Tag: hello november

Hello November!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized15 Comments

Hello November!!

We had a whirlwind October, and so I am looking forward to a less busy November. I want to fully embrace a slower fall, now that Halloween and October is over. We went all out for October because Wyatt had such a crappy summer, and we definitely had a blast. But, now we are ready for relaxing!

Most of the month should be pretty quiet, although we do have two milestone events this month. First, happening Tuesday, is Billy and my 25th wedding anniversary. It seems unbelievable that we have been married that long, but I guess it is true. I am pretty sure we are still only 17.

Which leads me to the next milestone – guys, I turn the big 5-o this month. What the heck? I really really can’t be that age. It sounds insane to me, but again, here we are. Honestly, I’m not really that hing up on the number. I feel every year is a privilege. I am not sure what sort of celebrations we will be having, but I am sure they will be pretty simple affairs. I do know that my besties here are planning a night out, with a bit of fun at the tie dye place downtown followed by dinner at Ima, a noodle house I have been wanting to go to for awhile now! I am the oldest of our group, by one year. Jill is a year younger than me, Kelly two, and Chrissy – well. Nine. Nine years younger than me. I am very much looking forward to our night out though. I miss my crew and life gets in the way a lot of us hanging out. Kelly has a senior in high school this year, and is busy with all of the events and different things happening in her daughter’s life, Jill works so hard – she is a respiratory therapist at two different places, a full time job during the day and then some night shifts at the hospital. Chrissy works and has two children, one of which is a toddler. So it will be nice for us to have some time together, hanging out and having fun.

Billy has plans for our anniversary, dinner out at an old favorite of ours, and he took the day off to hang out with Wyatt and I. We are hoping for a hike somewhere, full of fall colors and brisk weather.

Outside of these two big events, the rest of our month should be quiet, with the exception of Thanksgiving, of course, but my brother is hosting so I just need to provide a few dishes, including my Nantucket cranberry pie.

I want to try to repair my vintage quilts this winter. I don’t know how though. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I plan on making a post about this, with photos of them as they are. I love them so much, they are so soft and warm but they need some help and I don’t want them destroyed. But I do want them to be used.

Wyatt also wants me to make some mini-felt animals. He found a book at the used book store with photos and patterns, don’t ask me how, of little animals and wanted me to sew a few. So I am giving that a whirl to this winter. He wants to sew too, but I can’t figure out how to do accommodate that for him yet. He has full use of his left hand, he is a lefty, a natural one so that is good, but his right hand is more of a helper, and he does not have much in the way of fine motor skills with that hand. More like big movements that are sort of clunky. So I do plan on researching that a bit for him.

I also have some other goals, that are pretty small but I am looking forward to. I want to make really good cinnamon rolls, for one. I am not a great baker but I like to try and focus on something until I can perfect something, and have it be like, my good version. I have the nantucket cranberry pie, chocolate chip cookies, scones, and gingerbread cookies under my belt, and have my sights set on cinnamon rolls next.

I am also thinking of doing a little Soup and Saturday Stories feature on my blog. Doesn’t that sound cozy? Maybe make it a link up, and we can all share the soup we are eating, the recipe, and the book we are reading? I love soup. It is one of my favorite things about fall and winter, that it is soup season! And I have Billy reinvigorating his sourdough mother that has been sleeping all summer, because sourdough pairs perfectly with soup and stews.

I am of course thinking about Christmas. I would like to try my hand at painting some Christmas cards, but if that proves to be too much for my talent, I am going to just purchase some. I have been listening to the podcast In the Meadow, and Vic has been talking about how analog and doing things the way we did just two or three decades ago, can make such a difference in our lives. Screens, quick information, the digital life, has its good points, but it is also good to step away sometimes, do something like send Christmas cards again, or letters. Maybe use an actual clock or watch. A radio. You get the idea. I am going to start small – Christmas cards. What better way to connect?

So that is where I am mentally tonight, on this cold dark night already, the day after Halloween. I am sitting in the den with my husband and son, Billy watching some documentary on tv, Wyatt playing with his magna-tiles on the floor, my cat purring asleep next to me.

How are you doing?

Hello November

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Hello16 Comments

Welcome, November.

I am looking forward to the relative quiet of November, after a very busy October. Every year our October is jam packed. I like to whirlwind our way through the month, soaking in the moments, then like magic, on November 1, seeking the quiet and solitude of my birth month.

This is when the fall gets slower for me. The days are now short, with night closing in early, and all the hijinks of Halloween are done. I look forward to our slower paced days. Days of school and our art projects, the wolf embroidery I am working on for Wyatt, a return to slow cooked meals, Billy’s sourdough. Quiet hikes in the woods. Books and reading, movies, comfy beds with soft cushy blankets and flannel sheets, backyard fires with family.

Wyatt has this picture book called Thanksgiving in the Woods, and I still read it with him every year, and Billy usually listens too. We all love it. It is about this family who has just what the title says, a big family Thanksgiving in the woods and it is based on the author’s real life Thanksgivings. Every year we read this, and every year, Billy and I talk about how cool that would be. Wouldn’t it? I would love to gather everyone I love together at a big table in the woods filled with food and laughter and music. With tents and lights and bunting, with a big bonfire and games. Wouldn’t that be amazing? I just need to find the woods. But on days like today, blustery and beautiful with bright leaves littering the ground, the crazy chaos of last nights trick or treating behind us, I can imagine it, that meal.

We do have some fun things planned, things like stargazing in our backyard under blankets, with hot chocolate and cookies, calling for owls, getting back to nature, to gratitude. I pulling out our sweaters and warm clothes today, in preparation for the cold weather that will soon be arriving. (even though it was 80 this week! Ugh)

I am excited about our November scouts meeting this month. Billy’s mom is a potter, and she is going to work with our kids on making ornaments, that she will take home to be fired in her kiln. We are also going to open the box that we received from another pack in Oregon, who lives in the high desert there. Our two packs each gathered nature items from our area to send to the other, and I am excited to share with the kids what the Oregon pack sent with them. I peeked at it already and I think they will all like seeing what is in there. In our box, we sent leaves that were labeled, a sprig of white pine, which is Michigan’s state tree, a cicada shell, acorns and sycamore seeds and chestnuts, seeds from a Michigan apple, an apple tree bud from my confused apple tree, local honey, and a few other fun things, like a bag of Petoskey stones. I am looking forward to what they think of our stuff as well! And if anyone lives in another region who is reading this, and would like to send nature representatives to our pack from your area, let me know, because this was fun!

And, I need to refill my coffee so I will end here. Have a wonderful day everyone, and whatever you do today, try to do something that makes you smile.

“In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.” – Cynthia Rylant

Hello November!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Hello20 Comments

Ah November. As much as October is the start of cozy season and fall, November is the true start of snuggling down and getting comfortable. There is some sense of rushing about still in October, as we try to soak up all of the nice days as we can while we can, if you live somewhere that has changeable weather. October sun is almost the best sun, there is more of a golden honey warmth to it, a softness, and if you are like me you want to catch all of it that you can. November however, almost gives you permission to stay inside, with its gray skies, rain, much colder temperatures, and sometimes even snow. It invites you to drink your tea, read your book, stay safe and snug and warm. Much like a hobbit in his hole, I like to keep it cozy in November.

After a very busy October, I am looking forward to my November of cozytimes. I have my sewing projects all lined up, waiting to begin – or finish, in the case of my rabbit. I am sort of stuck and need Billy’s help with it so this weekend he is going to help me. He is such a man of many talents! Stef over at Stefmakesallthethings shared some really cool cross stitch designs from Max Pigeon and they are beautiful! I think I want to try one. I love sitting and stitching while listening to a podcast in the winter.

Billy and I also want to experiment with making our own pizzas this fall and winter, like really good pizza. We have been watching the British Baking Show and were inspired by the pizza challenge. I asked Billy to build a brick oven pizza in our yard but he declined for now. I guess we will just start with a pizza stone and our regular ol’ oven. I do want to try to make a cornmeal crust like at Mama Mia’s pizza in Mackinaw City. They used to have the coolest old building, filled with antiques and a museum dedicated to the bridge building and bridge builders – and fantastic pizza. Then that building burned down and they have a new building now and the charm is lost. Billy and I have a tradition of finding a local pizza place on every trip, and Mama Mia’s has always been my favorite. (His is from a pizza place in Savannah, I think the name was Mia’s? Amy’s?)

Our anniversary is this weekend too, and the weather is supposed to be sunny and beautiful, just like on the day we were married 22 years ago. We are leaving little man at my mom’s and heading out for a hike in the woods followed by an adult beverage or two and … tacos. I requested tacos, like good tacos. Real tacos. Jeez, I am all about food this morning!! It will be a nice time, it has been a long while since Billy and I have gone hiking alone.

This month, we also planned a family event with my brother Devin, SIL Chrissy, and niece – we are having a Hobbit day. It is still in the planning stages but we have a rough idea of what we are going to do that day. My favorite part of the plan is the backyard fire and cider in the evening but we have some neat ideas for the rest of the day too. Devin and Mermaid Girl had been reading The Hobbit together and she is a fan. I haven’t read it to Wyatt yet but he will have fun anyway. When I was a kid my cousin Brian and I used to listen to a very short version on book and record – I wonder if I can find something similar for Wyatt? Check out that 1970s goodness there! Apparently I can buy the book and record still but we don’t have a record player.

I will also be preparing for Christmas – I like to be done with my shopping so that in December I can focus on being with family and baking and all that stuff. We already bought tickets for the Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village in December and I like to make sure the month is more relaxed by having the things I can do now ahead of time, (from the comfort of my home since I am an online shopper) done. I have lists made up of who I buy for and some ideas, and already have some things for Wyatt squirreled away.

And speaking of Wyatt – he is a little restless so I am going to end this here!