I had to go back and correct myself: I started drafting this post by writing 7 October. Just like that, a month of my life gone to the ether.
It is definitely feeling like November since the time change; we’re eating supper in the dark each night and that throws off very “wintery” vibes. Not to mention it gets down to ZERO some nights and there were actual FLURRIES.
It’s been rainy and dull most of this week and I’m sitting under a giant fluffy blanket (topped with my fluffy robe), I have a Magic Bag at my feet and another on my lap, and a steaming mug of coffee sitting next to me. In other words, I have officially entered hibernation season.
Let’s talk Happy Things.
FINAL MEMORIES AT THE LAKE
Thursday ended up being the nicest day of my entire visit (weather-wise). The lake was like glass.
I also got to hang out with some canine friends; Thursday evening my parents and I were invited out for supper at a friends’ house. Chevy (a 12-year-old rescue) napped kept careful watch over things from the base of my chair.
The next day, we were invited out for morning coffee and this time it was 15-year-old Zooma on alert.
HALLOWEEN
I missed all the shenenigans, but the kids had a “whale of a time” (as my mom would say). There was lots of candy, the rain and wind gave way to a beautiful, warm evening, and both kiddos got to hang out with friends. Belle headed off sans adults with two of her friends. They were Alvin and the Chipmunks. John found her a red sweater at a thrift store and she used yellow masking tape for the letters. I LOVE it.
John went as a LEGO man (complete with .99 cent thrifted yellow gloves).
And Indy went as Maverick from Top Gun!
FOOD
Food always features in Happy Things Friday posts.
I am on a mission to use up all the various bits and bobs in our fridge/cupboards, and there was a bag of coleslaw, a bell pepper, one zucchini, and some frozen peas looking a bit worse for wear. I haven’t made Egg Roll in a Bowl in literal years, but it hit the spot this week!
I topped it with fried eggs, and a handful of chili-seasoned cashews.
I had the kids help with all the peeling and chopping; while we were at it, I also made a Chicken Noodle Soup. YUM!
Another evening John grilled burgers (and I used up the last of the tomatoes, grapes, dill pickles, and cucumber).
BLUE JAYS BASEBALL
This might be a stretch because…my goodness, the heartbreak of the whole thing. BUT, there were glimmers of joy in the midst of despair.
- My kids have formally been introduced to baseball. Since the time I was little, baseball has been my favourite sport to watch. I grew up idolizing the Blue Jays, but was too young to remember their hayday of 1992/1993.
- I loved how often the camera panned to the Scripture reference on one of the pitcher’s hats. (Isaiah 41:10).
- It was a very fun family bonding experience. We stayed up late (L.A.T.E.) to watch the final game, which was special, despite the loss.
- Indy wanted me to snuggle him in the wee hours of the morning (once the Jays had lost), and it was a very sweet bedtime tuck-in.
- It boosted Canadian pride. YES, we did lose, but it shows how patriotic our country really is, and it warmed my heart to hear of all the Americans who were rooting for the Blue Jays!
But, also — utterly HEARTBREAKING.
BELLE’S DECORATIONS
Belle loves Christmas. Like…really loves Christmas. She is already blasting Christmas music and wanting to do all the Christmas things. And, if past years are any indication, she does not burn out on festive cheer.
While I’m holding off decor in the regular parts of the house for a while longer yet, she pulled out her bin of Christmas things and went to work decorating her room. I didn’t lift a finger (in fact, the whole family was barred from entering her room until it was over).
Pictures don’t do her space justice: it feels so festive and magical and smells wonderful.
She set up a kaleidoscope and when it flips to white, she said it reminds her of snowflakes.
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE…I’M GONNA LET IT SHINE
Nicole shared this poem (Lighthouses and Rocks) with a group of bloggers. When I went back and read it again, I started thinking…I’d like to recast the rocks as circumstances, not people. Those tough, unavoidable things life throws at us. We all come up against some pretty gnarly hunks of granite now and then, the kind that threaten to shipwreck us.
In the course of life, all of us end up leaving the safety of land at certain points. We get tossed around in stormy seas and sometimes come perilously close to rocks that could destroy us. That’s when we have to look toward the lights on the shore that can guide us safely home.
But here’s what struck me the most: some people get stranded on the rocks. They’ve hit something hard and can’t find their way off. And sometimes, without even meaning to, they start to draw others toward the same danger — pulling them closer to the pain, the bitterness, or the fear that trapped them in the first place.
As lighthouse keepers was have to leave the safety of our post and row out into the roiling sea, the wreckage to offer help. Sometimes we stay awhile — patching their boat, offering dry clothes and something to eat, extending the offer of safety and a place to land. And sometimes…that offer of rescue is refused!
I think we all face that choice at some point: will we let the rocks wreck us, or will we steer toward the light? Will we say yes to the helping hand, or will we stay behind with the ship? Will we rebuild and learn to cast our own light (however feeble it might seem) to help others struggling?
Then this line of thinking got me humming Rend Collective’s song My Lighthouse…which got me thinking that if anyone ever does see any “light” in me, it’s not mine. It’s the light of Christ shining through me.
I have a feeling Nicole wasn’t expecting me to launch into a breakdown of my thoughts on this poem or deliver a mini-sermon…but here we are. (What about the fact that we can’t always tell from the shoreline when someone is in distress? What about how being a lighthouse can feel isolating and, quite frankly, guiding lights are a lot of work to maintain. There are SO MANY ANGLES to discuss. I talk about this sort of thing in far more detail over on my Lighthouse Keepers Patreon, which I’ve christened with the tagline: beacons of optimism in a pessimistic world.)
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- While I get a bit salty about the time change, I DO enjoy eating supper after dark. I lit a candle for the first time (we’ll do this basically nightly from here on out) and we linger longer and come to the table with better attitudes with the lights turned low and a candle flickering.
- One afternoon we took Indy and his bestie to some local tennis courts. They had SUCH a great time, and John and I walked the property the whole time, fitting in exercise and time to talk. Win, win. (John took the boys another day while I stayed home and enjoyed coffee with a friend I haven’t gotten to connect with in many months.)
- Great British Baking Show. How many times can I list this?? Infinite, you say? Deal!
- Sitting inside on a rainy day. How thankful I am to not be outside in the storm.
- Indy loves LEGO but hates to be alone which means he mostly doesn’t want to do LEGO unless he has a friend by his side. A few afternoon’s this week, that friend happened to be John. They built a lighthouse and Indy INSISTED I take a picture of him. They’ve since added rocks, a boat, and a fishing pier. I’ll have to remember to take an updated picture.
- A full-body stretch.
- To say I have little to no faith in Canada Post would be an understatement. Since I have thrown tradition to the wind and, for the first time in fifteen years, am NOT ordering a photocard (because I simply don’t feel like it!), I have started sending Christmas cards (before they’ve even released holiday stamps). They will either arrive a month early…or Canada Post will go on strike again and they will never arrive at all. Harumph.
- I had the house to myself one evening. Wednesday night I went one way (with Belle) and John went the other way (with Indy), and I ended up coming home to an empty house. I put groceries away and then puttered: cleaning countertops, getting out our “fancy” candles per the kids’ request, working on some Europe planning. My absolute peak performance time in terms of productivity is 7-8:30 pm at night (and has been my whole life), but I rarely get to make use of that time home alone. It was BLISSFUL!
- Peppermint Mocha Creamer.
And that’s a wrap on Happy Things from my world this week. Now it’s your turn.
- What was the highlight of your week?
- When do you starting decorating for the holidays?
- Help me brainstorm more about the layers of symbolism related to “lighthouses” and “rocks”.
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I won’t decorate until Advent, and then only general little decor things and the crèche. The tree is usually purchased mid December- after my finals- and decorated then. I’ve been more grinchy about decorations- if I put it up, I’ll have to take it down.
I love the lighthouse imagery. I’ve always thought about teaching in this way- I present information, showing the way, but the students have to actively chose to come closer. However, personally I feel like a rock- no light shining right now. It’s all wrong, so crumbling and hard is what’s left. Sorry to anyone who gets close!
No highlights this week- oh, except for my cat cuddled up with me in the middle of the night. ( If you can reuse GBBO, I can reuse cats! 😀)
Okay, I’ll try one good thing- son had first basketball games and played his heart out. Often against kids way taller and much faster. But he’s a badger, going in aggressively for defense, and I love that.
I think about the tear-down, too. It is not nearly as fun as putting things up. In general, I’d say I lean toward minimalism in my decor so it’s not too onerous to put up (or take down).
Yay for cats. And you absolutely get to use cats every single week.
What a wonderful feeling watching your son; kudos to him for playing with so much passion.
I like the idea with seeing rocks as circumstances.
Also, what if some of those craggy rocks with sharp edges have a smooth side to them? A place where someone tossed about in the waves can find a moment of rest or safety?
Even the most awful circumstances may open up great opportunities. And the harshest people can offer unexpected support, if only we find the right side to land on.
But still, we need those lighthouses!
And yes, we need to see an update on Indy’s Lego project!
YES! Love these reflections on the lighthouse theme.
“Even the most awful circumstances may open up great opportunities. And the harshest people can offer unexpected support, if only we find the right side to land on.” Yes, yes, yes!
We used to be an after-Thanksgiving decorating family; now we decorate mid-November. I know there are many who are opposed to this but I simply do not care. I need the glow of the tree on these dark days. It’s so comforting! I won’t pull out our Christmas books until December 1st so we don’t get burned out on them, though.
The high of my week was going to a team dinner w/ work colleagues on Wednesday. There was one senior leader there that I last saw on the architectural tour boat ride before the restaurant at my work offsite. So it was kind of jarring to see him and think about all that has happened since we last spoke. He hopped in an uber after the boat ride to catch a flight and I said how I desperately wished I had not gone to the dinner, too. Tuesday was my first day back and I’ve felt so much love and relief. Although many have said “wow you look so great” and I have to kind of gently remind them that my physical wounds have healed, but I’m not quite myself yet and don’t know when I will be… But I’m used to presenting as if nothing is amiss after years of having RA. It’s kind of another jarring thing to look so normal/typical but have that be far from the truth. 🙁
When I read the lighthouse and rock reflection, I sort of related more to the rocks to be honest… but not in a negative/bringing people done kind of way. But God can also be seen as the rock in people’s life that grounds them. And I relate more to that. I am not one whose light shines brightly for others. I don’t want to say that I’m rough around the edges like a rock, though. But now in particular I do feel like I am just constantly banging up against sharp edges. I have a lot of light houses around me between therapy, family, friends, etc, and for that I am very grateful!
I LOVE twinkle lights. That is my favourite part of the decor at this stage in the year when everything is so dark, cold, and sometimes gloomy. I think Belle is going to put up our mantle swag later today, so NO shade from me about having a tree up mid-November.
How did I not think about that? God is often presented as the “Rock of Ages” and I think it was Spurgeon that said something like “I’ve learned to kiss the wave that pushes me into the Rock of Ages. I guess, like Catrina mentioned, this speaks to the fact that some rocks are smooth and do offer a safe place to land. And, lighthouses are often on islands which, when you think about it, ARE JUST PILES OF ROCKS!!!
I’m sure there are so many experiences that feel very heavy and triggering. Seeing people that you last saw before the accident, etc. And I’m sure it is hard when you might present as “healed” physically, but of course bear the emotional scars that run so deep. My heart is so heavy with all the things you’re dealing with, Lisa, but I am so glad you have lights in your life.
Love the pics of her room – interested in what a “kaleidoscope” light looks like. And Don does pretty much all our Christmas decorating. Since we’re usually not in NS from mid-Dec to January, I’m not that enthusiastic about getting out stuff we won’t be here to enjoy. This year, we’ll be away just from the 19th to the 26th, so maybe I’ll muster some enthusiasm… See you next week.
That’s a short trip away for Christmas!
I don’t think I’d want to decorate if I was away over Christmas. But many years ago we decided not to travel at Christmas again and I have never regretted that decision.
Looking forward to catching up in person.
lol peppermint mocha creamer at the end there 🙂
So good!!!!
I love Belle’s decorations!!! I’ve always said that she’s my kind of girl. We won’t get our tree till Thanksgiving- that’s become our traditional time to do it because my son will be home. We’ll get the tree the day before Thanksgiving, put on the lights and tinsel, and then fully decorate on Black Friday. But, I’ll be sneaking out other Christmas things all month long.
I LOVE the poem Nicole shared. And I love your reframing the rocks as circumstances. And to top it all off- Indy’s Lego lighthouse!!!
Sitting inside on a rainy day, under a fluffy blanket sounds WONDERFUL. And, I agree that the earlier darkness makes things feel more cozy. We don’t get a lot of opportunities for “cozy” in South Florida, so I take what I can get (and live vicariously, through my northern blogger friends!)
You and Belle will get on like a house on fire (WHAT A HORRIBLE SAYING but it’s the first thing that came to mind) when you come visit.
Here’s the thing about metric vs imperial – I would be willing to use metric for everything except temperature. It’s just too brutal to say zero degrees when it’s going to get so much colder.
The highlight of my week was spending most of it in your country! I went to Ottawa and Toronto. I’ve been to Toronto many times but it was all for work and it was 20 years ago. This was my first time going there by choice and it was WONDERFUL.
It was 2C this morning, Birchie. TWO!
Yay. Toronto is a great city with lots of vibrance and character and things to do. I can’t wait to read all about it on your blog.
It’s true, I was not expecting a mini sermon or deep dive on that poem, but I am here for it, girl. That poem, for anyone reading, is from Donna Ashworth’s Wild Hope, and it is a really beautiful collection of poetry. And I do like to think that there are sometimes circumstances that people can get stuck on, like craggy rocks.
Belle! I love her style.
I really, really hope Canada Post doesn’t strike again this year. I think they know how damaging it was to public image, and so hopefully they will stick with the rotating strikes. Or maybe it will be resolved. Who knows. I did order photo cards so hopefully I get things out as soon as they arrive.
I want to live in Belle’s room! I am so on the fence with Christmas cards this year, and we’ve sent a photo card for 22 years, but I’m just not feeling it yet. I think I’ll poll the kids to see how they feel about it. I like your rock theory!!
I just…didn’t feel like doing it this year. So I’m skipping a year (or more, we shall see). I suspect nothing bad will happen, but it does feel a bit sad. Also, though, it was feeling onerous. And when I was growing up photocards weren’t even a thing!
Our first year married, I didn’t decorate for Christmas until Dec 23rd, which was my first real day off work / Mr was still working (from home), lol … I decorated on Black Friday the year after that, then got C*vid the next year and that derailed Christmas in a mighty way … Last year I did very minimal, heavy on the cozy vibes. Not sure what this year will hold, but I *am* heading to Tractor Supply tonight to hopefully get some Christmas Chicken outdoor decorations 😀 I need some new solar lights for the front window as well …
Love cozy vibes! For me it’s all about the lighting. Candles, twinkle lights. That’s where the true magic of Christmas decor lands for me.
We’ll start decorating after American Thanksgiving in our house. I’m actually looking forward to having our house in “normal” mode for a few weeks with no decorations right now. We’ll put up outside lights and a tree and just a couple of other items.
Happy thing this week was a haircut!! I never really cut it after the pandemic and I was looking at old photos when my hair was much shorter and I just think the shorter cut suits me. AND! Bonus – less product and less time spent drying it. I washed it for the first time last night and it dried really well, too! Yay!
Yay for a haircut. It can feel like a fresh slate in more ways than one. You have such beautiful hair, so I’m sure it looks fabulous.
I love Belle’s Christmas style! Her room looks amazing! It’s festive, but not glaring. I usually put up the decorations on Dec. 1. I ordered a very special Advent calendar, and I’m anxiously waiting for it to arrive!
Ohhhh. I can’t wait to hear all about this Advent calendar. Which reminds me…I need to get Advent calendars for the kids. Dec 1 will be here before I know it.
Belle’s room looks so warm and cozy! And Indy looks so proud to be Top Gun! Those two dogs look so sweet and soft. I love older dogs because they are usually mellow. Another thing I love is Egg Roll in a Bowl! I’ll have to make it again soon. My highlight of the week will be tomorrow night when we go out with my brother-in-law and his wife to a hibachi place. My husband has never been to one! He’s in for a treat. Have a great weekend!
Your weekend plans always sound lovely (and delicious). Enjoy!
The kids really loved their costumes and the prices were right (both were thrifted costumes that cost about $10 total for both!
I still have my 2024 photo cards sitting in my closet due to last year’s postal strike! I should really follow your lead this year. Also, Belle’s room is a delight. Have a great weekend, Elisabeth!
Last year was such a frustrating Christmas in terms of sending out cards; mine all went out very late (of course), and I received cards very late (of course), and it just wasn’t the same. I’m hoping to get more written up this weekend! Slow and steady wins the race (or, in this case, beats a postal strike, hopefully??!!)
Like Lisa above, we are a mid-November decorating family, connected to some sentimental dates. That does not, however, extend to Christmas music, which the other members of my family are so wild for year round that I had to negotiate a “season” for Christmas music: November 1 through January 31. Unsurprisingly, my tween woke me up last Saturday morning with a shrill imitation of Mariah Carey’s “it’s time!!!” and she and her dad have been enjoying their holiday tunes ever since.
My daughter would listen to Christmas music ALL YEAR ROUND (and, in fact, does watch Hallmark Christmas movies ALL YEAR ROUND). When I was her age, I felt the same way. Now I prefer to limit the season to a narrower range, but I think she has worn me down to the point we will put up the tree in the next few days.
I love love love that you light candles at dinner. What a fantastic tradition to warm up the darker months.
That lake photo is gorgeous.
Your kids and John look great in their costumes and I love that Belle is already Christmassing up the place! Fa la la la la!!!!
Happy things here… we are having friends over this weekend who we haven’t seen in well over a year. I can’t wait!
Lighting candles at dinner time is probably my all-time favourite winter tradition. I just love the cozy glow they provide; it softens everything, and it really does make us linger much longer than when we eat under the glare of normal lights. 10/10 recommend!!
Enjoy the weekend fun!
I’m currently so very much enjoying the start of cozy season! By late winter I’ll be longing for longer days, but for now, bring on the coziness!
I was just thinking about Christmas cards this week too. In the past I’ve always handwritten each one with a pretty long newsy update, but this year, I’m feeling stretched. Thinking I’ll write a short typed letter that I can print off and add a personalized note to and put inside a Christmas card, and I might make a pretty short list of people to send cards to this year. We will see! I DO love sending and receiving Christmas cards, but my energy levels are looooooow right now.
A big happy thing this week is that my parents were visiting this week. It’s always so nice to have them here. The kids love grandparent time!
It’s so important to pay attention to our current energy reserves and match our activities to what can reasonably be done – enjoyably – with the energy we have.
I am so glad you had a great visit with your parents – for you AND your for your kids to have that special and important time with grandparents. Yay!
That lake photo is stunning. I love it when bodies of water are like glass. It occasionally happens on very still mornings here, and I’m there for it. Today is not a very still morning, though. It is stormy and yuck, so I got everything done this morning on our way back from running, and I’m not leaving the house again. Currently it is 11 feels like 8C—in late Spring. I am not impressed and will be being cozy today. The highlight for my week was hanging out with the family at my parents.
I LOVE the feeling of being home and settled by mid-afternoon. It’s one of my favourite ways to round out a day. Three cheers for coziness.
My heart is so happy that you got to spend time on the lake (and with those cute dogs!) while your family had a blast on Halloween. Everyone wins!
It’s a beautiful poem but I feel for the rocks. It seems like they’ve had a harder life, often unfairly, sometimes just trying to survive in the rolling sea. I wonder if the lighthouses might be able to crack them open and burst into tiny little sparkles, so they can dance on the waves.
I will – as every year – be on the lookout for this peppermint mocha creamer (I’ve seen other ones but I am particularly intrigued by Silks’ because I also drink their unsweetened soy milk).
I am sipping a coffee with Peppermint Mocha creamer (Silk) this very second.
I feel for the rocks, too! So much in life isn’t a matter of choice and some people really do have a set of tremendously hard circumstances to deal with.
YES! Everyone won, indeed. And I loved seeing the photos of the kids happy and smiling with their friends. They basically don’t need a parent for Halloween any more. I wonder how many more years Belle will be dressing up??
Your daughter’s room is so FESTIVE! I’m jealous! My daughter is VERY excited about Christmas this year. I have to admit that the last few Christmases have been a little less than I would like. I don’t know what happened last year, but I don’t feel like we did any of our traditional celebrations. So, this year, I’m laser focused on getting the house decorated early, getting a tree right after Thanksgiving, and making the most of it. My daughter is 16, so we don’t have many more Christmases with her guaranteed to be here (she will probably go to Community College and live at home for a couple of years, but that isn’t guaranteed). So, I’m feeling a little pressure to make sure fun things happen.
It feels strange to measure the number of holiday seasons left with the kids at home, but I know the clock is really ticking down.
One thing I’m enjoying about this stage is that Belle champions the decorating. This very second she has banished me to my bedroom while she sets up the main (artificial) tree. It’s a bit earlier (quite a bit earlier!) than I would choose to set it up, but she loves it and so I’m leaning into the early start to festivities 🙂
Belle’s room is SO stylish! Definitely not what my room looked like as a teen! Gorgeous. I also love having the house to myself in the evening and it is SO rare.
We used to decorate the first week of December. But I’m already getting into the Christmas spirit so maybe the Mary week of November. Owens birthday is 17th and party is 23rd. So thinking after that the tree could go up. It’s been a big, at times stressful, year, so I’m really looking forward to Christmas cheer and some time off.
Last week of November, not Mary week (what an off yet strangely appropriate autocorrect hehe)
You have A LOT on your plate and while the holidays can bring their own layers of stress, there is something so grounding about twinkle lights and the dedicated time to focus on cuddling up with family!
It’s too soon for me to decorate, as I am fatigued by it after four weeks, so I hold off….that being said: Belle’s room is a wonderland delight! It’s so pretty and festive and I can imagine the good smells.
I love the kids (and John’s) halloween costumes; very clever, very cute. Fun fact, Lindsay’s bestie just had a baby boy and is named Maverick. I found a baby flight suit and bonafide aviator sunglasses for him! How fun is that?
Of course, food always makes it into your Happy List because we are humans and we delight in eating good food.
I’m glad you had a lovely time with your parents the two pups you shared are adorable.
I can’t imagine it being so cold and dark already for you—so keep that little light inside you glowing and you will make this a lovely winter season!
MAVERICK is the cutest baby boy never EVER. That is so, so adorable. And that outfit sounds too cute.