November!

Dear November,

It's a good thing I kept those "Daily Download" notes in my Bullet Journal, otherwise, I would have a really hard time right now remembering what even happened in a month that seemed to speed by before I was ready for it to be here, let alone done!

So, what happened in November?

November marks the birth dates of some very important people in my life.  First up was G, in the first week of the month.  I girded up my loins for the idea, and booked us dinner at a restaurant in the town of Blind River, knowing I would have to drive at night for the occasion, something I have assiduously avoided whenever possible.  I am pleased to say, both the dinner and driving went smoothly, and we greatly enjoyed the experience.  I chose the experience to be my gift, instead of an item, as he's never eaten at that restaurant before.

In the second week of November, it was my younger brother's birthday, and Remembrance/Veterans' Day.  I was able to spend a half hour or so with him on Skype, in video messaging, and got the ten cent tour of his home and yard, to boot.  I loved every minute of it, moments like that call are what take the edge off how far away I live from my family.

In the fourth week of November, my youngest brother celebrated his birthday.  2015 has been a significant year for him, he has made great personal and professional strides, and he celebrated the day with thanksgiving in a way that touched my heart.  I love nothing more than seeing my loved ones succeed, and he is going for his success with a determination and focus I admire.

November also marked several changes.  First up, there was the end of Daylight Saving Time.  Hallelujah.  We all know how I feel about it, so I won't belabour how happy I am to be given the reprieve I wait all year for.  It was also time to get the tires on our vehicle switched from summer to winter tyres, and a semi-annual checkup, done with its usual speed and care.

November was a good month for my physical fitness goals: of 21 week days I missed a total of 4.  I began tracking my water intake in my BuJo, as I have noticed that I am struggling to drink even nominal amounts of water on a daily basis, even though we are at the time of year when the presence of heat indoors means one loses even more water through the skin.  I also decided to start getting up early again, and for November and December set myself the goal of making it out of bed before 6 a.m. at least 3 weekday mornings per week, and succeeded for November.

November brought some fun as well, in the form of a pen pal group forming out of the Bullet Journal Junkies Facebook group.  I received my first letter from a "pal" in southern Ontario, and mailed off a letter to a chosen pal in Australia.  I had great fun writing the letters: in this day and age of constant contact on social network platforms such as Facebook, it is surprising to realise that we really still don't know a person, and that methods such as letter writing can help us to learn about others.  I know, I know...I rail against DST as a relic of a bygone age, but I write letters on paper and send them via snail mail?  Yes.

There was light snow a couple of times in November, but the weather remained mild.  I did some serious praying to the weather gods as the end of the month loomed and our trip to southern Ontario hastened up my to-do list.  All I asked for was the mild weather to continue into the first weekend of December, so that my first long driving trip would not be complicated further by poor road conditions.  Obviously, we made it safely, as it's now past, but I'll share details in the post for December!

BuJo hack: I use the flags to stamp on, so no bleed through of the ink to the other side!

Studying.  Yes, our tree went up in November!

Supposedly, that's a people-only couch he's so relaxed on.