Our November is starting off with some beautiful fall weather. Warm, just a bit of a breeze. Breezier today than yesterday when these photos happened. Good weather for a quick hike in the woods at a local nature park. 
I know a lot of you have jumped forward to planning Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, I like to take the first week of November and simply pause. Catch my breath before the “big” holidays get going in full swing.
Seems like the time between holidays gets squished closer and closer together each year. I’m certainly not one for denying someone their joy if they want to put their Christmas tree up today (or leave it up year-round) but that’s not me. I read where the holiday drinks at Starbucks come out tomorrow.
All this, Christmas time is starting as soon as Halloween ends but we’ll give Thanksgiving 2 days doesn’t make sense to me. Whatever happened to the waiting? Isn’t the waiting part of what makes things special? I know some special city holiday lighting things need to happen (I guess) before Thanksgiving to fit them in on our calendars but personally, I miss the excitement of the waiting.
Whatever happened to the anticipation? I don’t want a peppermint mocha on November 3rd, I want to look forward to enjoying one properly after Thanksgiving.
Maybe it’s our unseasonably warm weather or perhaps I’ve become a cranky old lady (possibly both) but it seems the specialness of it all fades when we rush it along.
I’m taking a moment to breathe between my holidays? Care to join me? And I promise I’ll look the other way if you happen to have a peppermint mocha in your coffee cup.
I enjoyed this post, Jean. It gave me something to think about. I never was good at waiting and I tend to rush headlong into whatever season, holiday, or whatever else may be forthcoming. I do find it sad that Thanksgiving pretty much gets brushed over and is hardly even noticed anymore. The basis for it, and the message of it, is so important. I appreciate your words and think I’ll join you in that pause and just take a break from thinking about the holidays until next week. Have a great rest of the week!
Thank you! I’m not good at waiting myself so I also wrote this post to remind myself. By the way, we had snow mixed in with our rain this morning! Thankfully, nothing stuck and the sun is out now. Hope you are having a great Saturday, saw where it was National Bison day at the park so hopefully, the weather is cooperating for you.
I agree with you about waiting, enjoying the anticipation. I was just ranting on my own blog about how this is one more thing social media is ruining in society, how so-called influencers keep pushing limits and their mindless flocks of followers rush to keep up.
When I was a kid my mom wouldn’t put up the Christmas tree until the week of Christmas and it drove us nuts! But oh my, the joy and excitement we felt when we finally got to that day was awesome!!!! Now, in my own adult life, I often put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. I *love* Thanksgiving and it is definitely not forgotten in this house. All the peppermint and gingerbread goodies wait until after Thanksgiving. We’re not eggnog fans in this house but sometimes we’ll have a small glass on Thanksgiving night to usher in the Christmas season. =) Yep, we wait and anticipate, and enjoy one holiday at a time.
I remember we’d put the tree up on Thanksgiving night because all my siblings (I’m the youngest with an age gap) would be there to help. So I like to put it up the day after Thanksgiving but I don’t always get my way. Eggnog is not my favorite at all. Put on my cereal by mistake once as a kid and have never been able to drink it since. I do like the milk-nog that comes out around the holidays though. Hope you are having a terrific weekend!
Hello dear Jean! I could not agree more. Everyone is always in such a rush it seems. Or trying to influence others and share their doings – so they jump the gun on everything. I love the waiting. The anticipation. The quiet reflective preparation. I may work on planning for hosting Thanksgiving -but in stages and not stressed or crazy. Just because I sincerely enjoy it. I like to wait to put up Christmas AFTER Thanksgiving. I truly work to be more intentional all the time and live in the present.
Love your pretty pics and reflective thoughts. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo
Thank you. It is something I have to remind myself of as well although I do get frustrated when the “influencers” start sharing Christmas ideas the day after Halloween. Hope you are enjoying every second of your Saturday so far!