A Little Holiday Thinking

 In this photo you can see that Timothy isn't a full grown cat yet.  He's so sweet.  In our earlier busy-family years we had dogs and cats.  When you have many pets it's harder to appreciate how adorable they are, isn't it?  Yes,  I am having fun spoiling this striped wonder.  

 All the lovely trick or treaters enjoyed dressing up.  James went to his other granny's house and participated in a parade (with cotton candy!)  Kelli brought her three pumpkins over and proceeded to carve all three before dinner.  

It was fun!  The weather was mild and the girls' endurance for door belling was moderate so nobody came home with too much sugar. 

I'm a bit obsessed with my current knitting project.  It's like painting with lots of  colors and hence -  VERY FUN! 

 This one isn't a yarn destroyer, so that's good! 

 We had a sleepover last week.  FUN!

 Ooops!  More wool color!

 It doesn't LOOK like cold weather is coming, does it?  I forget that when it DOES come I'll begin dreaming of spring.  Silly. 

 I was riding the exercise bike the other day and Timothy was confused.  He hopped up on the treadmill to investigate.  

The nasturtiums that planted themselves are in full gorgeousness.  Most of the stalks and stems in other locations around the garden are gone, but the round-leafed friend keeps coming.  

On November 1st I had a case of "that holiday feeling".  I thought about baking and decorating, music and good cheer.  I guess I was ready to move on from Halloween.  November 2nd wasn't quite the same.  I knit and knit and didn't feel the urge at all to begin the holiday journey.  Funny.  I do know that it's important to strike while the iron is hot.  When the inspiration comes I know it's good to act on it, so if Plum Cake and I go to Sam's Club today, we are going to buy the funny Whoville tree I saw there last time we shopped there.  Another thing I plan to do this year is to sew a Santa curtain.  My friend Reve gave me some darling Santa fabric a few years back.  

And Advent.  I'm going to start thinking creatively about what our Advent season will look like.  

I love Thanksgiving, too.  This year we'll have two families in the morning for brunch (it's Samantha's birthday, too) but we'll not do the big feast.  Bill doesn't like turkey so after ten + years of busy feast preparation, I might join Bill and grill a steak instead.  It's okay!  My mom and dad went golfing and ate hotdogs one year and enjoyed themselves! 

I want to quietly celebrate my Savior in a personal way.  I might light candles in my office as I study Romans.  I will listen to joyful Christmas music when we walk at the mall.  I might go out shopping in pursuit of bells.  Do you love bells?  My friend MK at Through a Glass Darkly and Red Robin Farm knows how to play the bell choir bells.  Lovely.

I shall offer hot chocolate to grand visitors, too. I found some chocolate almond milk that tastes creamy and good.

I might get a nut bowl.  Isn't nut cracking and nut eating VERY traditional?  I think so.  I won't make a fruit cake (tried one year and it was pretty awful) but banana and pumpkin bread will suffice.

I might go to the mall during the day when it isn't crowded and have a coffee, maybe seek out the earthy and innocent expressions of this holy time of year, not the expensive shiny stuff.  I wonder what I'll find.  

Greens and candles.  That's what my mom loves best in the whole decorating game.  Candy canes and cinnamon.  Oranges and gingerbread.  I guess this November day holds holiday verve! 

Thank you for coming by.  I wish I could offer you a mug of hot chocolate and a cookie.