November, so far

Oh, November! You are really flying by this year. Or maybe it's just that the general sluggishness that hits me when Daylight Savings ends has hit me extra hard this year that makes it seem like it's all flying by. Plus the election -- and the houseguests who so kindly visited us -- and Nanowrimo, which I have decided to (try to) participate in -- it all adds up to one very tired mama. None of the Halloween decorations have been packed away yet; no Christmas presents have been planned or bought. I'm just trying to keep my head above water.

Anne's new thing lately is toddling around and saying "Thank you thank you" for everything, a dozen times a day -- and every time she says it, I'm trying to bust away a little more of the November blues and remember to be thankful for the things I am lucky enough to be enjoying now. And so, in no particular order, I give you some of my favorite things about this November, thus far: homemade candles in little walnut shells to shine out through some of this darkness; happy little mums, holding in there later into the season; chevre from Shady Goat Farm in Virginia Beach (a new favorite -- don't even get me started on their goat cheese truffles); A. learning her letters from the Obama sign in the yard (she can pick out A and B); the brilliant sugar maple right outside my window that makes me happy every time I see it.

What are your favorite things about November so far?


November links: 

• Darcy (one of my all-time favorite bloggers) posted this thought-provoking article about what it's like to raise a prodigy. 
• Local photographer Jessica Riehl took some great portraits of the Salvation Army bell ringers: "As I passed by the last in an unkept list of bell ringers, I started to think about who these people are, standing there in the frigid cold weather...This Wednesday as I went about my holiday task list, I photographed a few on my 'joy committee.'" 
• If you missed out on the fall foliage this year because of Sandy...why not take a virtual trip to the best leaf-peeping destinations in the world?
• Just for kicks, I've been following along to the Smithsonian Institute's "This Day in the Maya Calendar" feature (mostly because I want to see what they write when it runs out later this year!)