Ahhhhh, November. I love November, not nearly as much as December, but it doesn’t need to know that. I am behind on my blog. Because it has been so cozy, I have wanted to do nothing but bake and read books. I apologize for my being behind on comments. It is my selfish book reading heart’s fault. I have not been on the internet as much this week. My kids had the whole week off and it was just so nice to decompress with them. I hope to be back on schedule this week. As a family, we went and saw “Big Hero Six.” This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I give it a ten out of ten. Bring tissues. And be sure to stay until after the ending credits.
My family and I were so sick for two weeks of November. Two weeks. I remember on day twelve bursting into tears because I was so tired of feeling awful, but it did pass. For that, I am grateful. November is a grateful month. It is the dark month of reflection. The lightness of laughter remembered. The darkness of finding light in trying circumstances. I know so many people who are going through a hard time. It is very difficult for me to be happy sometimes when I know their struggles.
My grandmother’s birthday was on the seventh and my heart felt so heavy that day. Yet, I am so thankful for the time I did have with her.
Here is November briefly recapped with things that did not make it on the blog:
I rescued a sea lion.
On Thanksgiving, my aunts, uncle and mother gave me back the last Christmas present I had gifted to my grandma the week before she passed away. It was very sweet. It was a sad moment that day when we watched my laughing grandma on an old VHS tape.
And so now I have this bowl, knives and kitchen mittens that I feel I need to do something special with. That I am terrified of breaking. And yet, they make me feel weary. Tired. My grandma never used them, so even though I try to tie an emotional connection to these things, I find myself incapable of doing so. Unwilling, if you will. For my grandmother never used them when she was alive, so they sat unused because… she died. When I look at these items, I remember her death. Not her life. Hence the weariness. I need to contemplate how I feel about this more. I think instead of the items being a tribute to my grandmother, I will remember them as being lovingly saved by four siblings as a gift to me. I will remember my mother, my aunts and uncle when I use them. Of overcoming insurmountable grief to think of another person during a dark time. Of the love that was saved for me. Ahhhh…So many ponderings over kitchen items.
I have a problem. A tuna problem. I cannot quit it. I ate a whole entire tuna pie all by myself in three sittings. Is there a meeting for this?
Today is Cyber Monday. Because I purchased so much the week of Black Friday, I am sitting this one out (unless you know of an amazing waffle maker on an amazing deal, because I had to throw away my old one yesterday). And I don’t want to do yet another shopping post. However Modcloth is having an awesome sale today offering 25% off everything with code CYBERMONDAY. I will tell you, the following links are affiliate links. Purchasing through the links will provide a small income for this little ol’ blog. Everything I am listing is actually sitting in my cart awaiting a future indulgence (except the blue dress which I all ready purchased through Dear Creatures). Modcloth always offers free shipping on orders over $50:
1. The Chilly Commute Dress. This is adorable. Easy. I like the colors. I like the shape. I like it.
2. Gnome Man’s Land Socks. Oh! I want these so badly! Actually I want ten pairs of these so badly. I have to stop looking at them or I am going to buy them.
3. Channel The Charm Dress by Dear Creatures. If you missed out on Dear Creature’s 40% off sale, where I purchased this dress, this is still a good price with the code. Plus, the return policy is much better.
4. The Copious Comfort Poncho looks almost exactly like the poncho from Anthropologie that I missed out on last year.
Outfit Outtakes:
Ollie being a stubborn bulldog. Original outfit post here.
Being a dork. Original outfit post here.
I found my perfect restaurant. Individual brewed iced teas and tuna sandwiches. What more could a girl ask for?
Coming Up In December:
Three Stripes Your Out-fit
House Tour
Sisters In Tulle
Crazy Searches
The Easiest Salted Caramel Cookie Bars
I am also going to need some help deciding on some purchases I made during Free People’s awesome sale. I bought these boots in red for my husband to gift to me for Christmas. Well, I could not resist peeking at them or trying them on. Now I am unsure. My thighs are much larger than my calves. I feel like having the boot stop right at the start of my thigh is unflattering. I might post a picture soon to see what you think. And I am thinking of returning The Embroidered Moto Jacket. I love the embroidery but I am not sure of the fit on me. And I need some styling help on The Eyelet Duster. So would it be wrong to have a post about items I need help deciding on?
We are now in December. My very favorite month. I love the brightness of the big holiday. The colors everywhere. The excitement. I love giving gifts. I love the smells. It can be overwhelming, though. Because of this, I do a random act of kindness every single day this month. It makes me put the holidays into perspective. It is something I do for my soul to try to balance the present greed. With that in mind, I want to note that while it is so awesome to donate toys for children at this time, please do not forget the elderly amongst us. I definitely will be donating toys, but this is the month when my heart goes towards the forgotten amongst us…
The day after Thanksgiving, I ran into a grocery store to quickly grab two items. I decided to cut through the cookie/cracker aisle to get to the register. As I entered the aisle, a lone woman was slowly pushing her cart in front of me. She was in her late sixties. Not old by any means. Her pants had slid down underneath her bare bottom.
I did not know what to do.
I did not want to embarrass her, but I also did not want a mean person to laugh at her circumstances. I approached the woman and said to her, “Ma’am, you’re pants have slid down.”
She thanked me as she groaned. She was ill. It was the day after Thanksgiving. She was sick. She was shopping for food. By herself. Alone. Like so many elderly people. They have to venture out sick, alone, spend the holidays by themselves. I did not know what I could do for her. My family was waiting in the car. My husband had to get to work. Selfishly, I did not want to get sick myself. So, I left. I have many excuses, but none of them are enough.
I am so imperfect.
Yet it breaks my heart. Makes me feel helpless. Overwhelmed. Guilty.
It could happen to any of us. And so for me, I try to concentrate on making sure I am remembering to take the older generations into consideration this month.
How was November for you? Are you more excited for December? How do you decompress during this busy season? Are you reading anything good? I have read five books this week. I can recommend one of them. It is One Came Home
How terribly sad for that woman. I’m sure she is grateful for the kindness that were able to offer.
Thank you Suzanne. I hope she ended up being okay. It was a really hard thing to experience.
Have a lovely week!
Jenni
I’m actually reading my best friend’s newest book “The Collector’s Society.” The protagonist is Alice from Alice in Wonderland. It’s superfun.
That sounds awesome! How fun! I just started The 5th Wave. It is SO good so far. In fact, I could not put it down and really need to get to sleep!
Have a fabulous Thursday!
Jenni
Hello beautiful! We sometimes all have to take a break from the internet. Me most recently because I caught my finger in a door and literally thought I had sliced off the fingertip. Luckily Kaz (of the Kazpants) was on hand to doctor and disinfect it. Still a bit iffy so I can’t type too much.
Anyway – isn’t it good to reconnect with reading? I recently rediscovered a favourite writer – I am rationing his last books because he died suddenly last year – Iain Banks. The book was called Transitions, and is a fantastic mind bender.
Also, STOP being so hard on yourself, honey! You are a HERO for telling that woman in the KINDEST way about her pants. It was probably kinder to leave her alone than to stay and help her, she was probably both grateful AND embarrassed, you know? Also, not staying to catch a virus you might pass on to your children is TOTALLY the right thing to do. SISTAFIST! (I just made that up. To replace “brofist”. Naturally.)
Oh my goodness!!! Ouch! I am glad you are doing better, but that sounds awful.
I will have to check out that author. It sounds intriguing. I am reading about a ghastly alien invasion right now. As one does. When one wants to stay awake scared in the dark.
And thank you about the woman. I don’t know what I could have done for her, even if I did not have my family waiting in the car for me. But I just wish I could have done something. Like today I was getting something framed and a woman was getting a quote next to me and they were not giving her the best price and I wanted to lip tell her what to do, but instead I stared at her like a creep trying to get her to read my mind. It makes me sad that she trusted it was the best price and did not do the research beforehand. And then I went outside and tried to share my umbrella with this old lady but she wouldn’t and her feet got soaked in her crocks and I had my rainboots on and it was a stressful day at the store!
I got your email! Sounds good! : ). I will write you tomorrow or Friday when my husband goes to work. Right now he has Wednesday and Thursday off so we hang out all day before we get the kids and it is fun but we try to cram so much in!
Have a beautiful rest of the week! SISTAFIST back at you! : )
Jenni
I think it would be fine (and fun!) to help you decide on your new Free People purchases, imho.
Thank you! I am going to try to get pictures of everything tomorrow so I can post it on Friday. I need to decide what I am sending back! But it has been so dark and gloomy here I cannot get decent light for pictures in the house and I am not going to wear clothes I might take back out of the house. Fingers crossed it works out. : )
Have a delightful Thursday!
Jenni
I’m so glad you are feeling better. I was thinking about you on Thanksgiving. I remembered how hard it was on you last year. I moved this week and got to put my grandmother’s dresser I got last Thanksgiving in my new room! You will think of what to with your grandmother’s gift. It’s hard. I attach memories to physical things as well. I gave my other grandmother a duck planter right before she died and my family gave it back to me too. I had mixed feelings about it but couldn’t bear to give it away so I kept it…for …ahem …12 years. I set it on the porch of my new house this week and it makes me happy to come home and see it. Now, I just have to get flowers for it…. I loved the sea lion picture!!! Ollie does look like an adorable sea lion.
Thank you so much. I cannot tell you how much your comment meant to me and truly helped me. After I read it, I went and made use of all of the items. I found a place of prominence for the bowl and washed the knives and put them away. I used the oven mitt last night. Knowing that you take such joy in your gift made me feel hopeful and I could not bear to have it sitting on my counter undecided and making me feel lost.
So thank you! Thank you so much!
And Ollie has been so onery the last two days. The rain does not agree with him. I am hoping tomorrow he will be his jolly laid-back self. He cannot relax with it pouring outside.
Have a lovely Thursday!
Jenni
I’m glad you’re feeling better (finally!)
I would love to see a post about things you’re iffy on.
Your story about the elderly lady made me very sad.
Thank you so much Liana! I am definitely going ahead with the post. I need to return things ASAP if I am in fact, returning everything. I have a feeling it will be at least one thing that makes the trip back.
And that woman made me feel sad too. : (
Have a beautiful week!
Jenni
Yes! A post on items you can’t decide about! I love that eyelet duster but would have no idea how to style it!
I think you have to take a break from the internet! Have you even taken a vacation from blogging since you started?
You are the sweetest for telling that lady about her pants. You are like a fairy godmother in this life – you are so kind and helpful to people! xoxo
My first impulse was to say get rid of those items you gave your grandmother but if you can truly change the focus to your aunt and uncle’s kindness, then maybe it is worth it to keep them? I will be interested to hear which way you go with that.
Thank you Cynthia! I am doing that post. I would love some help! I am so unsure about two things.
I have not really taken a break except for a few days when I was sick and when my son was so sick in May. I am trying to post everyday until I reach the two year mark and then I am going to reevaluate the blog.
I try to be nice but then I forget to email people back or call and there is so much I could be better about!
I ended up finding a home for my grandmother’s gifts. I was paralyzed with it, but then I read a comment here and decided to keep everything. It felt so good to make a decision and it was a big relief to just not have the worry of it staring at me from the counter every day. And my mom emailed me the sweetest note. Which made me cry and I was happy to have found places for everything.
Have a super rest of the week! Stay dry!
Jenni
So glad that you and your family are feeling better!
I rather adore this post, because it is just so gosh darn chock full of everything. Much like my brain.
Oh.
Wait.
That came out wrong. That sounds rather egotistical.
Let me rephrase…chock full of unrelated things, much like my brain is chock full of unrelated tidbits of information.
My adoptive parents are elderly, shall we say. And have been, the last several years, slowly trying to rid themselves of what they deem unnecessary. So on what seems like a monthly basis, I am presented -with full fanfare and forced emotion-some item or other that I SHOULD be attached to as a family heirloom to take over the caring of.
And it is awkward.
Because I have no room.
Because it’s not really mine.
Because we are not blood…so great great great aunt’s blah blah blah doesn’t mean to me what it does to them.
And now I sound mean, and ungrateful and grumpy.
Blech!
Thank you Leanna! I always think those posts are so random. But they are me. I am random. I try to cram in a month of things into one day. And what an interesting childhood and dilemma as an adult. I am such a hoarder, I would keep everything. Seriously, I keep everything. It is a bit of a problem. My brother-in-law came to visit one day, looked around and slowly declared, “You can never move.” It would be a task! : )
Have a relaxing weekend!
Jenni
Hey Jenni!
I’m behind from not having internet access during the holidays and am still catching up on reading your blog 🙂
You are so kind! The world needs more Jennis =)
Thank you for all of your posts about the elderly…It means alot to me!
I just love my Grandpa and Grandma and all of their friends!
I always love to hear their stories and spend time with them, it’s like a trip into the past and I learn so much everytime!
It makes my heart hurt to see the elderly lonely and alone so I really appreciate this reminder.
Have a wonderful weekend with your family :0) ♥
Thank you so much! I wish I could be better. I can only try. I love that you spend time with your grandparents AND their friends. There is so much I wish I had asked my grandma before she passed. So much time not spent with her. And now there is no time at all. The elderly are such an untapped source of information. It makes me so sad how often they are overlooked. This reminds me that I need to go get some names off of the tree!
Have a special weekend!
Jenni
I was so teary eyed through most of big hero six too! I loved it though, it was a sweet, great movie. I think disney movies just continue to get better w/ each film! Last night kiddos & I watched “miracle on 34th st”, one of my favs of all time! It was their first viewing, maybe a little too old still for Max. But every time I watch it I cry when the little Dutch girl visits Santa & when they start singing, I really cry! It’s such a good message of the Christmas spirit in that movie, I think!
:)rebecca
I have never seen “Miracle On Thirty Fourth Street”! Should I? I watched “It’s A Wonderful Life” for the first time a few years ago and I hated it. A lot. So, I am worried about a repeat. I do not like sad Christmas movies! We always watch “Elf” and “White Christmas.”
Sweet dreams!
Jenni