I'm so so happy to say hello to November. The weight of the long, hot summer (and fall) has lifted, and I'm glad the election is almost over. We are opening doors and windows, spending time outside, and I don't mind the early Christmas decor that has already popped up at the stores.

A few life updates to share...one is hard, one is good, and one is exciting.

In hard things lately, my dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she did a beautiful job sharing honestly on our podcast about what she is going through. If you are over 40, please make sure to get your mammogram screenings. If you have a higher risk of breast cancer you may need a screening before 40.

I had my first mammogram recently and it was less uncomfortable than I expected it to be. Also, know that if you have dense breast tissue, which is very common, you might have to do a follow up ultrasound, but the presence of dense breast tissue is not cause for concern. I had this myself and was glad some girl friends had told me that a follow up screening is fairly common. Everything checked out for me at my follow up.

In good things lately I'm noticing that each of the kids is in a great place. I think some real golden years as a family are upon us. Each of the kids has grown and matured so much over the past year. A year ago, parenting still felt so challenging most days. There were big and sometimes overwhelming emotions from the kids, and weekends often felt exhausting. Within the past month I've noticed Maeve starting to play independently sometimes – this is something she has never done! In case you were wondering why weekends can feel so long. Mornings aren't rife with Maeve's meltdowns any more and often are – usually – really pleasant. Overall the boys bicker less and are more understanding and respectful. I've had some really sweet moments with the boys lately and love feeling so close to them even as they are getting close to being teenagers.

In exciting news, I've been hired to teach an online class in technical writing and communication this spring at Arizona State University (my former employer and also where Chris works)! Trying my hand at being a faculty associate is something I've thought about for awhile and I'm really proud of myself for the work I put in to pursue the opportunity. I love having a diverse work portfolio and I'm excited to add this to the mix.

And that's where life is right now. Beautiful things. Anxious things. Good things, and hard things. The older I get the more I see that this is the tapestry of life.

Big things happening in November:

+ Election Day. It's also my mom's 70th birthday today - happy birthday, Mom!

What will the American people – and our Electoral College system – decide? (Wondering why the heck we still have an Electoral College system? This episode of Radiolab was fascinating, if not a bit depressing.)

To help me find perspective in this anxious time I have relied on thoughtful podcast episodes from Pantsuit Politics (including their premium Substack content which is fantastic), essays from Sharon McMahon, and content from Ezra Klein. It brings me comfort to know that all of these voices will be processing the election along with me. Also, all the SNL skits lately about the election have been great. It feels good to laugh about some of the dynamics and personalities on both sides and I highly recommend it. I've been trying to think back to what I felt like, and what the political landscape felt like, before the 2020 and the 2016 election. I think like many people I am grasping  to find clues to what will happen and to calm my anxious mind. I am cautiously optimistic for Kamala Harris to win, but I feel very much in limbo with my emotions.

+ Sports end for the fall season. The boys have had great soccer and basketball seasons, and they both end on Saturday. Our weeks will have so much more free time! I'm looking forward to that time opening up just as holiday fun and busyness ramps up.

+ Our dear friends move to Tucson!! In a surprising and wonderful turn of events, our dear friends are moving from Portland to Tucson this month! I'm excited to visit them this month, and to find our rhythm of visiting back and forth.

+ Thanksgiving! My sister- and brother-in-law will host us all at their lovely home, and I'm looking forward to cooking.

November goals:

+ Launch Your Year to Shine 2025. I'll be offering my goal setting workshop, Your Year to Shine, again for 2025. More details soon! I'm excited for the new content format of podcast episodes, the expanded workbook, and to offer quarterly check-ins.

+ Plan for the holidays. Chris and I started a conversation about Christmas, how we'd do gifts, and a budget. Holiday planning will also include my birthday and Cedric's birthday.

+ Go for a short walk on my work days. Now that the weather is nice, I'm bringing back my short (10 minutes) mid-day walks.

+ Photos catch up. I need to update my shared photo album to share the latest pics of the kids with family, and I need to update my Blurb photo book. I've been working on it throughout the year so that it's not such a big project at the end of the year. It's a project I love.

+ Decide which remaining goals from my 2024 list I can tackle! Creating two gallery walls and collaborating with Chris on a home decor project are giving me the side eye, and are ones I really want to do! Perhaps I can combine them and get a two-for-one.

And that’s it! I’ve been signed off the news since Monday evening and will stay in my calm, zen center until Wednesday morning. Wishing my fellow Americans, and everyone watching from abroad, a good election night!

Happy November, friends!