Thanks and Giving
Thank you to everyone who reached out with kind words last week. It does make things lighter to know that we aren’t alone.
Today is Thanksgiving, for those of you not in Canada, and it is the first Thanksgiving in many years that we are not visiting my mother-in-law, which feels strange. It’s not even Covid-related – or, that’s not the main reason – we didn’t go because our vacation home, in which we stay when we visit, is currently a complete construction zone and is currently uninhabitable. We have added a second floor and after six weeks with no roof, the roof has just been put back on, and while there is no power or heat currently in the house, there are many workmen. When I say “construction zone” I really mean it. Staying with my mother-in-law is out of the question for logistical reasons, and the only other option would be to stay in a hotel and eat out and you know what, that part is Covid-related because I cannot fathom such a thing right now. Also, after the glory of last year’s Thanksgiving wherein I had my own kitchen and was able to contribute a number of vegetarian dishes to the meal, I cannot go back to eating a plate of peas and carrots for the festive dinner and later sneaking into the kitchen to scarf down peanut butter toast while everyone else digests their meal. Well, next year will be different.
We did have dinner at my parents’ place, and my mom made a number of vegetarian dishes along with a turkey, so everyone was happy. When it comes to cooking turkey, I will do anything for love but I won’t do that.
Dreams Last For So Long, Even After You’re Gone
I am not a person who puts much stock into dreams. I don’t tend to remember them, and if I do, they are usually incredibly boring and include dull day-to-day things like folding laundry endlessly or walking through the aisles in the grocery store. Back in my working days I used to dream about spreadsheets regularly, like the actual spreadsheets would just be scrolling through my dream-eyes. I don’t think I need to see a dream interpreter, is what I’m saying. Basically whatever is currently the most boring thing in my life, that is what I dream about.
But the other night, I had the most vivid dream that I was on a romantic vacation in Hawaii with Kevin from The Office. Before you ask, there was no sex involved, but Kevin was wearing a giant straw sunhat and flowered muumuu the whole time. The paparazzi was snapping photos that were captioned “Kevin From The Office and His New Girlfriend” so apparently, no one else knows his real name either.
What does it portend? Should my husband be worried? Am I going to leave him for Kevin? Or for another man who wears a straw hat and muumuu? I told my sons about the dream and they were most interested if Dream Kevin made me his World Famous Chili, and were disappointed when I said no. I mean, it’s probably not vegetarian.
It’s Fall, Fuckfaces
I have been eagerly preparing for Decorative Gourd Season in my usual way:
Even Barkley has gotten in on the action. He must have heard about throwing some multicoloured leaves in the mix, all haphazard, as you can see:
Of course, up here in Canada it is also Decorative Gord Season:
Now It’s A Whole Thing With Jean
You guys, Gigi was right (HI GIGI) (you were right!). Remember how excited I was for my new jeans, the first jean purchase I had made for years? Remember how excited I was at their comfort? Well. Gigi mentioned that some jeans have TOO much stretch and can become saggy and unattractive by midday and this is certainly the case with my not-so-exciting new jeans. They look so cute first thing in the morning, and then by 1:00 the waistband has started to slide down my body, leaving the crotch and bum sagging down. I tend to wear longer sweaters so it isn’t too obvious in that area, but the calves start to slide down to the ankles, and it’s all very disappointing. I don’t know what the answer is. Do I buy another pair of jeans that are less stretchy and comfortable? Do I go down a size so the jeans are uncomfortably snug until 1:00 in the afternoon? Do I just say fuck it all and wear my saggy jeans because where am I going and who am I seeing anyway? It’s a conundrum.
Pandemic Reading
I am still beta reading, and it’s so good that I schedule myself a certain amount of time each day to read make notes, and I’m constantly going over my allotted time with the thought just one more chapter, okay, just one more. The point is, I read just one other book this week and it’s a biggie:
Mansfield Park. It’s probably been 25 years since I read this, so it was almost like an entirely fresh read! I think this is the most complex and intricate of all the Austen novels. There is a LOT going on in this book, including such things as moral dilemmas, infidelity, divorce, and a whole lot of karma. One of the big themes in this book is that if you are a woman, and a man of independent means proposes to you, you should accept. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Our incredibly beaten-down, put-upon heroine does NOT accept a proposal, for very solid reasons, and literally no one can believe it. They all keep trying to pressure her into this marriage, because WHY would she say no? There is a lot in here about class divides, and unlike any other Austen novel, there contains a non-wealthy or privileged setting. Of course there is a “happy ending,” depending on how you feel about “keeping romance in the family,” and all the same, I really love this book.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I hope you have a beautiful week. Our trees are mostly naked now, but it’s fun to crunch around in the leaves. xo
Nicole, I adore you, for so many, many reasons. Your posts — and SPECIFIC PARTS of your posts — are like a warm hug.
May I first say that jeans are THE WORST? I too have this problem, wherein I will buy jeans that fit and then when I wear them for any reasonable time period, they sag and bag and I end up constantly yanking the waist band UP and tugging my shirt hem DOWN and it’s awful.
Also, I read all the Jane Austen books in college and have forgotten most of them. (Except Northhanger Abbey, which I read in a different class.) College was such a waste for me in many ways. Not ALL ways, oh no, but man, I would get so much more out of an All Austen class now that I am not overly focused on boys and looking cute and seeing exactly how late I can sleep in before I am counted absent in class.
Finally, the Barkley leaf decor cracked me up.
Happy, happy Thanksgiving. <3
There’s so much understanding with age, and I sometimes reread books I read years ago and it’s a totally different experience!
UGH JEANS. I am glad I’m not the only one but why can’t jeans just FIT THE WHOLE DAY?
I second the above praise of your posts, Nicole. Something for everyone. Always fun.
You dreaming of walking down grocery aisles and folding laundry is SO funny. The Kevin from the Office in your dream is priceless. Had you binge watched a bunch of Office episodes before bed? This is a thing in my house and I enjoy the Office, but I do start to grow tired of walking into an Office binge fest. I’ve walked into a Harry Potter watching repeatedly and I kid you not it is ALWAYS the part when the kids have doubles of themselves and they are hiding in the bushes. Uncanny. I apologize for the tangent.
I missed Gigi’s comment about jeans, but EXACTLY. I love my skinny jeans, but some pairs are the worst at dragging midday. Mini has banned me from wearing a certain pair that become so saggy in the butt she cannot stand it. I finally donated that pair. My advice, shop around to find a pair without too much give. Like everything in life, balance is the answer.
I haven’t read that much Jane Austen and I’m thinking this is not the time for me to start.
Happy Thanksgiving to you. Oh, and I’ve been there at holidays . . . from a celiac angle. How sad when my plate has only meat and something else – like maybe the mashed potatoes that I brought, because the other 6 dishes I cannot eat. Hello! Celiac people are people too. If one of my brothers develops celiac, well – hold the phone . . . there will be options.
The funny thing is I haven’t seen the Office in a really long time! No one has been watching it in the house, either. So I have no idea where that came from!
I think I do need to go jeans shopping again. The sagginess of these new ones is ridiculous.
Our leaves haven’t even turned yet. We live in such different climates. But your pictures always make Calgary look beautiful.
Thanks Steph! It doesn’t always FEEL beautiful, but I try to look for it. It’s now below freezing at night and we had snow on Monday.
Love your orange front door! We do have similar tastes in colours, as I’ve pointed out before. My front door was orange for a few years, it’s now a lovely goldenrod. Re the saggy jeans – I’ve had the same experience of sagging late in the day, but have been wearing a pair for a few years (and oh lordy I just realized I found them at Value Village for $10! so they are old), but they never sag. FYI they are Banana Republic, Ultra Denim. I’m dreading buying a new pair but now that I know skinny jeans are out…
LOVE all of those Gord’s!
Oh, I wonder if Banana Republic still sells those. I had Gap jeans many years ago and I remember they were terrible with sagging and stretching out.
Aren’t the Gords great? That cracked me up.
It’s Fall, Fuckfaces. Can you please put that on a door mat and market it?
Ughh on the construction for this year, but next year? It will be amazing and we expect photos!
Some jeans are too stretchy. It’s just the fiber/cotton/whathaveyou content. I wore another pair of my Mother jeans last night for the first time (white because it still feels like summer here!) and I just adore them. No sagging. Do you have Anthropologie there? They have some Mother jeans and also other flavors that are nice. I know, $$$, but it’s an investment.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh and the dream with Kevin. HILARIOUS. I remember most of my dreams and most are out of this world weird. What does that say about me?
We DO have Anthropologie and I don’t mind spending the $ if they are going to last! I mean, other than these the last jeans I bought were like 7 years ago.
Haha, dreams can be so random sometimes. Kevin from the office with a straw hat and muumuu made me laugh!