November

It has been an interesting month.  I write those words sitting here after watching the Alabama Crimson Tide win against their archrival Auburn Tigers...I'm in a perpetual state of fullness that began sometime during the past week when I finally just gave it up and determined that starting a diet during Thanksgiving week would be somewhat brainless. 

Not that I didn't try for twelve hours on Friday.

In November, my daughter registered for her final semester at University of Alabama and my son registered for the remainder of his freshman year.  My sweet niece became a mother to a precious son named Noah Hunter...and his first cousin, Jacob Andrew - also my great-nephew - turned a year old.  I have watched football and bought Christmas gifts, finished a class of Apples of Gold, and discovered a neat little shop near my house that I have frequented so much that the cashier knows my name when I walk in.

I spent Thanksgiving swearing that it would be more low-key than in years past because at this stage of hormonal imbalance...low key is no longer optional.  I either stay calm...or a red hot version of the Incredible Hulk comes out...minus the green tint.  So, I picked the least difficult dishes to prepare and let other people do the rest because - honestly - getting my house in order is a large enough struggle without adding a meltdown over the fact that I'm out of some random ingredient at midnight for a dish that nobody is going to eat anyway.  My ability to try to do the impossible is something that I've always prided myself on...but as someone who vacillates between bursts of normalcy and brain fog...I just need to steer clear of trying to do too much.

For instance, on Thanksgiving Day, at 9:30 a.m. with a noon lunchtime deadline...and everyone beginning to arrive at 10:00 a.m....I actually thought it might be a good idea if I made a squash casserole to go with everything else that was planned.  Never mind that I was missing two ingredients and hadn't finished getting ready yet...it was still possible.  Sane?  Hardly...but definitely possible.  Two years ago, I would have made the casserole.  This year?  No.  I just put the squash back in the refrigerator and decided to get over myself. 

Good thing, too.  Because when my nephew and niece arrived at 10:15 I assumed that I was ready for company.  I passed a mirror in the dining room and scared myself.  No makeup.  As I walked to my bedroom, I realized that my feet felt funny.  I looked down and realized that I was sporting one black Mary Jane shoe on my left foot and a black slip-on mule on my right foot. 

So much for having it all together.

This year there was no meltdown...no grand scheme to pull together a Thanksgiving menu and presentation that Martha Stewart would have been envious of...and very little stress.  I had a sweet friend come over and decorate my house with the Thanksgiving items I have collected through the years and the 90% off floral arrangements that I snagged from Michael's last week because I ran into another sweet friend who told me of their existence by the door. 

Now if I can just figure out where I'm going to store them for next year.  Whoops.

As November comes to a close, I'm looking ahead as Christmas is right around the corner.  I'm almost through with my Christmas shopping, the Christmas project I have been working on for the past month is set to be delivered this week, and my Christmas cards are ready to be addressed and mailed.  I've even purchased my Christmas stamps.

I know.  I'm such a dork.

My goal for the next month is to just sit down and hope that I can find a way to slow time down a little bit.  It seems to be flying past me at a most disturbing pace.  I'd really like to just sit down and breathe without a mile long to-do list hanging over my head.  I mean - seriously - if you don't notice that you have on two different shoes or that you forgot to put on your make-up...you're doing too much and moving too fast. 

Guilty as charged.

Next month, I am going to try to write something every day.  Many of you have followed this blog and others of you have come by for an occasional visit.  Thank you for taking the time.  I know how valuable a commodity time is.

So, slow down...breathe...and please come back to visit often.  And let me know how it is going with you.