I Am Thankful For:
My husband making it home for Thanksgiving despite delays
Family
The means to provide a nice Thanksgiving meal
That full, sleepy feeling after the turkey
Pumpkin pie
Christmas shopping with my daughter
Holiday traditions
Thanksgiving leftovers
Selecting paint colors
The dog finished medicine and doing well
A warm bowl of chili
A fancy schmancy new coffee maker
Windy days
Homemade sweet potato dog treats
My husband
A warm house on a cold day
Remember last month when I said October had been a fast-paced whirlwind of activity? Little did I know what November had planned for us! It feels like my birthday was about five minutes ago. Yet, here we are - already at the end of the month!
The Man of the House did more traveling for work this month. In fact, he had to head off to Boston on my birthday (November 1). And he was in California for several days right before Thanksgiving. Hopefully the travel schedule will slow for the remainder of the year and I can enjoy having him at home in the evenings.
The nice thing about his travels is when I am able to tag along. While he was in Boston at the beginning of the month, I flew up on that Friday to join him. We spent a Saturday exploring Boston - walking the entire Freedom Trail and ending the day with dinner at a historic tavern in Charlestown. Sunday we took the train down to Foxborough to catch a football game at Gillette Stadium. It was my first time visiting Boston, and I very much enjoyed the city.
While I was a little disappointed that the Man had to be away for my birthday, it was still a nice day. I had lunch with my dad and his wife. And that evening my daughter's family took me out to dinner. The next day when I realized that I had not even treated myself to a single piece of cake on my big day, my sister sent me a lovely tower of cakes from Nothing Bundt Cake to remedy the situation.
Just before Thanksgiving we were finally able to get the last two replacement windows installed and the damaged patio door was swapped out. That same day, the install of our new siding began. It's still an ongoing project and sometimes it feels like one bump in the road after another. But hopefully by the end of next week everything will finally be wrapped up.
Our Thanksgiving was nice. The kids and grandkids were here. I enjoyed seeing the youngest grandbaby enjoying some Thanksgiving foods for the first time. On Black Friday, the female offspring and I did some Christmas shopping. We didn't head out at the crack of dawn which was just fine with me! I was still able to get a good start on the gift shopping.
November seemed like a quick month. But it was a good one!
What is your favorite memory from November?
I Am Thankful For:
Keeping a sense of humor about it
Kitten playing with the dogs
Getting help with Thanksgiving prep
Getting a quick vet appointment
Fast lab results
My husband fixing dinner when I was running late
My husband and grandson playing together
The dog seems to be feeling better
A big Sunday breakfast
Cute little dog hats
Late night texts
The windows are finally done
Work on the siding has started
Groceries for Thanksgiving
My husband
31 years of marriage
The life we've built together
Our little family
I Am Thankful For:
Inner strength
Taco salad
Holding hands with my husband
Pink morning clouds
Little birthday cake for dogs
Texting with my Canadian cousin
Much needed rain
Clean laundry
Falling asleep quickly
Lunch out with my husband
Getting a haircut
A nice pot of tea
Soup cooking in the crockpot
Planning for Christmas
Lipstick
Sunset
Siding installation scheduled
Afternoon tea with my daughter
My One Word for 2023 is Explore. In the spirit of exploration, I made the decision not to stop at one word this year - but to also have a word for each month.
For November that word is: Reflection
Every year as my birthday comes around on the first of November, I find myself reflecting on my life. I look back at where I have been and how far I have come over the previous years. I think about where I am now. And I consider where I want to go, what I want to do, and who I want to be in the future.
I am reflecting on my personal patterns, habits, and behaviors. What's still working for me? What's no longer working? What can I remove, add, or change to improve my life?
With only two months left in the calender year, this is often when I start thinking about the next one. I reflect on how I did with my goals for the current year and what I might want to accomplish in the next year. I am also reflecting on my one word for next year by looking back at this year and considering making a significant change
This isn't a time for self doubt, criticism, comparison, or negative self talk. Although, if I'm being honest - it sometimes turns into that and has to be guided back to something more positive and constructive. This time of reflection is about remembrance, honest evaluation, and dreaming/planning.
Do you regularly spend time in self reflection and evaluation?
I Am Thankful For:
Birthday lunch with my dad
Birthday dinner with daughter's family
A surprise delivery
Bundt cakes
Packing for another trip
Catching an early morning flight
Seeing NYC from the air
An after flight nap at the hotel
Public transportation
Lobster rolls
Exploring a city I've never visited before
Checking another stadium off our list
A beautiful day for a football game
An evening walk around Boston
A safe trip home
Chris's phone is found
Ice cream cake
Dogs napping on my lap
Love
Evenings at home
I Am Thankful For:
Going home
That first glimpse of the mountains ahead of me
Being greeted by my dogs
Already planning my next trip
Sleeping in my own bed
Making birthday plans
Grocery shopping with my husband
Bright red Autumn leaves
Beautiful weather
The Panthers finally won a game
Family
A cup of fresh, cool water
Feeling the cold air moving in
Finding me ring
Cute dog costumes
Quiet evenings at home
