Monday On My Mind

November 23, 2020 By Carole

It’s Thanksgiving week so it’s only natural that gratitude is on my mind. I’ve kept a gratitude journal since August 2019. That’s 456 days of sitting down first thing in the morning (while my coffee brews, in fact) and writing down 5 things I am grateful for.

It generally takes the shape of 5 things from the previous day and sometimes it feels like I’m just writing down daily highlights . . . the best things that happened on a given day. I’m not always certain that’s a true expression of gratitude but there’s nothing wrong with being grateful for good things that happen. Plus, my gratitude journal . . . my rules.

The things I’ve written down are as simple as birds singing outside my window, as lighthearted as watching Jackie dance, and as profound as the day after Dale’s accident when I simply sat at my table and wrote, 5 times over . . . Dale is alive. Flipping back through the pages of my journals sparks memories and moments that I wouldn’t ordinarily spend time recalling and I am very glad I have a place to go where I’ve gathered these memories together.

If you’re the journaling sort I encourage you to give this a try . . . and what better time to start than Thanksgiving? I believe expressing gratitude makes us happy, makes us present, and makes us aware. It’s a good way to live, friends.

Eye Candy Friday

November 20, 2020 By Carole

As I look around right now all I see are leaves on the ground. They are lovely and yellow, they crunch when I walk through them, and they have a distinctive musky-sweet smell that I would know anywhere.

Enjoy the sights and sounds and smells this weekend, friends.

Three On Thursday

November 19, 2020 By Carole

Hey friends. The work week is just about over. Can I get a hoo? And a ray? Let’s talk about some random stuff, mmmmkay?

I blew NaBloPoMo by not posting last Sunday. I’m pretty sure no one noticed. I mean, I posted a poem on Saturday and . . . crickets. I thought about posting on Sunday and I even searched for a funny library meme and . . . I just didn’t post. I think I’m good with my Monday-Friday routine and I think you all are, too. So no more weekend blog posts from me going forward.

Thanksgiving is one week from today and it’s sure going to look different for me and, I expect, all of you as well. We’ve been guests for years, I can’t remember the last time I actually cooked a turkey on the actual holiday. And in reality, I probably shouldn’t be cooking a turkey this year since it will be just Dale and I along with Hannah and Mikey. They said on the news the other day that small turkeys are difficult to find right now and that makes a lot of sense. We like turkey, though, so if I can’t find a small one I’m good with a big ole bird. I’m going to keep the sides simple and I haven’t decided yet what to do about the pies. I generally make 5 but that’s not happening, naturally. Dale said I only need to make one . . . mince. That’s all well and good since it’s his favorite but it’s not a hit with anyone else! I can’t even imagine Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie and Dale doesn’t like that. I did find these mini pies from King Arthur Baking and I may go in that direction with pumpkin for me, mince for Dale, and pecan for Hannah. Hopefully Mikey has a favorite among those 3, too!

I have 3 recently finished knitted things that I haven’t shown you yet! I really need to coordinate with my top knitwear model, Hannah, and get some photographs taken of 2 of these, Nightshift and Rio Calina. The 3rd project is a gift and it’s waiting on the arrival of a new bundle of joy for some friends so it may still be a little while before you see that one.

And that’s all I’ve got for you this Thursday. Just remember . . . it’s almost the weekend!

If you wrote a post for today please include your link below. Thanks for joining, too.

Walk With Me Wednesday

November 18, 2020 By Carole

I’m happy to tell you that the weather cooperated and we were able to get out last Sunday for a walk and some forest bathing.

A few weeks ago I spotted a sign for a trail behind the historical museum in a nearby town. We started there.

It’s a lovely little road paved with fallen trees.

And some buildings at the end, including this old blacksmith’s shop.

Also? Very short. Very very short. So we went on the search for someplace more . . . extensive . . . to walk. We wound up at a local Mass Wildlife spot and took a walk around some abandoned cranberry bogs.

The colors are gone and it’s mostly brown now but the winterberry was vibrant! It stood out in big patches across the fields and bogs and, while I tried to capture photos that really showed it, this one is the best I got.

The forecast is looking hopeful for this Sunday, too, and I’m already contemplating where we should go!

Read With Us: The Women of Brewster Place Discussion Time

November 17, 2020 By Carole

Okay, readers, it’s time to get down to it and talk about The Women of Brewster Place. I’ll tell you, I read this back in September and my memory is . . . not great. I should have watched the movie version with Oprah, both Kym and Bonny recommended it, but I just never made the time. We’ll just have to muddle through this discussion based on my recollections and some questions to get you thinking.

I’m always fascinated by stories about women, how they interact with each other, how they interact with men, how they find their places in the world. I’m going to ask just a few questions related to the women in this book and I hope you will find something worthy of discussing.

What do you think of the novel’s structure? How does each woman’s individual voice reinforce the novel’s themes as a whole?

Each of these women is capable of enormous love, but they are often hurt by their loved ones. What do you think Naylor is saying about a woman’s capacity for love? Is this sort of love “worth it”? Would these women be happier if they had hardened their hearts to those who eventually let them down?

Many of these women came from the South and Naylor portrays it as both a land of plenty and a land of harsh deprivation. How are these women’s lives different living in the North–are they happier? more fulfilled? more subject to racial bias? Is there more opportunity for them in Brewster Place than in the South?

I look forward to reading your thoughts on these questions. Don’t forget to check out Kym’s and Bonny’s blogs today, too, discussions are taking place all over blogland! And if you’d like to join us for our Zoom discussion tonight at 7:00pm it’s not too late – just let me know and I’ll make sure you get an invite!