I love this time between Halloween and the full sprint of the Christmas season. It’s not quite time yet to scramble for presents and decorate everything in site. It’s cozy, November is pure fall weather, and the leaves are still bright and everywhere on the ground. But I feel crafty, and I’m in the mood to be out trekking around the neighborhood, and the woods nearby. I had a batch of leaves ready to go, so when my nephew came over last week for a playdate after school I decided to make some turkeys.

The weather hasn’t been spectacular fall weather yet this year, to be honest. But Mother Nature has had it with us, so it’s not that surprising. We’re still trying to do All Of The Fall Things, though, which means basking in apple season. Even when we set out in the morning dressed for fall, and need shorts and tank tops by lunchtime.

I haven’t posted since H’s first day of school, it’s just the start of the busy season around here. I haven’t started her Halloween costume yet, and we’re still settling in to the school year. Plus we’ve hired a new sitter, and I’m heading into a lot of holiday deadlines with work.

I’ve had a tough time getting my head back in the game after the election last week. But I’m definitely getting there, and I’m tired of obsessing, tired of reading endless articles about how it all went wrong. I’m taking some concrete steps in my community, with my own economic power, with my time to do what I can at a local level to make life better. The results are the results, I’m not ready to overthrow the government. But I am ready to volunteer, to listen to people, to donate, to see how I can help with future political campaigns, to write, etc. But for now, here are some beautiful fall pictures while I get my head organized. The world itself is still damn gorgeous.

Last month we painted our bedroom, had new carpet installed, Adam was out of town for a week on business, H missed 3 or so days of school with a bug that just lingered, Halloween happened, H filmed to be on Sesame Street, I started a YouTube channel, my friend Kathy’s book was released, we saw the neurologist for a checkup for H, and I tackled about 70 trillion projects around the house.

Last Friday we headed to Battleview Orchards after school to get our apples. We’re late this year, we’re usually out in September. But late meant that the late varieties of apples, like Granny Smiths, were finally available. We never get Granny Smiths!

This was September…running around Disney World in shorts and sneakers, then getting through back to school craziness, also in shorts and sneakers. September was hot this year. We finally got the first good turtleneck day on the 24th, and look at that giant grin I’m sporting in that teal turtleneck. Fall is my season!