November is …

November is …

…leaves turning orange and red.

….needing a comforter on the bed.

…darker evenings, more indoor time, more indoor play — a time of year when there are even more toys all over the floor than usual, but somehow, it’s cozy.

…planting bulbs in hopes of a colorful spring.  (There’s always such suspense around bulbs, isn’t there?  Will they bloom, or won’t they?)

…praying for and remembering the dead, in keeping with Catholic tradition.  I like listening to this setting of the Litany of the Saints all year, but especially this month:

…finally having a fire in the fireplace.

…pulling out some of our favorite Thanksgiving books and reading them with the kids.  Something about Cranberry Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Is Here!  always makes me feel happy.

…Pumpkin everything.  Somehow, it seems premature to eat it until November.

…Warm, comforting drinks, like this chai I made the other day.  My friend Hemali gave me a jar of mixed chai spices to use – peppery, sweet,  and wonderful.

What does November mean to you?