Why November?

November is one of those maligned months...it isn't very colorful, its the end of fall and before winter. And then the holidays come tromping and stomp right over whatever is left of November's own personal identity. Today we sing the unsung hero...what makes this month lovely in its own right?

10 Good Reasons To Love November 

1. All the leaves fall down and reveal vistas we forgot we had......suddenly the world looks all new again, even out our own familiar kitchen windows.

2.The bird feeder goes up in the window like ours did today. Its great to get personal with some of the birds again just as so many other are leaving for parts further south.

3.You can reliably light a crackly fire in the fireplace for the first time.

4.Our own local New England cranberries come into stores again! I love cranberries for their bright color, the way they naturally thicken when boiled down for a sauce or a jam, for their tart tang (I'm a tangy girl!) and the fact that they come so unmistakably from here. We don't get cranberries shipped in from Chile!

5. Hot tea becomes the thing again! I get to dig out my favorite, cozy mug and try to decide between English Breakfast, Chai and Earl Grey. Tough problems.

6. Roasting vegetables in the oven, low and slow sounds like a good idea again! Toasty carmelized parsnips and carrots and cauliflower and butternut squash is divine munching material. Toss any veg in olive oil and drop in snips of thyme or rosemary, generous doses of salt and spread them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 450 until toasty and fork tender!

7. Leaf kicking starts! October gets all the attention with the pretty displays but all through November the leaves are accumulating in drifts and piles and everyone is raking and leaf blowing huge heaps of crackling leaves. No time like the present to jump in!
 
8. Ticks, mosquitoes and other pests of the woods go away! I love being outside in crispy, worry-free November on a hike! Sets my mind right at ease.

9. Its stargazing season again! One of the things I love about summer night is their long light but it doesn't make for good star watching; for that you need early nights. I love that by the time we've come home from getting A from work the sky is dark and we can walk to the house with our heads tipped back enjoying the show.

10. The air gets cold enough to play dragon! I tell my boys that's what we're doing when we blow big clouds of misty breath in the cold. :)

A Boy List

It's been a while since there was a good list posting, eh? Time for a nice enumeration I say! Today, (inspired by the photo below of sweet Dee absorbed in the giant maze of a ball sculpture at the local Children's Museum...so just his thing!) I am sharing a list of reasons why it's great to have sons; of course lots of these things aren't exclusive to having boys but really, I wouldn't know any better anyway, right? I only have boys!

29 Reasons Why It Is Great To Parent Boys!

1. I am learning more about knighthood, construction equipment and Super Heroes than I have ever known in my whole life.
2. Someday, I ever have a daughter, an inquiring niece or a little female mentoree who is frustrated with males and asks me for advice, I will have all the inside tips!
3. I finally have a compelling reason to see Star Wars.
4. I get to dabble in a whole range of fashion I've never experimented with: bow ties and suspenders and boy underwear!
5. Seeing stories like The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe or Little House In The Big Woods through the male lens is pretty different and highlights fun bits I never noticed with my own viewpoint.
6. I am having conversations with A about what his childhood was like that I don't think I'd ever have thought of if we hadn't any little boys.
7. The impetus to re-assess sports and fitness.
8. I get lots more practice at hair cutting.
9. I get to learn bravery first hand.
10. Learning to throw a spiral and catch a baseball might actually happen in my lifetime.
11. My bras, earrings and high heeled shoes will always be curious fascinations; bizarre, rare objects that are puzzling and yet intriguing.
12. Hearing my little ones say to me passionately, "When I grow up, I'm going to marry you Mommy!"
13. Cooking in a few years is going to get really fun. I love to cook and I can't wait for the "bottomless pit stage" when I will be able to saute, bake and fry wildly and watch it all disappear with relish!
14. I get to inform a set of fresh young males on the ways of women and what we are all about. Cool and scary, all at once.
15. Hearing my son say bravely to his daddy "Don't worry! I'll take care of Mommy!" as he goes out the door.
16. Lots of pairs of strong arms around to help with all my future heavy lifting projects. *rubs hands with glee*
17. Being sure that nobody will raid my stash of pads or tampons on the sly and leave me low.
18. Lowered wedding costs in the future!
19. Not stressing about the overwhelmingly suffocating Disney Princess obsession.
20. The chance to raise some good-hearted, male feminists.
21. An inside look at male puberty. (come on...you know all you ladies were always curious!)
22. Experiencing The Boy Scouts!
23. Not dealing with that sissy-type-squeamish-girl-thing.
24. Watching even the baby, join the sword-fighting obsession in our family
25. Planning birthday parties and Halloween costumes for themes I never would have dipped into: dinosaurs, motorcycles and cowboys.
26. I will finally get the Windsor knot in my head. 
27. Lots of dance partners for years for square dances!
28. Better odds for many good map readers, logic puzzlers and mathematicians in the house.
29. Studying with my husband the puzzle of: what it means to be a man and what is important about masculinity.

Such fun stuff! Feels good to get a good list out there again.