Happy Things Friday: 1 November

If you hadn’t noticed, it is November. NOVEMBER. I am a scratchy record stuck on repeat, but good gracious this year is speeding by.

I’m wrapping up a lovely week of working from my parents’ lakeside home in New Brunswick. Not surprisingly, most of my Happy Things revolve around that experience.

I’ll admit it always feels bittersweet when I return to my teenage home. There is the bitterness of realizing that everything could change in an instant and of knowing that – eventually – things will certainly change. But then there is the sweetness of being able to celebrate the fact that, for now, that eventually hasn’t come.

Last week I mentioned flipping the narrative about birthday parties. It feels like our kids have a never-ending stream of party invitations (Belle received two more this week!). Sometimes it seems to be a bit of an (expensive) nuisance. But if I consider the situation from a different perspective, those invites represent thriving friendships.

So while there is a hint of bitterness that comes from understanding that the years left with my parents will never, ever feel like enough, what a gift to be able celebrate that in the here and now, we’re together.

Buckle up! It’s time for Happy Things.

COZY VIBES

Sitting by the wood stove first thing on a frosty morning. The red, plaid flannel sheets Mom put on my bed. Snuggling under a fluffy blanket on the couch watching episodes of All Creatures Great and Small together each evening. Long, lingering chats over cups of coffee; my mom doesn’t drink coffee, so my dad appreciates having a companion. Each morning at their place I wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. It is quite lovely.

FOREST BATHING

I didn’t fit in any long walks this week, but the time spent outside was wonderful. Mom and I took short walks most days on a nearby paved road; Dad and I always walked through the woods. He loves the woods and I’m pretty sure I love the woods because I love him and naturally gravitated toward walking in the woods since it was a great source of connection with him over the years.

My favourite walk was a new-to-me 4 km trail that we hiked on Thursday. The weather was warm, there wasn’t any wind, and the trail was blanketed with leaves as far as the eye could see. At one point, we came to a lake and there were hundreds of ducks that provided a soundtrack for our rest break at the water’s edge. It was one of those special moments where you pinch yourself and thank God for the beauty of nature.

This was definitely one of my happiest walks from 2024.

Later that same day, we fit in another new-to-me hike. There are a series of rest benches along the way, each with a bell to alert nearby bears to any human presence.

OTHER WALKS

In addition to walks at the lake, I fit in some lovely walks with John before leaving home. We even managed to spot some late-blooming cosmos flowers.

SLEEP

I started this week tired. Lately, I’ve gotten into the routine of waking up early and jumping into work tasks. The first day at my parents’ house, I woke up early and spent several hours working. The second day, I looked at the clock at 5:15 am and told myself No early morning work. I rolled over and kept sleeping until 7:30 am.

More generally, waking up in a dark room (save for a skylight view of an oak tree) with no breakfast to monitor or book bags to help pack or cats (ahem, I mean kids) to herd was incredible.

HOMECOOKED FOOD

Soup and stew and baked potatoes and apple crisp and cinnamon raisin toast with peanut butter. I love coming home to Mom’s cooking. Comforting and delicious, it feels great to be a daughter again and get a break from being a mom!

One day we went to visit two widowed ladies who have been family friends for decades. One woman is famous for her baked goods, and our family has always been partial to her coconut cream pie. I am salivating looking at this picture. It was so good. Mmmmm.

OLD FRIENDS

On a whim, en route to my parents’ house, I stopped by my alma matter and managed to see one of my closest friends from university days (she was a lab mate of mine who now works in the Biology Department) and my Honour’s supervisor. We’ve stayed in touch over the years and both this friend and my supervisor were at our wedding! I love how old friendships can sit dormant (it has been almost 15 years since I last saw my former supervisor) and then rekindle so easily. It was fun to reminisce and even though we only had time for a short visit, it made my heart happy!

HALLOWEEN

I wasn’t there, but the weather was perfect, the kids had a blast, and it was a very “successful” event for everyone involved. Indy collected 272 treats, including 7 full-size bars! Yikes.

BONUS ROUND

• Indy’s Halloween-themed choir concert. It was adorable and shorter than expected which, quite honestly, on a Sunday afternoon when I wanted to be home in PJs, was a very Happy Thing.
• Watching the F1 race as a family on Sunday afternoon. I like that this is something we love watching together.
• The final leaves of 2024. They’re really starting to drop and fade, but my they were glorious while they lasted!

• Setting up my 2025 planner. I went to listen to my mom’s choir rehearsal and managed to get all birthdays, relevant school dates, and a few other already-scheduled events recorded for 2025. It was so fun to play with stickers and formatting and not feel rushed for time.

And that’s a wrap. Happy weekending. I’ll be back tomorrow – even though it’s Saturday – since I’m participating in NaBloPoMo. In tomorrow’s post I’ll share all the deets and pictures for the final roundup of The Cool Bloggers Walking Club! If you have any photos you’d like to submit, send them now or forever hold your peace.

Your turn. Tell me about your Halloween! What’s your favourite type of pie? Would you rather walk on pavement road, or through a woods trail? Are there any recipes from your childhood you still make regularly as an adult?