November is here and autumn is quickly fading away. We live in the woods of northern Michigan. It is a beautiful place to live, but it does have its downside, such as two acres of fallen leaves this time of year. We keep one and a half acre mowed, which means we have one and a half acre of leaves to clean up each autumn. The weather this year has not been cooperating in this effort. The leaves are late in falling due to warmer weather in late September and early October. In addition, it has been a very wet autumn making it difficult to get out and move the leaves. To top it off, we had snow last week. Thus, we are way behind in leaf removal this year. However, we have not let that get in the way of enjoying life. At our age, we have to prioritize what is important. A short trip to Nashville, Tennessee last week was just what we needed. The weather was warmer and we knew the leaves would still be there when we returned.
Even with the leaf cleanup I love November. It is by far my favorite month of the year. I enjoy the crisp morning air and the opportunity to wear my cozy sweaters and high boots. I can go on a long walk without having to battle the bugs. November days are great for curling up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a good book. November is also the month of pumpkin spice everything and turkey. Turkey means Thanksgiving and it is another reason I love November.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is the one holiday that our whole family can get together on the same day to celebrate. It is always such a wonderful day to see all of our children and grandchildren in one place. It is the day we not only share a great meal but a lot of laughter and priceless memories of Thanksgivings past. It is truly a day to give thanks for all we have.
Thanksgiving evening is also the day I open my Thankful Box. This is something I started about ten years ago. The box is a small oval shaped black box with a lid. Its dimensions are 5 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches and 3 ½ inches tall. The words “Give Thanks” are printed on the front. At the end of day on Thanksgiving, I take out all the thankful notes I have written over the year and read them. Then I place a small pencil and a mini legal pad inside. Throughout the year, anytime something happens that I am thankful for or feel blessed, I will write it down on the paper, tear it off, fold it up and leave it in the box to read the following Thanksgiving. My little note might contain something such as our daughter getting a promotion to something as simple as being thankful it did not rain for the family reunion. I look forward to reading these each year and the box is a visual reminder of all life has given me.
As we continue through November, may life give you many blessings and always look for the little things that give you pleasure and make your life a blessed one.
As Always, “DON’T SAVE TODAY FOR TOMORROW.”
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What a wonderful idea. My husband and I are planning on moving North next year. I now have a visual of what it could be like.
Linda, it is actually quite beautiful and peaceful. We have no neighbors except for a couple seasonal people that we see once or twice a year. If we had more pine trees it would be even prettier.