A Look Ahead - November

We still have a lot of fall color left here in east Tennessee. We are enjoying the late fall season and moderate temperatures. We turned the calendars today here at the cottage and the clocks will get turned back tonight. I’ll also reprogram the timer for the porch lights after I enjoy my extra hour of sleep!

My sweet baboo has done a great job in tilling up the veggy gardens and cleaning out the withered annual flowers from the flower beds. I’ve done a little bit of weeding in the flower beds too. We’ve both been working at keeping the fallen leaves tidied up. Tending to the leaves will be an ongoing project for the next few weeks. We’re looking forward to a winter break from outdoor chores. Yeah!

We’ve already finished off a big batch of homemade chicken noodle soup. More soups and stews will be gracing our dinner table in the days ahead. I’ll be getting out the flannel sheets for the bed this month, along with the down comforter too. We’ve already worn some of our warmer clothes, and I will commence the annual search for my gloves.

We started the month out well by having another house showing this morning. We had several showings during October. Our contingency contract has been extended through December 31. The prospective buyers still have their house for sale and reduced their asking price a couple of weeks ago. We are encouraged that we at least have a contingency contract, but we would love to have a firm contract from someone – anyone! We continue to put our future retirement life in a holding pattern. This long and drawn-out uncertainty annoys and confounds us. The older we get, the less patience we have. And with good reason, LOL!

I have been attempting to adjust to new levels of pain, thanks to my injured knee. I have lived with pain for decades, mostly neurologically related. But since my fall in September, it is now at a higher notch. The muscle spasms have subsided, thankfully. Sitting in most chairs has not been comfortable because of continued muscle soreness and lack of ability for the knee to bend. I can’t go up and down stairs like I used to. Now it is one step at a time, with my good knee. I’m praying that it holds out because it is popping and starting to hurt too. My mobility has been greatly reduced and that saddens me quite a bit. I want my old life back and now it is gone. I will continue to postpone any consideration for knee replacement until our home sells, we move into a rental, build, and then move again. I’m going to have to hold out for quite a while yet, LOL.

On a happier note, we went back to the fitness center today! Since I can’t do treadmill work anymore, I am focusng on upper body work, in addition to some rehab for my knees. We’re back to watching our calorie intake too.

Speaking of calories, LOL, we have made plans to go on another journey this month! We have reservations at a beautiful Kentucky inn for Thanksgiving week. We took advantage of their Thanksgiving special a couple of years ago and thoroughly loved it. So we’re itching for a return trip. And yes, I will feature this special journey for my blog readers!

I will be finishing up some sewing projects this month. One project in particular is a bounty of handmade Christmas ornaments! In addition to giving some to local friends, I am doing an ornament exchange with friends on an online forum. And, I am doing some extras for another bloggy giveaway! Won’t that be fun?