This time of the year I experience all the feels. One moment the anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas really excites me, but then the next moment I feel a little bit of dread. Mostly, over the commercial aspect of such holidays but really, isn’t that all on us? I mean, if I choose not to buy into it, then it won’t happen, right?
Because I really love this time of the year. We had another 90 degree day this past week but I feel a little chill in the air when I get in the car in the morning and I’ve started to think about my menu for Halloween night.
Right Now:
Last Sunday I spent as much time on the couch at possible. I am trying to get this rest thing down. Today, I plan to attempt this again. I am just not the type of person to be idle for long. It’s hard. Very hard to not clean a closet of do laundry while I am ‘resting” but the four hours of sleep that I average per night, is not enough.
This Week:
There is a theatre showcase this week and a competition this weekend. The kids are doing great. My daughter’s voice between festival rehearsals, Macbeth and Annie has been tested. She needs a weekend of vocal rest but it’s not possible. Hope she gets a few days of rest before the competition.
Reading:
I am reading This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. It’s about a boy named Claude who decides at age five that he wants to be a girl. It’s really making me think about what I would do in such a situation. These parents support him so he becomes Poppy but then at age ten decides that maybe a boy is who she needs to be. It’s blowing my mind.
Watching:
American Horror Story. So good this season. The Walking Dead. So far, not all that dramatic but pretty good. My son is wanting me to check out The Good Place.
Also, I saw El Camino, the movie sequel that picked up where Breaking Bad left off and it was very good.
New Things I’ve Tried:
I was listening to my podcast this week and came across two new singers I’ve not heard before. Ben Rector and David Crowder. I am really enjoying their music. Here’s a sample:
Grateful for:
Perspective. I was having a totally crappy day last Monday. I was stressed and tired and just not happy but on my way to volunteer at Outreach. I don’t like to be in that kind of mood when I volunteer but God always seems to know what I need. He put me before those people. Those people who need the most basic things. A hot meal, a clean pair of socks, a person to maybe sit with them for five minutes just to ask how they are. I left there with a heavy heart but a full one too.
What are your plans for Halloween? I have the candy. I was thinking about making Sloppy Joes and maybe having some of my daughter’s friends over. It’s a school night but you know.
Book Chatter 
I’m not good at resting either and, sometimes, it drives my husband crazy when I’m up doing things and he’s relaxing in front of the TV. I need to learn how to turn my brain off.
I enjoyed This Is How it Always Is. and it made me understand things a little better. I met the author and she actually has a transgender child – I think it makes the book feel more authentic.
I was not aware that the author was speaking from experience. This explains a lot, I think. I am almost done. Just a few more pages. So much to consider as a parent. I am really not sure how I’d handle it myself.
Oh! And no, I cannot rest. I tried to. Instead, I cleaned the carpet.
This is How it Always Is sounds like a good read… probably good for discussion, too. Don’t think we’ll do much for Halloween this year, but I’m excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas. We’ll be trying again this year to keep all the commercialism to a minimum.
Well, my daughter’s friend is hosting a thing on Halloween night so I am off the hook. I will make a pot of sloppy joes and hand out candy to the masses. The pup helps me. LOL.
I’ve heard other people say that This Is How It Always Is was quite interesting. I’ve had it for a while, but it hasn’t made it to my ‘current reading’ shelf. Probably before long. I like a nice quiet Thanksgiving and Christmas. We’ll be with family here, but one of the things about all the family living locally is that we get together for the day or part of the day and then we do whatever otherwise. Sometimes we attend local events and sometimes we just have a quiet time. Both are good. Hope you have a nice week!
You know me and the holidays. I love the time off. Love the time with family. This year because my son has been away for college it will be particularly fun since he will be able to spend the bulk of it with us. We like doing all the special events. The Botanical Garden light show, etc.
I’m stuck on four hours of sleep… How do you manage? I have to have at least six, usually eight.
Most of the time I am okay on 4 hours of sleep. At the end of a particularly gruesome week, it catches up with me but not all the time. I really need at least 6 for health reasons. Your body cannot regenerate cells on so little sleep.
I know it might be hard but you might should work toward that, for your mental health too. Even if another hour.
I really try. My daughter’s rehearsals run so late… 10pm and then she still needs to be picked up, which we take turns doing but then it takes her a good hour to hit the sack and we can hear her so there’s that. On days where we have nothing going on, I go to bed around 9.
Well, it sounds like you’re doing the best you can. I’ll get off your case. 🙂 You can go back to your regularly scheduled programming. 😉 <– sorry if I'm a little loopy. Pain medication. Just took last pill.
I can certainly try harder in the area of sleep. I need to work at least one more hour in per night. Somehow.
Last pain pill? Hope you won’t need any others. Maybe just some Advil later.
Well, still a bit of pain. Maybe Advil or Aleve, I think. I think the post-op pain might last a few days…but it is getting better and with sleep too. Sorry to ramble on here <– as I said I'm a bit loopy, maybe hazy might be more accurate.
I loved This Is How It Always Is….it really made me think. I feel like the author’s note at the end says how this is something she went through with her own child, which makes sense that she was so accurately able to capture this story and the many perspectives and feelings involved.
I’ve been driving to work in the dark this past week…..winter is definitely on the way.
I really don’t know what I would do as a parent in this situation. When young, I don’t think gender really matters all that much but when the author got into hormone blockers and why it helps to make a decision early for medical reasons, I was conflicted. Can a kid really know that young? So much to think about.
It’s dark when I leave for work because I leave so early but it’s supposed to be 98 tomorrow. I am so done with the heat. I am ready for scarves and t-neck sweaters, please.
I usually only get about 3-4 hours of sleep each night, have for over 30 years. Once I wake up due to alerts from my phone or having to go potty I rarely can go back to sleep. It used to not bother me but I’m getting older and am starting to feel the effects.
I’m going to check out This Is How It Always Is.
I love all the holidays but wish the stores would celebrate them one at a time, in order.
When I fall asleep I do stay asleep. I just have to wake so early and can’t get to bed early enough to get a good chunk of sleep in.
I like seeing all the holiday stuff out, but it seems like such overkill most of the time. Hobby Lobby has 15 aisles of Christmas right now. I always strive for simplicity but the end result is not usually that at all. It may be different this year since my son is away for college. Him coming home will be the big deal. Not the amount of stuff under the tree.
The holidays are difficult for many people since there are so many expectations for it all to be a certain way. I am at a conference the three days before Halloween so will be low key this year. It’s a bit of a relief! You need to get sucked into a really good Netflix binge so that you want to watch it all day and rest 🙂
That sounds pretty great. I used to be able to binge watch things but now I get too antsy. We have one road still closed from the fires and it’s causing me such a headache when I drive home each day. For Halloween, with traffic already being a nightmare, I bet it takes me hours to get home unless that key road miraculously opens.
Nothing much last weekend, just a soccer game, some school shopping for warm clothes since she’s hit another growth spurt, and of course, time to celebrate our friend’s 50th birthday. It’s been a good week so far, but I’ve had two days off work.
We never have to shop for warm clothes here. In fact, it is 98 today. I. Hate. It.
Thanks for the music you listed here. I like listening to new people i haven’t heard. These are good. I might make sloppy joes this week since you reminded me of them. They’re usually so good!
And the weather got really cool for us so sloppy joes, in the Crock Pot will be super good come Halloween.