Other November Things

 I see a few pictures that I've taken and need to see what was going on this month.  

I had a cough and sore throat for more than a week that kept me from spending much time with the girls.

We had the Bomb Cyclone that was exciting at first, but candles and warming refrigerators soon became not such an adventure.  It all worked out fine, but those were some high winds.  We lost a couple of trees on our street, but right up the interstate from us, in Issaquah, it looked like a tornado had come through.  Whole section of trees were down as well as signs that haven't been replaced.  Grocery stores are having a hard time getting back to normal after they lost so much of their frozen and refrigerated supply.  

We're about #457 on the outage map.  Emily and Ryan never lost power, but I was without anything but my gas fireplace for 36 hours.  I had half a cup or so of leftover coffee from the day before, and I tried heating it over a candle.  It didn't work. Noreen brought me a welcome thermos of coffee from her daughter's gas stove and some ice from Safeway.  Ryan brought over a phone charger, and I was pretty comfortable.  Other than a few things to be thrown out, we survived another weather crisis.  I'm hoping for a little snow around Christmas, but we haven't even had any temps below 39.

Noreen received a new tree this year and very generously gifted me hers.  I'm struggling a little bit with what to put it on and at this point was trying a storage bin.  An end table is too high.

It's caused quite a stir for Layla, but the other cats have ignored it thank goodness.  I already love it, and once we get everything sorted out, it will be beautiful.

Since my earlier little tree was just a tabletop one, I kept the ornaments to gold and pink, but I'm going to include more colors this year.  Here I'm trying out burgundy poinsettias and red ribbon.  The red ribbon is on it's way out.  I found some pink and gold at Target.

Emily and Katherine and I took off for a quick Target visit Tuesday, and we were not serious shoppers.  I did get my ribbon, and Emily found a few things, but we sort of just had fun.

The Target cavorting reindeer or what Kate calls "booties in the air reindeer."

Will cows be taking the place of cats in Kate's heart?  I don't think so.  Cats AND cows. 

The main purpose of the trip was to register for and pick up bibs for the annual Issaquah Turkey Trot, which the family didn't end of participating in because of too much on their plates, no sleep, stress over the clinic's opening after the power outage, tiredness, etc.  It was a nice donation for donating food and meals though.

I waited in the car while Emily was in line and saw this.

Then I noticed Emily gesturing to us to look and taking pictures.

This is what she saw close-up.  He was definitely the star of the Turkey Troy line, and I bet he was in the race yesterday morning.

I think someone mentioned him being a Komondor breed, but I'm not sure where those blue eyes came from.  

The girls had strange dismissal times this week and part of last week, so I never knew who I was going to get and when. 

Gray came in one cold rainy afternoon and wanted to go straight to Minecraft.  I don't begin to understand their interests any more, but she let me know that one of her dogs died and she saw three wolves.

I had worked on my mantle, such as it is, a little, and she was glad to see stockings there.  Hers, on the right was not spaced just right, but it soon fell down, and I was able to place it better later.  

Breaking the news to Kate when she arrived about her dog dying.  

I got K to hold up her project from school.  Not a presentation as such but a poster that describes what she's like to other people.

And a cute Halloween piece of art.  She said the background was "directed art," but all the little touches, including the boarded windows and things in the air and on the ground were her own art.  You could tell she had fun doing it.

I was looking for something on Facebook to show them, and we came across a Rooster Valley post.  The header was a collage of old pictures, and Graysen was so thrilled to see that this picture of her class made the cut.  She's in the yellow raincoat "before I learned how to smile," with the school in the background.  All these kids are now 12 or nearly so.  What a good beginning two years of preschool and pre-K they had.  Most of them were separated for elementary school and now middle school, but they'll be back together in a couple of years at the high school.  Yikes.  I doubt they'll remember each other, but they won't forget Rooster Valley and the runaway gingerbread man that they had to go all over town searching for.  

Another afternoon, their friend Carly came home with them, and they got out a wooden railroad set we inherited when a friend moved.  They haven't looked at it in 2 or 3 years, but they soon had it spread out all over the floor.  Cats found it interesting too.

I found my little areas of decorations all over the place, the manger inhabitants mixed with the trees and ice-skaters, and snowmen and gingerbread men in the oddest places.  That's what I do this for though.  If something gets broken, I'm okay with it, but mainly I love to see their eyes when they see a beloved ornament that they remember from year to year.  This is what my life is all about now, and I'm so thankful for it.

Big Thanksgiving

 As in lots of people, most of whom I had never met.  It was the best kind for me.  I had nothing to worry about as far as food preparation or hosting duties or actually any decisions, so I could be an observer for the most part.  

The Win-Bins have some wonderful friends who just happen to have two little girls the exact same as theirs.  They offered their basement area for virtual schooling during the Covid school closure, and the girls are like sisters now.  The four adults seem so relaxed with each other too.  

Ryan and Cal zipping off one-liners or quiet observations about just about anything.  I can't believe I didn't get one pictures of them together, but I'll have to see everyone else's pictures.  I forgot to take our my camera for the first hour.

Emily and Ali seem so different on the surface, but just gravitate toward one another with such affection and comfort.  Ali is quiet with the kindest voice and never seems flustered or upset - even with a hurt child (one), a dog accident (Peter), a lost tooth, or 11 people in her kitchen while she was preparing the meal.  

Emily is also kind and loving but is usually in the middle of a funny story, sometimes with an exaggerated Southern accent or discussing their vegan lifestyle.  

The others in attendance were Cal's parents, his brother and sister-in-law and their 3 children, and his sister-in-law's widowed father.  

It's funny about meeting complete strangers, how you know nothing about them except their relationship to the people you know, and then at the end of the night, after talking with each of them and hearing them banter back and forth with each other, you feel comfortable with them.  So many subjects of conversation.  Just a hint of politics - as in it won't be mentioned - so I have no idea about they feel about the future of the country.  

We talked food, of course.  Lots of talk about food.  Emily and Ryan had spent hours Wednesday afternoon chasing down a vegan ham that I didn't taste last night because there was regular ham and turkey, and I can taste it today if I want to.   The ones who did taste it were pretty confidant it tasted like "real ham."  

Emily's dressing was close enough to what I usually make that I didn't even comment - which she said upset her because she saw me about to try it for the first time and was waiting for my reaction, and I just went to the next food.  Did I forget to say she's sensitive and will not let me live that down.?

Cal had cooked the turkey, and it was so good, the best I've had lately.  I regretted not bringing home enough for a sandwich at least.  There was stuffing side-by-side with the dressing.  They're both typical sides for Thanksgiving meals, but they're nothing alike to me.  Each is good in its own way if you don't try to compare them. 

There was a big pan of macaroni and cheese prepared by Cal's mom that was also good and set off a long conversation about how mac and cheese has evolved from the real thing to the boxed ones and now to those vile microwavable cups that all the children love but make the adults gag. Three of the children do prefer a  Costco variety with more protein.  I'll have to get that name and have some bought to keep at my house so I don't have to see those bright blue and yellow cups!

What's left?  Brussels sprouts.  That was never a vegetable served at any of my Thanksgivings before we moved here, and now it's always a main veggie.  My father and father-in-law and probably Mike would never have tolerated them at their feasts.  I've developed a taste for them and love how different folks season theirs.  

There was a huge pot of mashed potatoes that Ali worked on that was probably my favorite thing besides the turkey.  This is young dog, and his name is Brodie or Bodie.  Such a sweetheart.  That was pretty much his spot for most of the preparation.

With some resting from his efforts when he could find a place.

With three more people in my generation, of course we touched on various ailments and insurances and losing spouses and driving at night and driving in general.  Grandchildren, pets, coffee, movies, college football.  These are just some of the things I overheard or was involved in.  We admired one of the 10-year-old's expertise in knitting, and she brought out her cute knitted pumpkin to show us.  I enjoyed a good conversation with a 16-year-old with a good outlook on not being in a hurry to drive and peer pressure and funny things about dances.  Adorable and so full of life.  I want her to talk more to my babies!  

One of her brothers was sick and stayed mostly to himself, only coming out for "Pie.  Pie."  And the other one too young to get trapped into conversation by a grandmother.  I saw him fall down the (carpeted) stairs twice, and Katherine took a spill once on the newly-refinished floor.

The children's table.  

Choosing seats.  

They did very well by themselves except for the drama of the lost tooth by the same 10-year-old (9-year? I can't keep up with birthdays) - the one with the white sweater.  Luckily, we were mostly finished eating when that news arrived with all the fanfare a lost tooth provides.  Later I saw an ice pack and some comforting come out in the kitchen once but wasn't privy to that story.

These six played so well the whole night.  What went on in the basement stayed in the basement, but adults were called down to video a pyramid and a chicken fight once they all got comfortable enough to ride each other's shoulders.  That was videoed and shut down for the future!

I'll add more pictures if Emily has any on her phone that I don't.

I almost forgot the pies.  Pecan, apple, and pumpkin.

Such a nice night and such good people.  I'm just happy to be included in such a festive night.  

Whose Chair Is It?

Everyone knows this is Layla's chair.

Except Wuffie, and he does not care.  He might have been inherited lately - hopefully temporarily - but he takes nothing off anyone.

Maybe a little intimidation from the former alpha cat.

Maybe he won't notice.

Or maybe he won't care.

 Oh, hello!

He looked at me.  Now what?

    This bravado is unusual.  Usually, there are a few growls - or worse.

    

Showing her good side.

    

And W is not intimidated - or impressed.

    

    

What just happened?

    

This is the best spot anyway.  Snoring in the ear of my caretaker.

Just to be clear that this is now my chair.  No one messes with a battle-scarred veteran.

Celebrate November

 

 

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion into clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."  Beattie, 1990)

November is a great month to be thankful and grateful.  

This is from one of the blogs I follow called Stonegable.

I am so impressed by so many people who take the time to share their ideas and photography, and I read a few of their blogs every day.  I'm past the time of my life when I have a house that I need to decorate or holidays that I need to prepare for - in other words, all the stress.  Now I can just enjoy seeing nice things and picking up a little decorating tip or recipe sometimes.  

I tried keeping a gratitude journal a few times, and it just didn't work out for me.  I should do that, I guess.  I have a planner and a budget book and a password book and a brain dump book plus my phone and computer usually stacked up on the coffee table or dining table or beside my bed.  There is just so much to do to keep up with all that and have a life too.  My mind is full of crocheting and knitting and quilting ideas, although I don't follow through with them.  Now I'm seeing Christmas things I want to do with the girls, and all we have time for is homework and a snack in the afternoons.  I just want my world to slow down a little so I can enjoy myself!  I did chat with a couple of people from Thomaston today, and that was nice.  Facebook is good for that, keeping up with old friends and seeing what they're up to.  

I would like to celebrate every day in November instead of mourning the end of blue skies and warm days.  I'm going to try.  Yesterday was one of those days where you don't really enjoy anything outside - or maybe it's just me.  I received an email that a package had been delivered, but looking closer at the picture, I realized that was not my porch.

It didn't bother me too much because it happens quite frequently.  My friend Noreen's former apartment was in the same building as mine but 201.  I know all these numbers and front porches and side porches are confusing, so we usually just go out and walk around until we find our package - or someone will come and bring it to us.  

I went out the garage door, planning to check my mail at the same time, but it had started to rain, and the wind had been swirling around all morning.  That miserable kind of weather where you aren't dressed warmly enough and just have to bear it.  I did spot my package at Apt 201, but I haven't met the new people yet or actually seen anyone move in.  I rang the doorbell on the side porch, so they would know why I was creeping around the side of their place, but I got no answer.  I did make my way around  the corner and grab it from the front porch, but I was aware that I was trespassing and expected to see my picture on Nextdoor as a porch pirate.  So far, I remain undetected.

As I was returning from picking up my mail, a mere 60 or so steps, I thought about my attitude and decided to try to enjoy the rain on my face.  It's never hard rain, just a drizzle, so I'm thankful for that.  And I don't have to stay out in it long.  Plus there's the comfort of coming back in to a warm house and even having a fire if I want one.  And I had a package of spoons to open!

I've gotten more exciting things this fall.  In fact, I've been on a mission to treat myself to upgrades on small things I use every day - a new colander that fits on the sink, magnetic measuring spoons and cups, socks, vitamins, white appliance paint for touchups on my beautiful apartment-grade sinks - plus some cute fall decorations and a couple of birthday gifts for Elise.  But the acquisition of these spoons and the four forks that are on the way is so satisfying.  When we moved here 9 years ago, I got 8 place settings of the pattern shown above and have been happy with them, but I no longer have 8 spoons and 8 forks.  How do you lose forks and spoons? I have some ideas but no proof.  I think a few have left here with food that Elise took home with her - in fact, she admitted that she "might" have done that.  Then there are constantly children here and an elderly careless person.  I was happy to see that Amazon carried the pattern and that they were $10 to $12 apiece, so I planned to replace them gradually.  Then this week I noticed that they were very much on sale and just decided to spring for 8 pieces to cover all my losses and maybe have an extra one or two.  

So I'm grateful for rain and spoons?  I guess so.  Plus a visit from Noreen afterwards who had been out walking in that rain and never complained and an upcoming visit with another friend Mary today who is bringing her Scrabble game.  

My sweet middle schooler was allowed to jump off her bus at the elementary school and come to my house

.  She immediately started on her homework, which unfortunately was math yesterday.  She has a web site that we refer to (because Ryan and I have to relearn all these things along with her).  Math with Mr. J.  I wish we'd had these helps when I was growing up.

It took me a little time to understand number lines again, but once I got into it, it was pretty exciting - if math can be called exciting.  I think it helped Graysen to explain things to me, and she did a great job of keeping her mind on what she was doing.  Once when we were arguing about an answer and my not understanding WHY, she said, "Hey, Google, what is the answer to negative 8 plus negative 10," and Google immediately took her side.  I hate to admit it but after she left, I went back to Mr. J and got him to explain one of the rules again.  

By the time Katherine got there, Graysen was finished with her homework and made them both a cup of hot chocolate - all by herself.  They both had to leave around 5 to get Kate ready for soccer.  They hardly ever call off practices or games because of a little rain, even though she left here with hope in her heart!  I'm so glad I got to spend that happy time with them.  Kate will come back Friday and bring a friend while Graysen has a Dungeons and Dragons group.  I know nothing about that except that it was a big deal back when our kids were growing up.  Graysen has a friend whose dad is willing to host a group of 4 or 5 girls and teach them to play, and they just love it.  

I'm up early with a cup of coffee and a fire and just enjoying my life so much.  So even though it's not November yet, I'm celebrating.  Maybe I'll have some Halloween pictures tomorrow.

In the meantime, some oldies.