November Blur

I don't ever recall a November as jam packed as this one. It was a month well lived and it seems unfair that those seem to go by in such a blur. I make it a habit to try to live in the moment, to not wish time away knowing full well how precious life is. And yet, here I am at the end of a month not quite knowing how I got here.

We hosted Thanksgiving for 11 last week which saw us moving our table into the family room. For these huge gatherings, we bring in the giant table from outside that my Sweet Man made me. This was its last hurrah though as the weather has destroyed it over the years. I am not terribly sad about this as it will force me to buy the dining room table that I have been coveting for years and which will stretch out to accommodate our occasional big gatherings. Since I did not have enough place settings for a group that large, there was a lot of mixing and matching which pleased me endlessly. The history and stories sitting on the table added to my pleasure. His grandmother's china, my grandmother's silver, vintage plates, bowls and Napkins found antiquing in IN, MI and TN and a flower arrangement made by one of our guests. Everyone was seated with their plates piled high with food when I walked in the room, I looked at that table full of people I love and my heart was so full. I sat through dinner hearing the buzz of conversation, honestly not really taking any of it in because my happiness just filled up all of my senses. Family doesn't have to be family, to be family.

This has been a very social month for us, a trend that will continue until January when we tend to tuck in and keep to ourselves for a couple of months. I used the excuse of company to do a little baking and had just come across this Susan Branch recipe for Cranberry Tea Cake and realized I had all of the ingredients. It was amazing! I had no idea I even like cranberries so much.

Earlier in the month I finally found time to take Emma's senior pictures. I don't know how it is that my baby is a senior but there you have it. We are half way through her senior year and my 13 year career as a carpool driver is coming to an end. I've no idea how my days will have any structure without the twice daily demands of my non-bus riding princess. I will share more of the photographs after I've had a chance to go through them all. I'm so happy with what I captured.

Other than that, my days have been filled with as much making as time will allow...more on that soon. It's hard for me to believe that there was once a time in my life that I had to set an intention to do something creative every day because these days I can't imagine life any other way. I'm not me if I don't create. I'm off to enjoy the rest of my Sacred Day and these last days before the most magical of all months.