A Bright Little Thank-You
November has never been my favorite month. It’s not as warm and verdant as October or as crisp and sparkly as December. It does have Thanksgiving which is nice… I guess. Again, not a favorite — it’s fine — but not my fave.
I love the part where I get to see my people and that not only is gravy okay, it’s encouraged.
This year we get to have two Thanksgivings (more gravy!). One is a Friendsgiving in Hood River with my little-brother-by-choice, Josh, and his wonderful girlfriend, Juliana. Because their house is full of other friends and family (ahem, I did take note of how we rank), we’re staying at the Historic Hood River Hotel in downtown — great location and they take dogs☺️.
Anita and Chicken Nuggets will be coming with us as she’s been doing Friendsgiving with us for years, but this is the first time we’re not hosting, so this will be an adventure for us all.
The Loud, Lovely Kind of Family
The “real” Thanksgiving will be up in Olympia at my sister and brother-in-law’s house, the super hosts. So. Much. Food. It’s a soft pants situation for sure.
And…it’s loud. So beautifully loud.
We will, however, miss terribly the best laugh of them all and that is of our baby sister, Katie. She and her family are out in Tennessee. 😣
While up in Olympia, Jeff, Bonnie and I make a point of getting out to go for a walk around Steam Boat Island, which is just across a causeway from where my sister lives. We get to take in views like this of the Squaxin Passage and Mt. Rainier off in the distance. It’s stunning no matter the season.
Cue the Sparkle Season
When we come back from their house I think I will get busy decorating for Christmas. Yep! Pics to come…but only if it’s cute. I am blending disco balls with a woodland theme soooo….
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
— John F. Kennedy
Last month Kim, Anita and I finally had the chance to throw a party for our “behind the scenes” friends. The unsung heroes. The ones that crawl under the houses or up the ladders. The ones that make our designs come to life whether it's the lamp they rewired or the window treatments they sewed by hand or the ones who literally built from our plans.
We are truly blessed by the depth and breadth of the talented souls that we get to work with and call friends.
It dawned on us that some of them almost never cross paths on our projects, so we wanted to have a chance to say thank you and to introduce these magic makers to each other. And so last month, on 10/10, we did — and it was really, really special.
A Surprise Visit and a Reminder of Good People
I also wanted to give a special thanks to JoAnn Smith for her surprise visit last month. It has been a few years since we have seen each other or worked together and she just dropped in one late afternoon and we got to catch up over a glass of wine.
Let me tell you a little something about JoAnn. I put out a social media thing a billion years ago that I was going to be hanging out at another client's house that I had decorated for Christmas and it was on a home tour. I jokingly invited people to drop by and to bring coffee.
JoAnn is the only one who did.
And not only did she bring coffee, she brought it in a fabulous travel mug that I still have and use to this day. That’s who she is. She’s good people and I am so thankful for her and so thankful that she dropped in and that I had wine!
Reframing November
So, a lot of great things happened last month and I’m trying to reframe November into a not so sucky month. I am truly thankful that this month provides the opportunity to spend time with my people because I just do not get enough of that. At all. Ever.
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
– Willie Nelson
For some that might hit hard or ring hollow or seem a little too cheerful. The holidays tend to be tough. I know the feeling. But I’m telling you, when you give yourself the quiet gift, daily, of noticing little things and being thankful for them, you’ll feel a shift.
For example, right now I’m thankful for the quiet and for hearing Bonnie breathing in a very peaceful sleep. For the sound of a little table top fountain. I am thankful for the scent of my favorite candle. I am thankful for coffee. I am thankful that I get the time to write this.
I am thankful that a school bus stopped in front of my studio, opened its door and that I got to hear the sound of laughing kids for a few seconds. God bless that driver, by the way.
A Wish for You
No matter what it is that you are doing or not doing over this long weekend, I hope it involves gravy, good people and taking in something beautiful.
There is always something beautiful.
There is also always something to be thankful for.
‘Til next time,
Arlene
P.S. Let me know if you need to pull together a hostess gift! I have cards and cute things here!