Embracing the season!

Happy November First!

I'm embracing the season!

Do you ever do something every single year, that's kind of a ritual type thing.

I do.

For one, I listen to the book on cd of Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. 

I listen to it in my car while I'm running errands.

But, I haven't been able to find it for a couple of years.  

Bummer

(It's around here somewhere.)

I also read Christmas books during the month of November and December.

I've always got a novel going, but in November and December they are always Christmas novels.

I bought two new books a couple of weeks ago.

And I'm already reading Merry and Bright, by Debbie Macomber, which I got from the library. 

I also bought a magazine.

 I found some old Christmas books...

and...I found some of my old cookbooks.

 I should explain why I'm finding stuff.  

I joined a challenge on Facebook through a group I'm in.  

I vowed to empty a box a day for the month of October.

These were all FULL in the pole barn, the beginning of October.

I emptied them little by little and it made a BIG difference.

I donated, I made a pretty good size garage sale pile for next year.

I kept some things and I sold some things.

You see, when we moved, we moved into one room in the basement and everything else went into storage.  It's amazing what you can live without!!!

But I did find these old crocks, and I really do like them a lot.

I found several of those brown bag cookie molds.  

These are Longaberger.  I have quite a collection of them and they bring back some

good memories, which I'll save for another post.

 And I found these teacups  The one on the left my Sister bought for me on a shopping trip years ago. They used to have a tea shop in the mall and we would always go there to take a break.  I loved that place, but it's no longer there.

I left the stuff out that brought a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart.

Those are the things that make our house a home.

I got my hair cut by a witch this week!

 This is probably the last cut until after the holidays.

Oh, and I started a diet....today....sort of.

I showed you some apple dumplings a couple of weeks ago that Mom made.

It's tradition.  Mom makes all of us some apple dumplings, every fall.

Well, my sister made some!

And brought them up!

So, after the dumplings, and the weight gain, I decided to start a diet. 

BUT tonight several of us went out to eat,

so even though I ate healthy most of the day, I kind of blew it tonight.

But not too bad, especially for the first day.  

So, for the month of November

I'm

1) reading Christmas novels (and spending less time on FB and IG)

2) dieting as much as possible so I don't gain the Holiday ten!

3) continuing emptying boxes (I still have a basement full)

and

4) relaxing....

What do you do to embrace the season?

Cindy