Today is the last day of November. It just may have been the most elusive 30 days of the year. I write that knowing December may be even more fleeting. It's the heart of my love/hate relationship with this time of year: it never lasts long enough and I want it to last forever.
We spent all weekend saying how it didn't feel like Thanksgiving despite the full house and the frig full of leftovers. Personally, I try to view each day through the lens of gratitude. What's different about the holiday is the energy and enthusiasm it evokes. I believe we were speaking to the lack of excitement because life in general feels rather heavy these days and it doesn't feel right to bask in gratitude when so many people are suffering.
That being said and just to confound things further, It was a good weekend of gatherings and goings ons. Nothing makes me happier than a steady and spontaneous flow of visitors. Teddy invited some friends for breakfast Saturday. I surprised them with mimosas and breakfast baguettes. They stayed long enough that my brother and sil showed up with wings for the second half of the Badger's disappointing game. My brother practiced his stand up routine on the boys. He's got my mom's gift for joke telling. I can barely do justice to knock knock jokes.
They boys left and we broke out one of the games I bought for Thanksgiving that we never got time to play. We ended up having fun into the wee hours. It's always the random nights that end up enduring.
Sunday was the perfect gloomy day to take our time putting the house back together and also to prepare for some painting work on this week's docket. It's not ideal timing, but we already put it off several times and it will be good when it is complete. The cats were visibly and audibly relieved to have peace. I was too, but I certainly missed the fam. Sunday Teddy sent a picture of the roomies enjoying the buffalo dip I made them for the Packer game. Lily texted that she missed her cats. The house will be full again in a few short weeks.
And maybe that's why the holidays feel different this year...it's just Mike and I until just before Christmas. December traditions are going to look a little different this year. I sent both kids home with their St. Nick and instructions to open the morning of Dec. 6th. No one is here to deplete my Christmas cookie stash, or to cue up Elf for the annual viewing. Usually we have our tree by now and the dining room tree is up, but we still have pumpkins on the front porch. I know once the decorations are up and the house is festive I will feel a surge in spirit.
I guess I have to stop watching the news at night and start bedazzling.
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