November

I know we only just started it, but November feels like kind of a weird month.

The time change happened which means we're suddenly dealing with a whole lot of darkness in our (well most of our) waking hours.

And the chill that was hinted at in September and started to join us in October is fully un-ignorable now, plus the leaves are still clinging while also covering the sidewalks and getting soaked with rain and so there's no more chance it's not going to be fully Winter soon.  

I will blame it on our following of American trends, but it's now that forced push of Christmas, with a small pause for Remembrance day and hey BLACK FRIDAY SALES because consume consume consume.  Sigh.

I don't have the money to do Christmas gifts this year and my nieces are all at an age now where it's not easy to find toys or games or books anyway.  (And I don't really want to just give money as some suggest, plus, hey, I don't have the extra anyway.)  And I am going to try really really hard not to hate the next few months but the stores and the rest of the consumer world really doesn't let me get through November as "just another month" and so it's this strange month that sort of snuck up and should be a solemn, quiet month of transition and remembrance but ends up feeling like a holding spot for the spendathon and decoration carol arguing over what to say month....

Did I just grump out loud?  Apparently.  Sorry 'bout that.  Let's blame it on the time change, eh?