Good-Bye, November

 I can't lie.  I did not have a good November for many reasons, the worst of which is this little problem called a pandemic.  Then there was the election which should have given me more hope than it actually does after watching a deranged person try to destroy what's left of our country's democracy and lead his sheep down the path of an alternative world.  Sad that this can be happening in this time when people should know better.  Grownups.  People in leadership positions.  The former president not only wreaked havoc on democracy for four years, but he's now working on sabotaging the only chance to come together and heal our country.  Hopefully, a few people with integrity will get through to him and stop the persistent lying and misinformation being tolerated and actually encouraged on Fox and those other propaganda media outlets.

November just wasn't a good month weather-wise either, although we did find a few nice days.  Not having a sunny porch to have coffee with Noreen and not being able to pop over and see my babies are two things I've missed the most.  

Thanksgiving was just okay.  Good food, a quick hug from the girls, and that was about it.  

There are some things that stand out as pluses in the past few days, and I'll try to dwell on the happiness.

On Friday, I could tell it was going to be a less gloomy day with no rain, so I decided to walk over to Steller and deliver the empty containers that our dinner came in the day before.  

It was a nice walk, and I was so glad to be outside in the fresh air.  

I went the garden route and noticed all the mostly empty gardens.  Emily and Ryan still have a good bit of kale that looks pretty but not much else.  Some Brussel's sprouts also.  I'm not sure what's with the yellow leaves.  It's not from lack of rain for sure.  Maybe that's how Brussel's sprouts do.  I wouldn't know personally.

When I arrived at the house, I found Ryan blowing leaves in the front yard, so I walked around back to peek in the window before the girls saw me.

I think they were expecting me because I heard, "Mimi, Mimi," from inside.  They were playing with balloons with sprinkles inside, and I had to learn all about how that was done.  I had not planned to go inside or stay, even though we had our masks on, but I did sneak in some quick backwards hugs and all the snuggling we could manage.  

Graysen came running up with a deck of Old Maid cards in her hands and a wistful look on her face.  Emily thought it was warm enough to maybe play a game or two on the table outside.  I was plenty warm since I had walked over with maybe one too many layers on, so I just took off my jacket, and it was perfect. 

Katherine needed a warm blanket to wrap up in.  It's hard to look at them in those masks without smiling.

With the way I've been moving lately, I need to get one of those sloth masks.

Emily asked if I wanted a cup of coffee, and, of course I did.  I enjoyed a brief phone conversation with a friend checking on me while I waited for them to get settled.

There were a few rounds of musical chairs while Katherine made sure she could sit beside Mimi AND Mama.  Graysen was just glad to be there.  Sweet girls.  So lovely.  I could hardly keep from looking at them constantly.

Ryan turned on the heater to make it a little more comfortable.  Look at those blue skies.  I wonder how long it will be before Ryan is clearing off the snow up there.  I hope Christmas!

No secret where the Old Maid is.

But I started out with it and ended up with it.  I asked the girls what they thought about my growing out my hair and wearing it in a bun.  I just got two very dubious looks over those masks.  I have the quilt, the cat(s), the rocking chair, and the slippers.  I need one of those little shoulder things maybe.

After only one game, it was getting toward lunch time, so I said my good-byes, got more hugs from the girls, and they ran upstairs to play.  Emily and I actually had a few minutes of our own to talk before I headed back with my empty dishes.

Saturday was just a not-good day, and I just decided to be grumpy and not decorate this apartment for Christmas.  Elise is not here a lot, and no one else is going to come here.  I did decide to clean though and spent a lot of time on it.  Luna is finally acclimated enough to us that I could move her feeding stuff to the kitchen and out of my bathroom, and she had already found Bowie's litter box, so I reclaimed and cleaned my bathroom and then vacuumed my bedroom, moving chairs and going through piles of papers and books that had accumulated beside my chair.  After the sheets were all washed and back on the bed, I was feeling better.  Still not good enough to think about getting any decorations brought up from the garage.

Then I looked out and saw Jamie's wreath.  She has a plan anyway, and she lives by herself.

I had a few thoughts of changing my mind but came back in and did more cleaning.  Cleaning like drawers and looking under chairs and couches and in boxes.  I'm so glad I did, because after being sure I had looked everywhere possible for my big recipe book, I accidentally opened this little container, and there it was.  Every recipe I've wanted to save are consolidated there.  Maybe a little behind on the consolidating but still all the old favorites.  I was getting tired of asking other people for my recipes.

Spoiler:  I took this picture after I un-decided not to decorate a little.  I was moving the box, and it opened.  I usually keep the girls' library books and other books in here, and I remember Graysen saying the last time she came over that it was full of "only grown-up things."

Yesterday afternoon after feeling so good about a more organized apartment, I went to the garage and stood around a few minutes.  I opened the trunk of the car and put a big box in there.  I then filled it with kids' clothing and toys.  Then I put another box in there and filled it up.  By the time I finished, I had filled the back of the car and made a little path in the garage.

I had a bonus too.  As I was putting the last box in the car, I saw Noreen's car pull out of her garage, and there was a lot of waving and grinning.  She was on the way to an outdoor meeting with her son's family and told me about a new thrift shop that was opening in Downtown Snoqualmie.  I remembered reading about it and was going to try to find the info, but she texted me a few minutes later telling me where it was and the hours.  So I have a PLAN now for a place to take my stuff.  I'm not sure this pounding rain and wind will be conducive to getting out and delivering something, but I'm going to try.

Since I could see the back of the garage better, I eyed the Christmas boxes.  Ryan had said he would come over the take them down from the top shelves, but I just had to try one of them.  I had that feeling as I had the container halfway off the shelf - above my head - that I might have made a bad error in judgement.  Luckily, it wasn't a catastrophe, and I poked through it until I found a bag or two of things to bring up.  Not full-fledged decorating, of course, just setting out a few things.  The decision will come later about the little tree. 

Just this little bit made me happy.

This is the desk where I usually just put out all the interesting things for the girls to look at, so I'll still do that when I find them.  I hope they'll get to come over at least once or twice in December.  I even said, "Hey, Google.  Play Christmas carols."  I was then sorry because immediately Brenda Lee was singing Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree at full volume, terrifying the cats and me too.

I'm being ruthless this year and donating a lot of things.  There's no reason to pack and unpack napkins and things I don't hate but don't love year after year.  Some of these are going away, and some will be used once I decide if I want to tackle another area.

I do want to put the nutcrackers up here and straighten it up, but I don't mind the clutter right now.  Because I'm out of my Bah, Humbug mood.

Speaking of Scrooge, the girls watched A Christmas Carol this weekend, and Katherine said she was a "sthpirit.'  I asked Emily which version they watched, because it can get a little scary, and she said, "The Muppet version."

There's that dress again.  I'm still not sure where it came from unless it was from a bag of donations from friends, but it is the one both girls have chosen for festive occasions.  Here's Graysen in the same dress last Christmas Eve.  So funny.  It does look like a celebration!  Or an old-fashioned majorette outfit.

A few more pictures from that exciting night.

I was expecting a small package from Amazon Saturday, but when I opened the door, there was a larger one there.

I saw it was from Debby, and when I unwrapped it, the package was just beautiful, and I decided to wait until Christmas to open it.

Just after I made that decision, Debby texted and asked if I had gotten it and that I could not wait to open it because it would be too late then.

I didn't have to be asked twice, so I got it and opened it then. 

Just the most perfect thing!  A beautiful big Lenox "cocoa mug" just for me.  

She always knows just what will make me happy, and just talking and texting over many hours yesterday helped change my attitude to calmer and more hopeful.  I was going to have a cup of coffee to celebrate it, but since it said cocoa, I decided to have that, and it was exactly right.

Tomorrow is the first day of December, and I have Christmas music now - a little more subdued than Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree but still some lively songs.  If one comes on that makes me remember and be sad, I'll yell at Google to stop it and play another one.  Lamps are on, house is warm and clean, cats are curled up in various places.  The rain can pour and the wind blow.  I'm okay for now.