For the FOURTH (gasp!) year in a row, I’m joining San and an intrepid group of bloggers for National Blog Posting Month- 30 posts in 30 days. LET’S DO THIS!
This year November 1st coincides with the Ultimate Coffee Date, hosted by Coco and Deborah. Pour yourself a delicious holiday beverage and let’s chat about the month.
Last year I had a theme for NaBloPoMo (which then became my theme for 2024)- “Every Day Counts.” The older I get, the more I’m aware that every single one of us has a finite number of days. I don’t want to throw or wish any of them away. We really don’t know what will happen tomorrow- all we have, truly, is this day, right now. Let’s make the most of it!
This year I want to continue the theme. What makes each day special, and distinct from the others? A blog post every day is the perfect way to explore that question.
But, isn’t it a lot of work? Well… yes, it is. It’s not just writing the blog posts, but reading and commenting on all the other posts by NaBloPoMo participants. This is a time consuming, but very valuable, part of NaBloPoMo for me. It’s all about connection with the community. Every November, I’ve given up reading books for the month in order to keep up the blogging schedule. (This is truly a bummer, and this year I’m going to try and read AT LEAST ONE BOOK in November.)
So, the days will be full. Sometimes it’s hard to fit it all in, but in the end it’s rewarding. What if all we did was go to work, and didn’t work out, blog, read, or do any of our favorite hobbies? What if we didn’t have kids or pets? Think how much free time we’d have! But think how empty and sad our lives would be. Full days= a full life.
In addition to NaBloPoMo, here are some things I’m looking forward to in November:
- Turning the FRICKIN CLOCKS BACK. I’m sure you’re looking forward to this as well, just so you don’t have to hear me talk about it anymore.
- Watching the NYC marathon on TV! Good luck Darlene!
- A trail race on November 9th. More about this coming up soon!
- Our high school football team is- hopefully- heading to the playoffs. We’ll have games every Friday night until we lose (or, win state!)
- My son will be home for a week at Thanksgiving!!! He goes to school in Texas, and it’s too far away for us to go visit him or for him to come home, other than holidays. August-Thanksgiving is our longest stretch without seeing him.
What are you looking forward to this month?
40 Responses
This thing about the clocks made me laugh: “I’m sure you’re looking forward to this as well, just so you don’t have to hear me talk about it anymore.”
Best wishes for Nablopomo–the volume of blogs you have to read and comment on sounds intense!
Thanks Maya! I love it, but it will be a lot of work. All worth it though!
Love this: Full days= a full life.
What a simple, but typically accurate, description of life!
I’m so glad your son will be home for a whole week. I’m sure it will be a special time.
I like getting the extra hour of sleep, but feel like the clocks changing always is such a hassle overall. Everything feels off kilter for weeks and I tend to get pretty grumpy about it all. So I’m glad to hear someone enjoys DST!
I like turning the clocks BACK- but not forward. That one makes me grumpy.
Full days are full of memories and memories make a life.
Looking forward diving back into your live and how you make your days count after I have neglected coming by regularly.
I have that book on my TBR too. I have read another one by him and did like it. Thinking of it I should put that one on my spooky reading list.
Yes, Tobia, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with you as well! We’re old NaBloPoMo buddies!
I’m new to your blog but read back on a few posts today. Wishing you good luck with the trail run try and the blog challenge! Wish me luck too, I am late in deciding to join but will give it a try forthe very first time!
*scared dance*
Hi Hannah! Welcome! And, good luck with NaBloPoMo. Don’t be scared- you can do it!!!
Thanks.
I’m looking forward to
That race and other fun things that weekend.
A fun gathering with tennis.
Thanksgiving with family members
Annual turkey trot.
November is a busy month.
I know, it seems like EVERYTHING happens in November. It’s all fun stuff though.
I decided not to do NaBloPoMo but I’ll try to remember to check for your posts, and maybe read others when I can.
I’m looking forward to the election being over — and hope it is by Thanksgiving when I will be hosting family from the other side of the great divide.
I hope your trail race goes well!
My prediction is that this election will be over quicker than we think- it won’t be drawn out too long. But we’ll see. I’ll also be glad when it’s over, unless things don’t go our way. Then I’ll be sad and depressed.
I think you’re going to have to have a “No Politics Thanksgiving” policy!!!
Your race is coming up so soon! I can’t wait to hear more about it!
I’m looking forward to the cooler weather — we have 60s and 70s in the forecast for the next week, which is a huge change from last weekend when it was in the 90s. And I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving — being with my family and having 4 days off from work!
I know- my son reports that his weather is cooling down, and his is similar to yours. I’m also looking forward to cooler weather, but ours isn’t as nice as yours (yet.)
YES I AM HERE FOR THE TIME CHANGE!!! I want the extra hour of sleep this weekend, and I want the morning light back. Right now that seems like more than a fair trade off for having to walk the dog in the dark at night.
Here’s what I’ve got for November:
– Sitting back and enjoying the NaBloPo goods
– A fun trip for Boy Scout camp weekend (new state, capitol building tour, and if the weather cooperates there will be a hiking bender)
– My favorite holiday
Not a bad month!
My feeling is- nights are SUPPOSED to be dark. Mornings are not. Getting up in the dark, doing my entire run in the dark, and driving my daughter to school in the dark is just WRONG.
November is always a busy month! Like you, the past few years have reminded me just how important everyday is and taking a few moments to appreciate that. Look forward to reading your posts this month. I also love to have everyone home together which doesn’t happen so much anymore
Thanks Deborah! It’s hard having the kids leave, but the upside is that having them come home again is a joyous occasion.
I really enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind when I read it years ago and I am looking forward to hearing what you think! I am doing NaBloPoMo too, for the first time, and part of the reason I never did it is not that I can’t come up with 30 posts, but all of the other parts of it that are involved (commenting etc.) Also, I am very loyal to my regular bloggers and would hate to shirk on being there for them if they are not part of the challenge!! We shall see how it goes. I am totally looking forward to clocks back and would much rather have morning light than evening light. I guess that is a runner thing?
I definitely think runners are the main group that appreciate lighter mornings! I’m glad you’re doing NaBloPoMo this year. : )
This month I have scheduled a day off in the middle of the month. I haven’t scheduled any appointments on that day. I have no agenda for that day. WHAT WILL I DO? Maybe I’ll go to an art museum. Maybe I’ll just sit on the couch and stare off in the middle distance. Maybe I’ll nap in my own bed in the middle of the afternoon and sprawl across the ENTIRE bed. The possibilities are endless. I’m really looking forward to that.
Ooh! I love it. I can’t wait to hear all about this day.
I love your idea of full days = a full life! So true!
I love writing but I’m not good at it even if I want to be, and put too much pressure on myself so posting every day would be totally overwhelming! I’m impressed with all you people joining NaBloPoMo.
November is such an in-between month here, the month of dull before December with all its festivities comes. But I’m looking forward to more walking and a happier right foot!
I think having Thanksgiving in November here makes it a festive month. I can see how, if we didn’t have that holiday, this month would just seem like a stepping stone to Christmas.
Hooray for Paul being home for a week!! I am sure that will be the highlight of the month among lots of other things!
I’m excited for Thanksgiving. Taco’s birthday is very close to Thanksgiving (12/3) so we will celebrate his bday with family the day after Thanksgiving so it will make it an extra exciting month! I’m also looking forward to running a 10k on Thanksgiving.
Having my son home will definitely be a highlight of the month. Btw my son’s birthday is 12/8, not far from Taco’s!
Happy NaBloPoMo, Jenny! I can’t wait to read along (and support through comments – I’m trying to be the unofficial cheer squad and comment as much as I can all month, haha)! I am looking forward to Lil Momma wrapping up Elf the musical before Thanksgiving so we won’t be 7 days a week of activities anymore, making some late fall recipes now that we made it through Halloween, and, as the kids say (or at least MY kid) touching some grass and being a bit more present in my life. Hope you have a great weekend!
TOuching some grass? Ooh! How have I not heard that one before?
Lil Momma is in Elf? THat must be so cute!!! And, of course, time consuming. I can see how it will be nice to be done with that.
Having your son back home must be nice. I can’t even wrap my head around the idea that in 2.5 years I will be there, too.
I am the first one to complain never to have enough time but you are absolutely right about the busy life = full life, but if I now could only get my priorities straight 😉
I am looking forward to a visit from BIL and a trip to visit our friends in Las Vegas again for Thanksgiving.
I know Meike- I do have to remind myself busy=full=good when I’m tempted to complain.
Sounds like you have a fun month ahead!
Popping on to say I HATE THE TIME CHANGE SO FREAKING MUCH.
Oh no! Ha, well I know it can wreak havoc on sleep schedules. Turning the clocks back is the easy one, though.
I admire runners – I have little endurance, tried track and field when I was 12 years old and almost passed out at that age. I can still dance and do combat marathons in my 50s but running? I can barely walk (ask my kids, I’m a klutzI know it’s weird). Looking forward to reading your blog this month 🙂
One thing I love about blogging is reading the comment threads on blog posts, and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do a lot of that this month, which is making me sad already, so maybe I will do it when I can. I like the wisdom of full days=full life.
Having your son home for a whole week – so wonderful. I’m excited for you. I miss my kids when they are away at school. I probably see them more often than you see your college guy. Mini will be studying abroad next semester and I’m not used to be that far away from her. Her school is an hour 45 min from home.
Things I’m looking forward to in November: the start of Curly’s basketball season, although my expectations are so low. Last year they won 4th in state – first time in school’s history. The new coach isn’t holding anyone accountable and the girls are slacking off, not taking the team seriously. Curly is frustrated. Fingers crossed it’s not a horrible season. I’m also looking forward to a tailgate we’re hosting Nov. 9th. And – I’m excited to have all my people gather for Thanksgiving.
We are opposites on the time change: I hate this one and love the spring one. I just hate doing stuff in the dark, like driving, and I don’t think it should be pitch black at 6pm. (Or MUCH earlier for people in the Midwest!) But I am looking forward to having lighter mornings and the extra hour of sleep on Sunday will be nice.
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving! It falls on my birthday this year, which is always fun, and then a few days later, my mom and I will leave on a cruise!
Jenny, I couldn’t have said it better… full days, full life! This will be another busy month for me but I am embracing the chaos and I am so, so happy you’re embracing it too! This will be fun! 🙂 Thanks for being such a big NaBloPoMo cheerleader. And yes, I am very much looking forward to the extra hour of sleep this weekend.
Woo! exciting race coming! Can’t wait to hear more about it.
November: dua lipa concert next weekend and hopefully I hear outcome of my job search.
Yay! So much to look forward to! I love the “every day counts” sentiment. So true.
FYI there IS a Baylor Starbucks mug. I did the research for you. ; )
Thanks for stopping by my blog to say Hi, Jen. I love that you are trying to fill your days with positivity. It’s the only way to know you’ll have no regrets. So do it when you, while you can is my motto these days.
And wow, your 4th year? This is my first.