….And here we are in November already. I can hardly believe it. Christmas is less than two months away. My birthday is less than a month away. Halloween is in the past and the debate between whether we should listen to Christmas music and decorate for Christmas now or wait til December is upon us.

I am kind of a middle roader. I will start putting up some Christmas decorations, slowly taking down the fall decorations, so by December 1st the tree can go up, the Christmas music will start playing now and throughout January and it will look jolly and festive in the house until after Epiphany in January. All Halloween decorations have to come down though, now….today.

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Crafting and my retail business, on the other hand, has got to go all out Christmas. This is the time of prepping and the shoppers are looking for the materials to make their craft projects, presents to buy and home decor items. So keep your eye out for the Christmas items at Scrap4Less and KDWhimsy – located at Willowstone Marketplace, booths #401-403 and #68.

I really like my birthday month. I am glad I was born in the Fall season. The leaves on the trees have all turned golden, or reddish or orangish and are falling off the trees. I love seeing leaf piles and walking through a pile of leaves that crunch under my feet. There is something magical about Fall. I don’t know…. maybe because it is the precursor to Christmas?

There is a lot to be done this year – the year that I get even closer to 60! I’m not 60…. I have a few more years to go but I am on the downhill side to getting there. I can now go in most places and get a senior discount. I have arrived and I never thought I would get this far. One of the main questions I think of a lot now is – Is this how mom and dad felt?

This getting older thing is not so bad – Im finding that with it comes a new found respect. Respect from most of the younger generation – who when they see me are faced with their own immortality. Cause young people, this getting old happens to everyone. You are going to get older, but hopefully, you will get wiser and smarter.

Thats why I don’t just have a birthday day anymore – I have a birthday month. I need time to get it all done and time is moving faster and faster. This month we have plans to go visit my daughter up near Vail, CO, hopefully purchase some new furniture, do lots of shopping, write my novel for NaNoWriMo decorate the house, get the spare room ready for Kim and the baby to stay in, celebrate Thanksgiving, and do something fun on the day of my birthday. I haven’t decided what – yet…

…And I know, you are supposed to say, at this age that it is all about the family and friends… and it is. I am so happy when I have family and friends around…. but the gifts and cards make the day even more special… and the carrot cake from the Dutch bakery.

So… Happy Birthday to all of you who are having birthdays in November. I think we are a special kind of people. After all it is the month of gratitude.

Thanks for reading. I am grateful to you all for taking time to read this blog.

From the bottom of my heart – grateful

Positively, Debbie