Christmas movies

'Tis the season!  I've started watching Christmas moves.  I don't think any form of entertainment is as "feel good" as the Hallmark movies.  Heartwarming, and at times even magical.  They used to drive me crazy because they were so formulaic, but now that predictability is exactly what I need!  The traditions, the family, the joy...I love it all!

I'm trying to fight it, but I am feeling a little melancholy about the holidays this year.  Since Catherine moved out at the beginning of the year, this will be the first year that none of my children will be living at home at the holidays.  I told Andrew last night that it might be just us for our viewing of Friends' Thanksgiving episodes.  That's how it started all those years ago, but in all honestly it sure has been more fun with the kids!  We've been so lucky.  Thomas and Lyndi have let us know that they want to wake up in their own home on Christmas morning, which I 100% understand.  I am grateful for all of the Christmas mornings I got to share with my kiddos, and I am grateful that they still live close enough that we can still all gather together.

I'm also feeling the loss of my grandmother as we head into the holidays.  It feels like such a loss of family.  Even though we haven't gathered together for years on either side of the family, I'm missing those holidays gatherings tremendously right now.  My wonderful mother-in-law is 87, and although she is doing well, we never know how many years are left.  It's true for all of us, of course, but it feels more poignant.  I also know that I'm sad about how difficult my mother and my sister can be.  My sister will not be here for Thanksgiving, and I think we have about a 50/50 chance of celebrating Christmas together.  And my mom will find something to complain about, and probably more than one thing.

I am still thrilled, overall, that the holiday season is here!  And I still plan to cherish each moment and make incredible memories.  And I plan to be thankful for those around me, and soak up the blessings.

This is absolutely my kind of day

Our school is closed today, although staff are supposed to be working on curriculum.  That doesn't include me, so I'm just enjoying the day.  It is chilly, drizzly, overcast...my kind of day to be cozy and cuddly at home...and it's just me and the animals until Andrew gets home.  Spectacular.  And, I am still off tomorrow!

The weekend was, well, it was a lot of things.  I started a wonderful fall puzzle.  I love the cozy feel of the puzzle, but puzzling is something where I take after my grandmother.  It's odd to think that I miss her, because honestly the person she was has been gone for years.  I enjoy that we had puzzling in common.

As we are in November, the memories of my dad's passing come back as well, and since it was my paternal grandmother who just passed, I can't help but think of how they've been reunited.  I can only imagine the moment when she was able to see all those loved ones again, and think about how glorious it must have been.

Yesterday we traveled to northern Kentucky to celebrate a birthday for my cousin's grandson.  We took some back roads to get there, and I realized the last time I had been on those roads was 20 months ago when we headed to Louisville for the funeral of a friend from high school.  I dreamt about him twice last week, and for some reason, it's caused me to be greatly emotional.

There were less emotional things as well!  Halloween was Saturday, and Andrew and I handed out candy to the neighbor kids.  Notre Dame won against Navy, OSU lost to USC (ugh!), and the Steelers beat the Browns yesterday (at the party, we were surrounded by opposing fans).  Saturday, Andrew made chili and we had a fire in our fireplace.  The cozy holiday season is coming upon us, and I'm so grateful.  Time is flying by so rapidly in life, but I'm incredibly grateful for each moment!

The last Friday of October

Today is the last Friday of October, and it's another absolutely gorgeous day.  I'm not sure I remember the last time there was even a cloud in the sky.  Tomorrow clouds return, but that's okay.  Temps are still in the 70's (ugh), but it gets cold at night.

I got off work early today because we didn't have students.  I've been off for 4-1/2 hours or so, and the best part...I don't go back to work until Wednesday.  This is absolutely wonderful!!  I started a fall puzzle tonight, I've got my candle lit, and after tomorrow the Halloween decorations get put away, and the Thanksgiving decorations come out.  Right now, at this moment in time, I'm able to feel an incredible amount of peace.

And I've felt just about anything but that this week.  There has been some emotional drama in our family, and I've learned before, and practiced many times, to just lift it all up in prayer and know that I can only do so much to affect the situation.  I'm also missing my husband, who still has football tonight.  I don't mind the ten weeks that he stats each year.  In fact, I kind of enjoy the very quiet Friday nights I have on those nights.  But ten is enough as far as I'm concerned.  Playoffs started tonight, and although our team is an underdog, I just found out they are currently ahead.  Plenty of game remains, though. :)

This evening, I'm just so full of gratitude overall for this moment in time.  There are more blessings than I can even count, and we are headed into the two best months of the entire year!

I am over this weather

 I have to admit, I am NOT at all thrilled that tomorrow's high is going to be 79 degrees.  It's been in the 70's for weeks now.  I am grateful that hasn't been warmer, but it can be cooler and still be beautiful out!

Regardless of the temps, I am so, so grateful for today.  It is early day at our school, which means students are dismissed 45 minutes earlier than the rest of the week.  Classroom staff uses this time for meetings or other planning, but for me I get to head on home.  Andrew arrived home shortly after I did, and it has been a truly wonderful evening.  I got some things done, but I've also been able to truly relax.  At least until one of my adult children called to explain some drama.  Parenting is not for the faint of hear, but parenting young adults is ridiculous at times.  Ugh.

Only three days of October remain, and then we head into the month of gratitude.  I have plenty of that, even on crazy days.

My birthday

Today I recognize another trip around the sun, and I have completed 53 rotations.  Normally I would say I "celebrated", but that isn't quite the case today.  My day began a little roughly, as the last dream I had before I work up was about my friend who passed 20 months ago.  In the dream, Ryan was there and he was good, and then I woke up and realized none of that was true.  Because I hadn't slept much, it made me incredibly emotional, and I couldn't stop crying, even at work.  I wasn't at work long, though, as I had offered to make the 70 minute trip to Thomas's house in order to be there for some utility work that needed completed.  It was expected to be a quick fix, and I was looking forward to my afternoon off on a lovely day!  Instead, I was there 5-1/2 hours while everything under the sun went wrong for these poor utility workers, and I finally made it home at almost 7:30 this evening.  My wonderful husband brought in dinner, and now I'm ready for bed.

One other note, my sister has been worried that she has seen some cognitive decline in my mother.  I wasn't convinced as I hadn't seen it, but the fact that Mom never sent me birthday wishes today certainly is notable.  I'm not going to lie, September and October have been emotional and a bit stressful.

A dedication, 75 years, Reformation, and other things

Today was a busy Sunday, and it kind of mirrored our week.  It was a very full day at church today.  In addition to being Reformation Sunday, our church celebrated our 75th anniversary, and we also dedicated our new pipe organ.  There was a meal between the service and the afternoon recital, but I didn't feel well enough to attend that.  The assistant to the Bishop was in attendance, and overall, it was a really lovely day at church.  As Council President, Andrew was there for the duration.

Yesterday I made my weekly trip to work at Mom's house.  We did make some decent progress, and even more so, it was an absolutely gorgeous drive.  While I'm appreciate of the beautiful sunshine we've had for weeks, I wouldn't mind cooler weather.  It is the END of October, time to retire the 70's!  Regardless, the view scenery was amazing.  We then had some colleagues over in the evening.

Friday, Andrew had a football game, and Thursday, he worked his final athletic event of the fall.  Wednesday we had church council, and then made a trip to Thomas's house.  It's not my story to share, but he was struggling and needed his parents.  He is okay overall, and I'm so grateful that I was able to hug him and love on him a bit.

Another week is about to begin, and we are just a week away from November.  I'm really looking forward to the holidays, and I'm so grateful for the family I will get to celebrate with over the coming month!

I'm grateful for this weekend

It's been such a wonderful weekend, although as always, too short.  While Friday was rainy and wet, yesterday was less cloudy, and today was absolutely gorgeous.  Today, I made a trip up to work at my mom's house, and then we made another trip to the Dayton area to have dinner with lifelong friends.  They were gorgeous drives and it was a lovely evening.

Yesterday's football didn't go entirely how we had hoped, but both games were really great games.  Andrew was home early afternoon, and we had no where else we needed to be the rest of the day.  The house was picked up, and it was so nice to have a fire in the fire place.  And potato soup for dinner, and a bottle of wine.

The middle of October is the beginning of my favorite time of year.  A month from today we'll be almost ready to be off for the week for Thanksgiving.  I'm incredibly full of gratitude already.