Thriving in November

Rose Garden

My goal this year is to thrive each month.  To that end, here's my review of November, which is, usually, my favorite month of the year! 

Spiritual:

In November, my spirituality included daily prayers, meditations, and practicing non-attachment by letting go of certain items to which I was attached.  I also called the monks at the Temple and set a date for my almsgiving, which will take place in December and I made a donation, through the Temple, to the Sri Lankan flood victims' relief fund.  I consider the spiritual part of my life to be thriving.

Daughter:

In November, daughter accompanied me to the Descanso botanical gardens and quite spoiled me with presents and meals to celebrate my 70th birthday.  I am glad I was able to celebrate both my birthday and Thanksgiving with my daughter.

She accompanied me to my dental appointments for moral support and to drive me home, afterwards, if needed, (which she did on the second visit) and she went with me to take Dancer to his vet's appointment and kept him from getting too anxious about the drive there and back.  

We've spent some time doing crafts together, which has been fun.

She has also badgered me into letting her assume responsibility for paying for the utilities, since she still has her job and no longer has to pay rent for her apartment.  

I can honestly say that my relationship with my daughter is thriving.

Health & Well Being:

In November, I had two appointments with the dental hygienist, an appointment with the dermatologist, and did some lab tests prior to an upcoming doctor's appointment.  Daughter helped me to set up an online account to access the lab test results (I used to wait until I got to the doctor's office and request a print out); there were some test results that were out of the normal range, but most of them were within range and my A1c level stayed the same.  

Family, Friends, & Community:

Social interactions in November consisted mostly of phone calls, emails, and texts with family and friends.  Various family members and friends called or emailed or texted and wished me for my birthday and some sent cards.

 

In person visits included Neighbor S coming over to bring us some food and daughter's friends coming over to afternoon tea.

I invited my late friend A's family to Thanksgiving dinner, but, they had made other plans and weren't able to accept my invitation.  While I was disappointed, it worked out for the best as daughter was recovering from a migraine headache and she was able to relax without having to entertain company.

We also supported a small business in my local community by ordering my birthday meal from a local restaurant.  

I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in November.

Finances:

November expenses included paying my property taxes, dental bills, and Dancer's vet bills.  However, daughter taking over the responsibility for the utility bills is a big help.  I was able to keep my finances maintained in November.  

I think I am managing well where finances are concerned.  

Time Management:

Time management continues to be a work in progress and there is definitely room for improvement!  However, important tasks such as paying bills and attending medical appointments have been done on time and I have taken some time for fun activities and crafting, etc., so, I am happy.   

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

In November leisure/hobbies/crafting activities consisted of a visit to the botanical garden which was wonderful, doing crafting projects with my daughter, and knitting.  I also participated in November's monthly photo challenge, which I enjoy. 

I am going to say that I thrived in this area of my life.

House:

In November daughter helped me with housework, doing the vacuuming regularly (even though she doesn't enjoy vacuuming) and tidying the place before her friends came to the tea party she hosted.

I decorated the house very minimally for Thanksgiving putting up just one decoration I had made several years ago.  So, it was very easy to undecorate afterwards.  

We still need to declutter the kitchen and I want to do some additional renovations (paint the family room, repair some water damage in one of the bathrooms, get some new drapes in the living room, etc.), but, in the meantime, the house is being maintained and I think I'm making good progress in this area of my life.

Garden:

The garden continued to thrive in November.  M continues to tend to the garden and he and my daughter set up her raised garden and planted some herbs.  We had some much needed rain in November and the garden plants were happy.

Over all, November was a good month.  There is room for improvement, as always, but, for the most part, I can say that I thrived in November

I'm looking forward to thriving in December, too.

I hope that November was a good month for you, too.