November thoughts

Growing up in Wisconsin, I hated November. Cold grey skies, darkness when I woke and before I got home from school, leafless trees and dead grass without even the quiet beauty of snow. A month of dread for the next four or five months of winter yet to come.

This isn’t Wisconsin–way too green and leafy–but it’s the closest I could get in New Orleans.

Since I’ve moved to New Orleans–and became a busily adulting parent–I have come to appreciate the somber, melancholy mood of November. We finally get a break from the relentless heat and humidity, so I can pull out sweaters, boots, gumbo recipes, and pumpkin everything. Plus this introvert relishes a whole month of excuses to stay inside, get cozy with good books and hot tea, and go to bed early. I’m all in.

Caffeine free, natch. The adorable mug was a gift from my friend Cindy at Potsalot Pottery who does such cool work!

Of course, there’s the bustle of the holidays on the horizon, but I am stubbornly ignoring them until I can’t any longer. November is also National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the annual challenge to generate 50K words of a novel in a single month. I love the energy of people all over the world working on their dream novels, as well as the mood of camaraderie. As usual, however, I’m on my own timetable. I just finished a draft of a novel I’ve been working on for years, and I’m not quite ready to dive into a different rewrite or start something new. Taking a rest during a quiet, dark month sounds just about right. Cheers to everyone participating. I’ll enjoy your hard work from the sidelines as I chug along at my own pace. Or do something completely different, like craft projects…at least for a little while.

Magnolia leaves and cones that I might make into a wreath. Painted gold, I’m thinking.