November start

A little later in the month to be “starting” but given what we all went through last week I think you’ll forgive me.

This month started with hope and then moved to numbness and then anger. I took this weekend off to concentrate on my own and my younger kids mental health. We went to Savers and Target. We went to an absolutely amazing greenhouse in Danielson CT called Logee’s, which I highly recommend if it’s anywhere near you. It is an indoor rainforest without the bugs. It is packed with plants both to buy and just to look at, some trees over 150 years old. The staff is helpful, it’s warm and cozy inside and was just the mental health break we needed.

Sunday we went to our local Unitarian Universalist church. I was an attendee about 20+ years ago, and thought of them when I was wanting a place of community with like-minded people who would be welcoming and also planning for the future. I brought my two youngest with me, and they loved the atmosphere and the people they met. We’ll be going back weekly (or as weekly as winter colds and weather allows) and it was so good.

READING Last month I finished The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, and I really enjoyed it. I also read Final Girls by Riley Sager, which kept me guessing to the end, and Broken by Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) whose writing I have loved for years. This month I’ve read The Fury by Alex Michaelides. I have read all of his books so far and have never been disappointed. The narrator in this one is not overly likeable, but that doesn’t make the story any less enthralling. Now I’m on to Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Torzs and Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi, the 2nd in her Legacy of Orisha series. Both immediately sucked me into their worlds (again in the case of Adeymi’s book) and I can’t wait to see where they go. A book on my list that I learned about from the Unitarian pastor at the church is I’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi Jones, which based on the excerpts she read I HIGHLY recommend to anyone on this side of the aisle. It’s subtitled “The Do Better Manual.” I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy yet, but I will as soon as possible. If you’ve read it, let me know what you thought!

WATCHING I continued my horror movie binge with every good or bad movie I could find, including the entire Hell House LLC series. I’d list them all but that would require research I don’t feel like doing, so trust me, if it’s streaming I at least considered it.

MOVIES We saw the American version of Speak No Evil in theaters and let me just say I would rather I hadn’t. James McAvoy’s character was disturbing in a way I wasn’t really prepared for, and I’ve heard the original version was so much worse. I also took my youngest and her friend to the Saw 20th Anniversary unrated edition. I’m not a Saw fan, but the first one is well done.

DOING Planning to host a meeting locally post-election as soon as I have a location nailed down. It’s facilitated by Worth Fighting For (weareworthfightingfor.org) and depending on how it goes may be the first in a series.

GARDEN We bought a Chicago Hardy fig tree while we were at Logee’s that will over-winter (if we still have that in CT?) and then we’ll plant it in our back yard. I’ve also planted my garlic for next spring.

I hope if you’re reading this you are hanging in there, and that you will continue (or even start!) to fight for our rights and the rights of others under attack in our communities, in whatever way you are able. If the only way you are able is just keeping yourself alive, that’s enough. We all do what we can.