A difficult week has come to an end for me, and now it’s time to focus on upcoming events like Hershey, Thanksgiving, and my week off when I’ll do my Christmas shopping. I battled through despair and discouragement, feeling sad for my friends, and even considered deactivating my Facebook and Instagram accounts. I’ll keep my social media but plan to do a major house cleaning at some point. My mood has changed for the better. Finally, I will fight for my friends if I need to. Despite the doom and gloom that has cast a pall over the whole week, I learned a few things along the way.
- We’re in this together.
- Be the change you want to be.
- Bury yourself in other things you enjoy. For me that’s my books and this blog.
- Check up on your family and friends and also, check up on you.
- The worst three days are over (the day before, the day of, and the day after).
- Be in control of your own life. Don’t let anyone or anything else take your energy.
Saturday, Cutie’s Coffee Company kicked off its holiday menu launch. Since I was off Friday night and not asleep the next morning, I decided to come on down and try one of the drinks I saw on their Facebook page. When I got there at 9:30, there was already a line forming. I ordered a chestnut praline latte (hot) since it was chilly outside. I then took it home and drank it while working on Friday’s post. I’ll be back midweek (Wednesday or Thursday) and I’m thinking something peppermint or gingerbread. Safe to say, they’ll be my go to stop for great holiday coffee. However, I will hit up other local cafes as well to try their feature drinks.
It was a perfect weekend for chili with cooler weather and rain, especially on Sunday. Also a great weekend to stay inside, stay home, and watch some good football. The Steelers win over Washington mirrored how my week went. Just as they fell behind and eventually pulled out the win, so did I. The three days around the election brought their own share of stress. After the election was over, I was buried by the uncertainty of what may be to come. It sucks when you’re told what you need to hear sometimes.
Yes, we had chili this weekend (on Saturday night) and it was good.
Back to sports though, as both NFL teams from Pennsylvania were successful on Sunday. The Steelers came back to win while Philadelphia coasted to victory over Dallas. In the end, I also pulled out of the hole I was in and found my way to success.
Today is Veterans Day. So, a big shoutout today for all of those who served and who protect our freedoms for us. My dad served in the late 70s. Both of my grandfathers served during major wars (World War II and Korea). If you’re out today and see someone who served, thank that veteran for their bravery and their service.
Last year on Veterans Day weekend, I started my Christmas music season by listening to WISH 99.7’s holiday preview. It came in handy while driving to Ligonier on my Sunday off. With the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert coming up the following weekend, I’m busy getting into concert mode. Last year, I discovered the Carpenters Christmas album and enjoyed it. It was a good listen and I heard some of the songs on the radio over past holiday seasons. As for the concert, this will be the second time I’ve seen them in concert. I saw them in 2019 in Pittsburgh just before Christmas (and COVID).
Other Christmas albums I enjoy include Charlie Brown Christmas, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, and Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas albums. “The Christmas Waltz” by Frank Sinatra was my Gramma Gaffron’s all time favorite Christmas song so anytime I hear it, I’m always reminded of her and the Endless Gaffron Christmases we spent as a family.
Finally, this weekend was a perfect one to do some rearranging in lieu of getting ready for the holidays. That and swapping Summer clothes for Fall and Winter that I took my time doing. I have easy access to my sweaters now, once the weather finally cools down. I still want to buy a few coats though. The rain was much needed to put a dent in the deficit we’ve had this year, and that unsettled weather was the needed motivation to get some housework done this weekend.
We’ve got Christmas on our minds here at home and in just a few weeks we’ll be digging it out of the attic. Mom’s getting her list ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking. Light up night was Friday night at Westmoreland Mall.
The holidays are coming.
Stylish 🍒 