Life: It Goes On - November 16

Happy Sunday! Can you believe we're already more than half way through November?! I'm focused on getting my house ready for Thanksgiving and a houseful of company, but I'm realizing that I've done almost no Christmas shopping yet this year. But December 1st last year I was almost done shopping. I need to get on that! 

We're running out of leaves on trees so that pic to the left is wishful thinking. Yesterday the Big Guy spent a lot of time outside cleaning up the yard for the winter and I pulled died plants out of all of the pots. Was shocked to find three plants have survived our recent hard freeze so I'll bring them inside and see how long I can keep them alive. This after I had decided this year that I wasn't going to try to winter any of my potted herbs so I didn't have my kitchen overloaded with plants all winter. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I started Stephen King's 11/22/63; but, thanks to a computer revamp by the library, I wasn't able to access Libby for a few days and it expired before I finished it. So I've put another hold on it and will start a new book this week. What it is, I don't know, because the system now won't let me in even with my new PIN. Ugh! 

Watched: Lots of volleyball, college and pro football, Only Murders In The Building, and Maigret on PBS. 

Read: I'm finishing up Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford. 

Made: We spent the first part of this week using up leftovers from the week before so I haven't done much cooking this week. 

Enjoyed: I got tickets to the Creighton Blue Jay's home season opener Friday night so BG, Mini-me, and I  cheered them on to victory and then went to see that last songs from a friend's gig at a local brew pub.

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Since I'm not taking any time off next week, I'm going to spend this week getting things planned for our Thanksgiving meal and company staying. 

Thinking About: A lot of my time this week has been spent going through what's left to clear up from my dad's place and planning next steps for settling his estate. 

Feeling: Up and down. Yesterday grief and depression hit me hard. Today is better. 

Looking forward to: I ordered a new tree arrived today so I'm starting to get excited to decorate for Christmas. I won't start that until after Thanksgiving...I think. 

Question of the week: Is Thanksgiving a big deal at your house? It was always a special event at my parents'; and, while I won't be started a turkey trot tradition at my house, I'm hoping to still be able to make it special for our family. 

Life: It Goes On - November 11

Life - it goes on.

Four and a half years ago, I started a post with those same words. That was my first post after my mom died. Today I start them again, one week after my dad died. 

I grew up a daddy's girl. As he walked home from the high school he taught at, I'd run down the sidewalk to greet him when I was little. For more than a decade before I got married, my dad and I would go to see the University of Nebraska music department's performance of Handel's Messiah. It was our thing; no one else was ever invited. Even as I went through my gawky years, my dad always told me that I was pretty and the last time I saw him, he was telling me I was going to be the prettiest woman at the event I was headed off to. He was always my biggest cheerleader. 

When my mom died, I made it my responsibility to take care of him as he navigated life as a widower, left his home of 55 years, and battled increasing failures of his body. He and I have spent a lot of time together in these past four and a half years, as I tried to pay him back for all he has done for me. He was ready to let go, to be reunited with my mom. But me? I wish I had more time with him. 

Life: It Goes On - November 2

Happy Sunday evening! What a busy week we've had! Tuesday was my birthday, Wednesday was my hair appointment, Thursday was our anniversary, and yesterday we had a wedding that started in the middle of the afternoon and we didn't get home from the reception until almost 9 at night. A fun week, but I didn't have time to write a single book review...again. Fingers crossed I can find time this week! 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I'm one hour from finishing Jean Kwok's Searching for Sylvie Lee and then I'll start Stephen King's 11/22/63. At 31 hours, there's no way I'll finish it in the two weeks I'll have it from the library; but I'm hoping to get a good start on it and then I'll pick up the physical copy of it that I've owned for several years. 

Watched: The usual - lots of volleyball, lots of college and professional football, and The Voice. We also watched a good chunk of the World Series (although a couple of those games lasted too late for me to stay up for the end), we've been watching Maigret on Masterpiece Mystery!, and, speaking of Masterpiece, I've been watching the 2012 edition of Upstairs Downstairs. In the first half of the 1970's my family gathered every Sunday evening to watch the original Upstairs Downstairs on Masterpiece Theatre and it has held a special place in my heart ever since then. 

Read: Jessica Guerrieri's Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which I finished today. Up next, Olivia Ford's Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame. 

Made: French onion soup, one last meal of caprese pasta with fresh tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes (that aren't really sun-dried but oven dried). 

Enjoyed: Dinner out with Mini-him and Miss C and spending time with old friends at the wedding reception. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: I'm going to be having at least 12 people for Thanksgiving (6 staying with us), so I'm starting to put together a plan for getting the house ready and purchased. 

Thinking About: All over the internet, I'm seeing people starting to decorate for Christmas. I'm all about letting November be for Thanksgiving so I'll be decorating for that this week. But I do need to get on the Christmas shopping - I'm way behind where I usually am at this point of the year. 

Feeling: I'm struggling with the time change, as I do every autumn when we fall back. 

Looking forward to: Going to a book event with some friends on Tuesday. 

Question of the week: Are you team "let's not overlook Thanksgiving" or team "Christmas season starts on November 1"?