I've made some headway on Christmas shopping, but I still have a ways to go. I'm not sweating it yet, though. The new job I took means that I don't have to work my entire holiday break, so I will actually have time to get some things done without scrambling. I'm still not used to working normal hours, but I can tell you one thing - I'm SO grateful. I look forward to the deep dive into the new position. It's good to push ourselves sometimes, and while my skill set is fairly decent and has grown a lot, there's always more to learn. I had forgotten it could be this way!
It's been in the 20s for several mornings in a row now. Time has passed so quickly in the last couple years that I currently find myself somewhat surprised when I wake up and there's a deep freeze outside. I shouldn't be surprised - it's late November, after all. But I am surprised, and it's disconcerting. Silver lining is that we are closer to the 2022 garden season with each passing day. I cannot wait. I miss my flowers, and I miss good tomatoes and little bees and hummingbirds and butterflies.
It's the week of giving thanks! I'm truly grateful for so much. I have been combing through closets and drawers and taken some items that are still very nice but that I no longer wear to charity shops. I plan to do some cabinets next, just taking it slowly and doing one at a time. I'm glad to share what I do have in the hopes that it helps others. I don't yet have the energy for a full-on, all-weekend purge! In my 20s and 30s, I would have been all in on that. Now? There are things I'd rather do than spend an entire weekend on closets and drawers. Priorities definitely change as we age and gain wisdom.
I've started gathering some holiday favorites, particularly fruitcake and holiday coffee. I know a lot of people hate fruitcake, but the one that I have bought for years at our local bulk store is fantastic. Even people who don't like fruitcake have tried this one and asked me where I got it. I also grabbed a bag of their holiday blend coffee. We'll have it with dessert on Thanksgiving Day, and I'll slice and package up the fruitcake to hand out to everyone to take with them so that they can kick off Christmas 1400s style, ha ha. (At least I think the 1400s is when fruitcake originated.)
The season of pumpkin is beginning to narrow a bit, although I love pumpkin all through winter. In the month of February, I've very often defrosted a slice of pumpkin roll that I've frozen in October. With a cup of Constant Comment tea and a good, high-body count murder mystery to watch, that's a fantastic way to pass a gloomy January or February (or March or April around here) day. I read a lot of seed catalogs and garden blogs during those months, as well. You cannot really plant anything around here until after Mother's Day weekend. We often have late snows and even later hard freezes, so it can ruin your seeds if you get too ambitious early on.
Speaking of pumpkins, look at my little man below, with his stripes and precious crossed front legs. Baby Oscar from our first batch of rescue babies is incredibly special to me. No details that I want to share other than it was a heartbreaking rescue effort that resulted in saving two babies that have grown into giant, beautiful boys. They own my heart.
I hope your week of Thanksgiving is gentle and calm because, before you know it, we'll all be expected to be merry and bright! Love to you on this Sunday in the last full week of the month of Thanksgiving.
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