celebrations Begin
November also marks my birthday month, which is followed by the holidays, a time for family and friends, remembering, thankfulness, and looking to the Advent season.
This year I started November with no power due to a rainy, windy storm on Halloween night. Then I got to host my sister-in-law's baby shower, which is super exciting because this will be my brother's first baby! Next we get to celebrate my son's fall baseball team with a team party.
Gratitude
With all that's wrong in the world, it's good to look around and see what we can be thankful for this November. I choose to keep it simple and focus on all the blessings God has given me. Life is not easy. It throws us curves. We have challenges, bad days, tough years...but God is good, even in November.
Hate "Falling" Back One Hour? Read "5 Tips to Help Your Body Adjust to the Time Change."
Easy Thanksgiving and Christmas Activity to Encourage Gratitude: Make a Gratitude paper chain for your Christmas tree. We did this a few times when my son was younger. Every day we each had to write at least one thing we were thankful for on a strip of construction paper, and we added to them our chain. Then we added to our Christmas tree.
Did you have a November kind of year? Are you in a tough place right now? David Jeremiah is doing his series "When Your World Falls Apart." Good, good stuff straight from years of study, experience, and Biblical teaching.
Tired of Halloween Candy? I love Squash Soup. Here's a recipe, or Panera Bread makes a delicious one that I find in the deli at my local grocery store.
The Great Pumpkins of Damariscotta
And speaking of squash. My local community hosts an epic Pumpkinfest every year. I wrote about it years ago. It keeps growing, right along with the Giant Atlantic Pumpkins that are grown, weighed off, and then decorated along Main Street and in front of many area sponsor businesses. The weekend is full of tons of activities and a parade, which we participated in for the first time ever with two of the teams my husband coaches. The kids had a blast despite how long it was to wait to start and then finish the parade route!
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| Baby shower cupcakes, an early birthday candle, and pumpkin candy represent the various celebrations of November. |
This year I started November with no power due to a rainy, windy storm on Halloween night. Then I got to host my sister-in-law's baby shower, which is super exciting because this will be my brother's first baby! Next we get to celebrate my son's fall baseball team with a team party.
Gratitude
With all that's wrong in the world, it's good to look around and see what we can be thankful for this November. I choose to keep it simple and focus on all the blessings God has given me. Life is not easy. It throws us curves. We have challenges, bad days, tough years...but God is good, even in November.
Surviving November Links:
Hate "Falling" Back One Hour? Read "5 Tips to Help Your Body Adjust to the Time Change."
Easy Thanksgiving and Christmas Activity to Encourage Gratitude: Make a Gratitude paper chain for your Christmas tree. We did this a few times when my son was younger. Every day we each had to write at least one thing we were thankful for on a strip of construction paper, and we added to them our chain. Then we added to our Christmas tree.
Did you have a November kind of year? Are you in a tough place right now? David Jeremiah is doing his series "When Your World Falls Apart." Good, good stuff straight from years of study, experience, and Biblical teaching.
Tired of Halloween Candy? I love Squash Soup. Here's a recipe, or Panera Bread makes a delicious one that I find in the deli at my local grocery store.
The Great Pumpkins of Damariscotta
And speaking of squash. My local community hosts an epic Pumpkinfest every year. I wrote about it years ago. It keeps growing, right along with the Giant Atlantic Pumpkins that are grown, weighed off, and then decorated along Main Street and in front of many area sponsor businesses. The weekend is full of tons of activities and a parade, which we participated in for the first time ever with two of the teams my husband coaches. The kids had a blast despite how long it was to wait to start and then finish the parade route!
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| Parade time at Pumpkinfest. |
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| A literary themed great pumpkin at Damariscotta's Pumpkinfest 2019 |
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