Hello again! It feels strange to be thinking back on November when somehow it’s already been December/Christmas-y for at least a month, right? I even put my tree up before Thanksgiving this year, but since we were away from home for most of Thanksgiving weekend, it was pretty nice to come home to a decorated tree and stockings on the mantel.
(Photo circa 2017 but our decorations are basically the same)
November notes
First meeting of the Awesome Book Club was a success. We read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.
Family camping trip (including our 1-year-old dog to Erbie, along the Buffalo National River. Our dog actually did pretty well except she didn’t care for the rowdy campers a few campsites away and decided to let them know by barking from about 10-11pm, which was not ideal.
Annual girls trip - we went back to Bentonville, Arkansas, and enjoyed the Listening Forest, an interactive outdoor art exhibit at Crystal Bridges, great food at Preacher’s Son, and hiking at Atalanta Park.
I finally ran the Dogwood Canyon Trail Run (15K) - this race is legendary in the Springfield running community for how tough they are - super steep hills, tons of water crossings, mid-November weather anywhere from the 20s to the 70s. This year was a frigid 22 degrees and I knew I hadn’t trained enough on trails/inclines, but I figured I would walk when I needed to and get through it. I actually enjoy distance running, but this race was miserable. It was freezing, the hills were insane, and people were slipping on ice at the edges of the creeks where we crossed through water. 😩 Thank God for wool socks! At least I can say I tried it, but at this point, I’m Team Never Again.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was such a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman. We are big Marvel fans, but even if you’re not, the Black Panther & Wakanda Forever movies are great on their own.
We traveled for Thanksgiving and visited 3 different sets of family during the weekend. Exhausting in its own way, but I didn’t have to cook or clean my house, so I couldn’t complain too much.
Currently Enjoying
It’s hot tea season. Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset (caffeinated) and Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice (decaf) are my favorites.
Looking through instagram to find photos for this post… weirdly I think I need to post more? I love being able to look back on relatively uneventful moments in my life.
Seeing Christmas lights when the evenings get dark so early makes me really happy.
Orange Theory workouts. Turns out I do a lot better with someone telling me what to do! Plus, I’m pretty competitive so I always try to beat previous bests on the treadmill, etc.
Favorite Book I Read This Month
This book… on the surface it’s about two childhood friends who become legendary names in the world of video game design. But it is not a book about video games - it’s about work, love, suffering, and how friendship can stretch and change as decades pass.
Picture of the Month
This was a “small” group for my family! Thanksgiving is never boring with this many people to catch up with. It’s our second year celebrating without my grandma and I noticed that no one remembered to make whipped cream for the pumpkin pie. 😢 I guess that’s my job now!
I hope you have a wonderful December. I look forward to writing to you again soon.