It’s been 33 days since my last Looking Back post and it feels like at least a year has passed. It also feels like four years since I’ve had a really good night’s sleep. maybe tonight. at least I’m feeling ready to dive back into things … and this post is a great way to start!
Back in July, I wrote about being grateful for a lovely space to call home. October confirmed all of that. along with a special gratitude that Katie and her family are part of our bubble. I didn’t go anyplace new last month (gosh, when was the last time I went someplace NEW?). I did, however, continue to play tennis (well, practice tennis) at least twice a week, run/walk to the lake, see Katie and her family, and resume in-person visits with my mom on her sidewalk (on the 14th – bonus points for my first – maybe only?! – pumpkin spice latté – and the 21st (not pictured) with Holly!!)
I realized when I compiled these photos that I never wrote that post about Sam’s 4th birthday. COVID-ZETA-ELECTION. So yeah, Sam celebrated his fourth journey around the sun … with us – and a giant chocolate cupcake – on the 24th.
extra just for fun little boy faces.
with just a bit of dad side eye. 😉
1. What am I celebrating?
+ we are all still healthy.
+ three of my favorite guys (Marc, Sam, and Rob) had birthdays.
2. What surprised me?
+ wow, how much the pattern/colorwork in Stonecrop would challenge me.
3. What voices am I listening to?
+ Sarah and Beth on Pantsuit Politics, Anne Bogel on What Should I Read Next, Kendra Adachi on The Lazy Genius, Emily P. Freeman on The Next Right Thing, Brené Brown on Unlocking Us … these ladies keep me grounded and going (ditto from last month and again!).
4. What did I make?
+ I finished two sweaters – one for a baby and one for me, three socks (for Sara) and an afghan (for Sam). My FO’s feel as scattered as my thoughts about making right now. 
5. What was the best thing I watched?
+ Enola Holmes
+ Dream Home Makeover (sorry y’all … we are painting the inside of our house next month and I am ALL IN for good white paint recommendations 🙂 )
6. Read?
+ I finished 8 books – and I still have a few updates to add to Goodreads.
7. What am I working to leave behind?
– sleepless nights.
8. What do I want to focus on in the month ahead?
+tennis (I’m likely to play a match!! I’m so nervous)
+Thanksgiving.
9. What’s something I’m reconsidering as a result of the last 30 days?
+ Playing an active role in Georgia’s Get Out The Vote campaign. I don’t like getting texts or voicemails about voting. even when they’re about voting the way I want folks to vote. still….
10. What is one thing I’d like to start doing in November?
+feeling more like me. I honestly don’t even know what that means.
How about you? are you feeling something different this month?
mere-et-filles 
I really like the blue color schemes going on in your knitting, and the decidedly non-blue way that it sounds like you are feeling! There is much hard work for Biden, Harris, and all of us to do, and you lucky Georgians have the Senate runoff races on Jan. 5 (for control of the Senate, no pressure!). But it was a real pleasure to wake up this morning and know that we would be in better hands in 72 days. Joe’s got the job; I wonder if he can start early? 🙂
I do feel better – at least for now. Two weeks ago, I added a little yoga break – 20 – 30 minutes to my late afternoon. I am amazed how much this has helped calm my anxiety. I have a good morning stretching/weights routine and then a 3 mile walk during the day but late afternoons I am prone to sit on my backside until time for dinner prep. I have also come to some kind of peace with the pandemic. Something has shifted. That shift might have been helped along by the additional yoga. We do essential errands and appointments as safely as possible. I no longer feel guilty about saying no to invitations from well-meaning friends. I am looking toward creating an anniversary evening for my husband and I as well as Thanksgiving.
P.S. That little birthday boy makes me happy. I imagine he brings a lot of joy to his family.
I love this reflection format AND I need to give it a try. Such good questions
This was perfect to read on a Monday morning! A post full of smiling faces and cheer! 🙂
And I LOVE your Blues Knitting! It is striking in your collage!
I’m sure it was entirely unintentional, but did you notice just how much blue there was in your October? Perhaps that was your subconscious at work on your election feelings.
I really do feel so much more relaxed than I have for the past four years (as Eileen said, the shoulder earrings are gone!), but there’s still a lot of work to do! I still have a bunch of postcards and am hoping the Postcards to Voters folks will be running a campaign for the Senate run-off in Georgia. I’m not a fan of phone banking and am annoyed by getting political text messages, but I can definitely write postcards!
I participated in a get out the vote letter writing campaign which I loved. It was totally devoted to getting out to vote with NO implication of how you should vote. I’d love to know if any of the letters I sent motivated someone to go to the polls who might not have done so otherwise. Won’t ever know, but the organization sent over 17,000,000 letters which I find absolutely amazing! They were sent, of course, to folks who were believed to be potential Democrats, but there’s no way of my knowing if that was true.
It’s been three months now since I did a recap of my OLW. I took a deliberate break in September, and it took most of October to get back on track.
Lots of smiling faces for October.
what a full month! I’m excited to have a stress free November as best as I can. My thanksgiving is looking like just the two of us and that is OKAY. I have my son’s wedding coming up in less than two months!
Your knitting is a blue wave! But I’m sorry y’all have to go for another 3 months of election advertisements and more. I do hope the results are worth it, though!
How lovely to see those smiling birthday faces! There is something so uncomplicated and joyful about the faces of happy little ones :). I can empathise with the not-being-myself feeling. I’m putting my feeling of being on edge down to the continuing uncertainty over here around Brexit and what’s going to happen this month about an agreement. We have been following events in the US avidly too, and that takes a lot of energy and focus, leaving less for other things … Your knitting is stellar, as always – such pretty blues! I must look out for the Pantsuit Politics podcast. Hoping that you can feel a bit more settled soon and good sleep is gifted to you …
Georgia did an amazing thing this year – I hope you’re proud!
What a lovely collection of photos – there was a lot to celebrate in October. I hope you find ways to feel like yourself again in November. Or at least a new peaceful normal!