Hi, pals! Here’s my life for the past few days in short:
A funeral, a wedding, a novel, and a new setup for our apartment. Lots of changes this week. I’m feeling as great as I can about all of them!
My Grandfather’s funeral was sad, as funerals always are, but it left me with a good feeling after all was said and done. He lived for 95 happy years, and died at home in his own bed with his family around him. I heard stories about him at the reading that I hadn’t heard before, and was able to, for the first time, envision my Dad as a child looking up to his own Dad. I rarely get to see my paternal side of the family, so I was glad to share time with them once again. It turns out that a few of them have summer homes not too far away from Portland, and I do so hope to visit once the season starts back up again.
While in Massachusetts, Ryan and I drove to my maternal Grandparents’ old house. The one where my Mom was raised and where my fondness for Thanksgiving was fostered. We walked around the block just like my cousins and I used to do every year after our meal had settled in a bit. And it was truly the most comforting feeling to be back there again. A man pushing a stroller passed by us as we stood outside the house and I pointed at each window telling Ryan what was behind it. Half-way around the other side of the block we passed the man again. He called ahead to us as soon as he saw us and said, “Good news, bad news, or just killing time?” My immediate response was “Just enjoying the New England Autumn in my Grandparents’ old neighborhood”. But in retrospect I realize that all three of his options were correct.
Then came the wedding. That, too, went as well as it possibly could. The ceremony was ideal. A small stone chapel nestled under fiery trees. A hysterically funny couple whose wedding vows were sweet and sentimental while also being so funny that we in the audience were in stitches several times. At the reception we danced and danced until we were ready to collapse with great big smiles on our faces, and we spent the rest of the weekend with Ryan’s best friend, his wife, and their charming little daughter, Emily, who has always held a soft spot in our hearts. We were lucky enough to take her trick-or-treating this year, too.
We came home to begin our novels for National Novel Writing Month, and both Ryan and I are off to a flying start! Our fingertips are unstoppable these past few days and we’re both so far ahead of ourselves (knock on wood that we stay ahead)! I’m really excited about my characters, plot and themes. It feels good to write, and it’s coming so easily for me this year! I’ve been typing away like mad and never feel the urge to stop!
As for the new home decor, we have so many books and not enough bookcases so I filled our fireplace with a wall of them (don’t worry, the fireplace is no longer functional). They’re packed in there so tightly that I think even if you removed one the rest would stay. I know we’ll be testing that out at some point! The bride and groom allowed us to take home their quaint little center pieces (the lantern, candle, etc. pictured above), which goes perfectly with our autumn decor and new curtains (yay!) which I’ll show you soon in another post. We bought the chair on a whim from an antique shop around the corner from our house. It was sitting out there so cold and lonely on the sidewalk, and there was an empty corner in our living room from moving the dining room table around. It adds a real grown-up feel to the place, and Atlas enthusiastically approves.
I’ll most likely post again tomorrow about our new drapes. Have a lovely night, friends 
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