Shorter Days of November Are Here

Hello ... and welcome to my first post of November.  It's hard to believe the year 2025 is coming to a close and Christmas is around the corner.  Daylight Savings has ended and as much as I enjoyed that extra hour of sleep last Sunday I really struggle with the pitch black darkness at 5pm.  By 8pm I feel absolutely done with the day and all I can think about is crawling into bed.  

Halloween came and went.  My daughter dressed up as a cow and went trick-or-treating with a group of friends.  This is the first year I did not join her and I was actually okay with that.  I do miss when they were little and everything was new and exciting for them.  The teenage years are filled with other newer experiences and an independence they are ready for.  My son and his girl friend (not sure if they are official but I'd like to say they are) had dinner with us and then watched a few scary movies together.  I opted to stay in my bedroom while watching a non-Halloween television show.  I grew up being forced by family to watch scary movies and now as an adult they aren't appealing to me at all.  

Now that marching band and cross-country has ended we are adjusting to a new routine.  My son got a job at a shoe store, his favorite place to buy running shoes.  My daughter joined the swim team; which took us all by surprise, and she is also acting in the fall play.  Yesterday was election day and in my town the results were in my favor but I'm questioning the decisions made in other areas of this country (I'll keep all that to myself).  Regardless, I will always stand by knowing that God is the One in control and He is who I lean on.  

My kids have an early dismissal today and my son has work this evening.  I've been spending the dark evenings relaxing at home.  What more could a homebody like me enjoy?  If only humans had the ability to hibernate, I would definitely be asleep in shelter until spring.  

Catching Up

 

Good morning on this chilly Tuesday morning!  I do hope the autumn season is treating you well.  I woke up to a dark morning, did my school van run, came home and started some laundry and had breakfast.  Now I'm just taking some time to relax but I think I've done enough relaxing over the last three days and it's miserable.  

From Friday night until Saturday morning I had trouble falling asleep as I began to experience some intense chills.  I tried bundling up with extra blankets and moving to different positions but nothing was working.  On Saturday the chills continued but then also came body aches and a fever.  It was a busy day of my son's championship cross-country race and I did not want to miss it.  This was the last race with the high school team.  As rough as it was I made it and watched him with pride.  Then went home and took a nap.  Later that evening was the marching band show, which both my kids are part of.  This was another last for our son and something else I refused to miss.  On Sunday I missed out on church and stayed in bed.  Thankfully, my husband was kind enough to help out with dinner and other things.  On Monday I was still miserable and took off work, something I don't like to do and they don't even like when we do it but I was not in any shape to drive.  I stayed in bed.  Last night my head was pounding so badly that it caused my eyeballs to ache.  I took Tylenol and headed to bed early.  This morning I woke up feeling better and was able to do my van run.  So far, I'm okay and need to make up for all the housework I couldn't get to but I'm still going to try and take it slightly easy.  I did not get a professional diagnosis but I'm certain it was the flu.  One of the boys in my van had the flu last week so I'm guessing that's the culprit.  It was miserable.  I cannot remember the last time I felt that sick.  

Today my daughter is home sick.  We can never seem to get through one month of the school year without a sick day, it seems.  I'm praying November is kinder to us in that way.  

I hope you are staying healthy.  

Random Thoughts For Friday

 Happy Friday!  Friends, we made it!

This picture is from a walk I took around my neighborhood.  I'm trying to become more intentional about walking daily and also getting into a good exercise routine.  I lost that motivation a long time ago and need to get back on track.  Not for vanity but for health.  These horses are across the street from my neighborhood and I love when they hang out near the fence.  

I actually wanted to do a Five For Friday today and include five pictures of what fall looks like in my area but I did not have time to snap many pictures so maybe that will be done next week.  I lack in consistency when it comes to this blog but I'll give myself the excuse that I'm a busy lady.  

Yes, it's been a busy week.  The weather is changing into the cold season and I've had to make some extra time in the morning to defrost the windows in my school van.  The four boys in my van are good at entertaining themselves but they can be quite wild.  I constantly hear them chanting, "siiixxx seevvvven" and it's the most annoying thing ever.  Have you heard about the 6 7 craze among teens lately?  If you haven't, I'll just say you're quite lucky.  I don't get it but I don't think they get it either.  

Tonight is the last high school football game of the season and I'll get to watch my two kids perform in the band and tomorrow night is their final band show.  Tomorrow morning my son will be running in the championship race and it will be the last time he runs for the high school cross-country team.  On Sunday the band will be in a Halloween parade.  My son is opting out of doing it but my daughter is excited to join in.  The problem is she is going to have to miss church and I'm not exactly happy about that.  Missing church for a Halloween celebration just does not seem right with me.  But I told her we will be going to the evening service, for sure.  Forgive me, Father, for I don't always know the right thing to do and even when I do know the right thing to do I struggle to follow through with my convictions.

My daughter has been struggling emotionally and it's affecting her relationships with people.  I'm trying to reach out to a Christ-centered therapist for her.  As much as I try to help her it just isn't enough.  So there's that.  

I look forward to a fun weekend of watching my kids in their activities.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll find time to rest.  

Have a good weekend, friends!  Thanks for visiting with me today and putting up with my rambling.  You are appreciated and adored.  

I Don't Prefer This Type of Sandwich

 On Saturday I spent the day with my parents.  Because of my busy schedule I don't get to see them as often as I should.  I'm in what is called the "sandwich generation" where I'm raising a family of my own but also having to take care of my aging parents.  Its not an easy place to be but it is necessary.  My three siblings live on Long Island and their lives are pretty hectic too.  They don't get to visit often and, sadly, they don't bother to call my parents often either.  That bothers my father a lot.  Jumping in when needed is left up to me and as much as I'm willing to do it, it's not always easy.  I was supposed to watch my mother while my dad went to Long Island for his best friend's funeral but his sciatica pain has been acting up and he was not able to make the trip.  I still went over to the house to help clean and made dinner.  My mother is in her final stage of Alzheimer's.  She can no longer walk, can barely speak, and often needs help being fed.  My father insists on keeping her at home with him instead of a nursing home but it's taking a toll on him.  Saturday was the worst I had seen my mother.  She has also been choking on her own saliva and it gets bad.  Her neurologist warned my father that her time is coming to a close very soon.  This has weighed heavily on me and I don't know what to do.  They need me.  My husband and kids need me.  I'm torn in between.   

Friday was senior night at the football game.  They honored all of the senior football players, cheerleaders and band members.  We escorted Matthew on the field as they talked about his future plans.  I've been able to hold myself together but at the end of the game as the band played "Sweet Caroline" in the stands the tears began to flow uncontrollably.  That was the last home game my son would perform in and it felt bittersweet.  More bitter than sweet, honestly.  

I've been trying hard to keep it all together but feeling unsure if I'm mentally equipped to handle all of it.  That's when my faith kicks in and I ask God for guidance, strength and clarity.  He certainly gives it to me and I'm grateful for that.  Even in this season of trials I still remain thankful.  

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

-- James 1:2 -4