Life may not be entirely by design these days, but I am grateful for the cornerstones that ignite a joyful attitude in my soul – faith, family, friends, and interests. This past month was filled with reminders of all that goodness.
November Recap
I wrote three blog posts this month. That’s a lot for me, as I typically post one or two at most. The subject of Terri’s Sunday Stills (Leaf Peeping) and Cee’s birthday celebration compelled me to participate in two blog challenges. I am grateful to the folks who host blog challenges, as it is a big responsibility.
As we celebrated Cee on what would have been her 65th birthday, we mourned the passing of Trent McDonald, another blogger/friend who went before his time. I am reminded of the importance of legacy, and I am grateful for the gift of life. Read Natalie’s tribute to Trent here.
A week in Kentucky (the Bourbon Trail) was a highlight this month. I am grateful for all the beauty on this earth and the opportunity to witness so much of it, especially in the company of good friends.
We hosted friends visiting from Chicago and enjoyed our annual ‘catch-up.’ I am grateful for people who are far away but make an effort to maintain a constant presence in our lives.
We saw my friend Jeanne perform in ‘Gods of Comedy’ at our local playhouse. She made her acting debut two years ago at age 70 and is living proof that it’s never too late to realize a dream. I am grateful for a community that supports local theater and for Jeanne’s courage to pursue a new challenge.
I am grateful for hours of entertainment at the Mahjongg table with my friends. For the years of history among us, the secrets we share, and the encouragement we offer one another. I am thankful for hours of exercise and growing camaraderie among my new tennis team members. For the books I read each month, blog posts that stimulate my mind, or offer visual delight, I am grateful. To each of you who find your way here and continue to support my ramblings – I am grateful.
We attended our first-ever Friendsgiving in Chattanooga, TN. We are grateful for good friends who welcomed us into their home with kindness and generosity. Chattanooga is a ten-hour drive from our home in Florida. Of course, we turned it into a six-night road trip adventure, with fun stops along the way. Attending ‘Nights of Lights’ in the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, was a special highlight.
We are home now, on this last day of November, with more questions than answers – but nevertheless grateful. I will likely not post again until the beginning of the new year, when I will recap PATH, my WOTY for 2025. But I will continue to check in on your lives as often as possible. Wishing you all a festive holiday season filled with joy and good tidings….
Picture Retirement 
Suzanne, you have a lot to be thankful for! Wishing you a very happy holiday season!
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Hi Beth, we had a great month, and a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with friends. Absolutely nothing to complain about. I hope you had a wonderful turkey day.
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what a fun post and cheers to Jeanne for her acting and such wonderful reminder that good things are in store at any age.
My favorite takeaway, along with the wonderful photos, was your note about being “grateful for people who are far away but make an effort to maintain a constant presence in our lives”
Because I think we can sometimes overlook the effort some folks make when they visit – esp if they do it often – sometimes we forget the effort it takes them to make the visits happen.
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You are right about the effort it takes to make time for people when visiting. Our friends had a packed schedule and still accepted our dinner invitation. It made us feel like our friendship matters as much to them as it does to us. Jeanne’s performance in the play was such a nice surprise. I could tell how much she loves it. Have a beautiful week and thanks for visiting.
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My son made the drive to see us for Thanksgiving and I kept thanking him.
Others just saw him and felt used to his presence – but I knew he made the 8 hour drive here (and would then do it to go back home) so more than a few times I thanked him.
I also found a sale on “Siete” food snacks – and made him a good bag for the ride back.
And I am glad you included Jeanne’s story because it offers inspiration and hope that we can still pursue new things – that is cool to read
xxx
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I love how you keep busy in retirement, Suzanne! Your travel, clubs and fitness activities…what did we ever do when we worked? Enjoy December and thank you for joining my photo challenges when you can! I’ll have an end-of-year wrap up on January 4.
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Terri, I love your challenges, and I’ve already started writing my end-of-year wrap-up. I will definitely join you for that one. We leave for Paris on the 16th, so not a lot of time to think about much else. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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Aww, thank you so much, Suzanne! Wow, enjoy Paris! Bon voyage!
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That’s a lot to be grateful for Suzanne. Friendships aren’t always easy to maintain, but they are such a gift. Wishing you and yours a peaceful, happy festive season xx
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Thank you, Jo. Long-distance friendships are a blessing, but I wish they could all be close by. We pack a lot into a short time once or twice a year and then resort to text messages and phone calls. Somehow, we manage to pick up where we left off. Thanks for visiting. Wishing you a joyful December.
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Suzanne,
I echo Terri’s comments that you and Malcolm do not let grass grow under your feet and are always on the move. During the Thanksgiving season, as we list the things for which we are thankful, our health should always be at the top of the list. Keep movin’ girl! Have a blessed Christmas season, and fill us in as you develop your path for 2026. Joe
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Joe, we loved Chattanooga and can see why our friends fell in love with the city at first sight. We will certainly visit again, but I can’t see leaving sunny Florida. We talked a lot about that on the ride home – too set in our ways to make a big change.
I’m looking forward to Christmas with the kids and can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for all of us. Wishing you the best. Thanks for the visit.
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What a lovely recap of your busy month. There is so much to be grateful for but sometimes we forget to stop and appreciate the good. Friends and family are at the top of my list too. That’s a terrific picture of you in front of the blue lights!
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Hi Janis, November was satisfying in many ways, and I was reminded often of all that we have to be grateful for. This is the most settled I have felt in months. Maybe the universe is speaking…. Take care and have a beautiful week.
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If I don’t “see” before then, have a lovely Christmas and New Year!
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Jan, if you write it, I’ll ‘see’ you 🙂 Take care.
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Hi Suzanne – a lovely, thankful post – we certainly have a lot to be grateful for. When you described your Mahjong group I thought about my blogging community – all the encouragement – and a few secrets shared that don’t get discussed elsewhere – who’d have thought that online was more safe than IRL?! Enjoy your Christmas and New Year – I still have a few posts planned before I sign off in a couple of weeks’ time. Then on to a new WOTY! x
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Leanne, my online friends have become the standard measure for IRL friends in many ways – they’re supportive, non-judgmental, and good listeners :-). If those connections become messy or we lose interest, we simply withdraw quietly without pulling others into the mix. I wish RL could be that uncomplicated.
I haven’t given much thought to a new WOTY, but have already started recapping 2025 for the end-of-year post. WOW! What a roller coaster ride!
Have a wonderful December. Will you be hosting or traveling? Either way, I hope you have loved ones around for at least a part of the season. Take care.
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Good friends are so important. When I think about the happiest times of my life, they often include celebrations and friends. Which are tricky to come by or meet up with on our travels.
Good company seems to be a thread in your November – and throughout the year – just like regular trips away from home. I really like St. Augustine. It’s my favorite city in Florida.
My November was quite special as well, with a milestone birthday and a little splurge of a solo trip to a famous island and culture. 🙂
Happy holidays to you both and until next year!
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Liesbet, I can picture you and Mark moored in that beautiful marina at St. Augustine. It is the closest thing to a ‘European’ city we have in Florida. The narrow streets and Spanish influence are so inviting. I love it there too. The show of lights at Christmas rivals any European market and is the reason we visit this time of year.
I’m glad you had a special November and Happy belated Birthday!! It’s good to treat yourself. Wishing you well with your big life decisions and looking forward to your next update. Have a happy December. Hugs from your virtual friend…..
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I love mahjongg, Suzanne! We have a regular group here in our south Texas park. This is where I learned to play and I’ve since taught many of my family at home in Canada, so we can play all summer too!
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Terry, if we ever have the pleasure of meeting up, I’ll be sure to bring my Mahjongg card. The game has become big in Texas. I saw the other day that a group from there has developed a rival card and is marketing it aggressively. I might give it a try. It’s called The Big Card. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful December.
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That’s so interesting, Suzanne. I’ve not heard of the rival card. I’ll be sure to check it out. It would be fun to meet up for a game or two someday. Wishing you a fab December too!
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Hi Terry, you can find the new card here https://themahjongline.com/pages/the-big-card
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Glad you had such a wonderful November and hope that joy extends into December. Yes, friends or family who make an effort to visit is a special gift.
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Judy, I am looking forward to carrying the momentum of November into December. More months like that one, please! Wishing you joyful, stress-free holidays. Thanks for stopping by.
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I love your focus on gratitude Suzanne! And it’s great that you have such special friends in your life. I’d not come across the word Friendsgiving – do you simply mean spending your Thanksgiving holiday with friends?
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Friendsgiving is a popular alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast in the US. Typically, participants are a group of friends who don’t have family nearby, or a combination of friends and family. I’m not sure when it became a ‘thing.’ But it is pretty popular here, especially with so many snowbirds (another strange term) down for the winter. Snowbirds gathering for Friendsgiving!! There, I used them both in a sentence. Clear as mud, right?
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Friends and family, we are very grateful for them in the good times and especially when things aren’t going to well. You had a busy but memorable month. I’ve been wanting to go to St. Augustine to see the lights, they have been voted some of the best in the country. I enjoyed all your wonderful photos, thank you.
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Hi Karen, St. Augustine was a lot of fun. Parking was a challenge, but the lights were worth it. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful December.
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I simply adore how you turned a 10 hour road trip into a 6-night journey adventure! I’m so much a “it’s the destination” girl, I need to learn from you! Love the fall leaves pictures – I miss the color change of the upper midwest fall; our trip up to Cincinnati was too early for that.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season.
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Pat, with my insatiable wanderlust, I could turn a trip to the market into an adventure. 🙂 Seriously, just getting out of Florida takes hours, so it made sense to stop along the way. Jekyll Island, GA was another consideration. It was a tough decision. In the end, we went with St. Augustine because we found a cheap hotel! Have a wonderful December. I haven’t checked the weather on your side of the state lately, but ours has been tolerable. Finally…
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I really hope that someday I can travel as much as you, just for fun! Meanwhile, it sounds as if you had a great Thanksgiving!
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Ann, we don’t have any family obligations and are fairly healthy, so we are taking advantage of the time we have. We love exploring new places, and, of course, I’m always on the lookout for a beautiful landscape photo. Yes, Thanksgiving with our friends was wonderful, and we loved seeing their new home. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the holidays.
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Suzanne, I’m glad you had a lovely November. I’d love to see the lights in St Augustine. Thank you for the mention. I’m late to reply as I was away and just got back from France. Lots of beautiful Christmas decorations there also. Wishing you and your family a delightful holiday season.
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Natalie, I can’t wait to hear about your trip. We’ll be in Paris for Christmas. I’m sure those lights will top St. Augustine. However, those were pretty special. Thanks for stopping by.
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