Y’all, it’s already the FOURTH Saturday of November! Of 2020, “The YEAR“!!! As slow as March, April, May and June were, the rest of this year is flying at warp speed. My “Four Somethings” for November feel like a jumbled mess, however, I claim that proudly. We’ve all heard “the days are long, but the years are short”, and that seems particularly true through these days of wearing a mask outside of the home, staying close to home, and only visiting with people from afar … and NOT IN THE HOME.

Something Loved for November is my old gal Ginger. Ginger’s a large chunk of my day, life, and our family. At 10, Ginger is quite elderly for a black lab, and we know the clock is ticking on her time earth side. I *might* over indulge her, whether that’s with “cookies”, (the one and only Milk Bones); shorter, but more frequent, walks to spend time outside in the fresh air and sunshine; allowing her to be up in my biz every second of the day (right, right, maybe it just feels that way); or even just having a sit down in the grass for pets galore. The other day, mid walk, she decided it was too lovely a day to not lie down in the grass and have belly rubs and ear scritches. I happily obliged, as I will any time she asks for such royal treatment …. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again (at least 20 more times, I’m sure) WE DON’T DESERVE DOGS. Ginger is the epitome of conditional love, just with fur and four legs.

Something Read this month is Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. I’m using the word “read” quite liberally here; anyone feel me on how difficult it is to become totally absorbed in a book anymore? (By absorbed, I mean actually read) With my kiddos remote only, I find myself going back and forth like a ping pong ball, and reading is hard at the end of the day when I finally get a chance to breathe. HOWEVER, this book is a MUST READ for anyone looking to put thoughts down on paper, whether the goal is to be published or simply write for the sake of writing. I adore the humor in the book, the challenges to mindset, and overall encouragement to just get it done, whatever “it” is to you. Anne Lamott is clever, witty, dry, and quite frank in her thoughts on being published, or not.

Something Treasured. This one is beyond easy, as my parents came for a visit, and even though the visit looked incredibly different than ever before, each moment was treasured. My parents stayed in a hotel, we didn’t have hugs or cuddles, and hung out in the garage or outside (when it wasn’t raining, like really, why did it have to rain so much through their stay?!). The kids and I clung to the moments, the walks with kiddos riding bikes along side, the chats, and overall presence of my mom and dad. If you are fortunate enough to be close to your parents, and can hug them, DO IT. Seriously, I’ll wait …. do it, now …. doesn’t that feel better?

Gramma and Poppa brought G a basket for her bike, naturally she had to bring a kitty to ride along. The kiddos rode though every.single.mud.puddle to impress their grandparents

For Something Ahead, the easy version would be to say … Christmas, and call it a day. However, I’d like to break it down even more, because I plan on 2020’ing Christmas this year. 2020 is now a verb, right, because I’ve been using it as a verb, and refuse to accept anything less 🙂 For this particular verb version of 2020, I’m going with calm, peaceful, and easy (as opposed to the version where we all feel ruffled, crazed and unsettled). I’ve got visions of a simplified season, a less is more season. I mean less as in less fuss, running around for gifts, stressing over stress, you know the drill. Christmas, also, can be a verb in my book. I want to Christmas by loving people, where and as they are, thus pointing to Jesus, you know, the “real” Jesus, rather than the commercialized American Jesus that doesn’t resemble LOVE as it should be, but I digress…. I want to buy less, but give more, as in time, listening, holding space, and helping others break down walls, rather than encouraging them to build those walls. I want to Christmas this year with an extra dose of nature, dried citrus, pears and apples, popcorn and cranberry garland (my husband says no to popcorn garland every year, but this year, I’m doing it, watch me), real gingerbread, foraged evergreen snippets, you know, simple and earthy, and making the most of our resources rather than buy, buy, buy and spend, spend, spend. Christmas is MORE, so much more, and I want to give more in gratitude for all that I have been given. ** If you’re on the same page, leave me a message, I’d love to hear how YOU are going to Christmas!

That’s my Four Somethings for November, four very wonderful somethings that are close to my heart. If this year has taught me anything, which it HAS taught me endless lessons, it’s that going with the flow, crying, singing, laughing, and dancing as the mood strikes, and really feeling the feelings as they come, is key. Life is short, lovelies, take it all in.

With Sunbeams and Love,

Racheal Xx