Currently: November 2023
Thanksgiving, a hair reveal, and a controversial opinion about daylight savings time
November Recap
November was a really good month. We were given the gift of celebrating some dear friends who are expecting twins next year. We have spent time getting breakfast, dinner, and coffee with people we love. We decorated for Christmas! And Thanksgiving week consisted of lots of family time - watching Christmas movies, going on walks, and playing games.
Also this month, I gave my hair a GOOD chop. At first, I really did not like it, but it is starting to grow on me. Here’s some photos I took quickly as I typed this so that you could see how short it is!
Reading
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center - This was the first book I have read by this author, and after I finished it, I immediately went to the library to find another one of her books to read. So I think it is safe to say, I really enjoyed this book! I would say it is a general fiction book, as this book not only has aspects of family and romance but truly shares the feelings and inner thoughts of the main character, Sadie, as she goes through a hard season. This book encourages you to explore your own confirmation bias, humanity, and so much more. It might be one of my favorite reads of the year!
Listening
Talk Healthy to Me: Reignite Your Creativity - I thought this was such a fun and encouraging listen about creativity. In this episode, Brynley shares about her creativity cycle, how she prevents burnout, and the concept of having unique ideas. It really got me thinking, and I would love to learn more about creativity now!
That’s the Point: Sister Sister: Ashlyn Sailsbury Tells Us the Point - I LOVED the episode this month with Kristin’s sister Ashlyn. Her and her husband are Americans but lived in Copenhagen for the past 11 years while she was working as a Kindergarten teacher. Just recently, they moved to Spain with their two young children. I think she is so insightful, and I am always so inspired by their sense of adventure and willingness to jump head first into something new. If you are in the mood for a casual, chatty, European podcast episode, this is the one for you!
Build a Boat by Colton Dixon - Growing up, my Dad and I loved watching American Idol. I remember calling in on our old home phone to vote for my favorite singers. One of those people was this artist! I hadn’t listened to his music in years, but I recently came across this song and loved it. It is about building a boat in the middle of dry land, like Noah did in Genesis. It makes me wonder, what boat might God be asking you and I to build even when we have seen no rain or any evidence of something happening? Food for thought.
Check out past Currently newsletters here!
Watching
A Christmas Prince, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby - These movies have been on Netflix for a few years now, but I had never watched them. If you are looking for a couple hours of small country romance and snowy castle scenery, these are the movies for you!
Miracle on 34th Street (the 1994 version) - I watched this movie for the second time over Thanksgiving with my family, and I just think it is such a wholesome and lovely movie. It starts at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and lands in a court room trying to prove that Santa is real. If you have never seen it, I think it is definitely worth putting on your list for this season.
Doing
I mentioned this in my November recap, but I feel like this month has been full of spending time with friends and with family. Between covid, being post-grad, and being newly married, friendships have been hard and have changed so much. I feel like for a while I was lonely and very content being that way. But over the past few months, and especially this month, I have tried to prioritize and invest in friendships more. I am still by no means an expert, and I have a looooong ways to go. But I have found a lot of joy in finding and pouring into the right relationships.
Another thing I have been doing this month is embracing the early sunset by dimming the lights, getting cozy, and making a homemade dinner. I know most people aren’t, but I am actually a fan of daylight savings time. I think especially because I work more like a 7-3 instead of a 9-5, it just works better with my schedule. I hate driving to work in the dark, and I love a cozy night at home. So when daylight savings hits and it is light when I drive to work and starting to get dark shortly after I get home, that really is my dream. I would love to write something about my night routine as we trek deeper into winter because I know the darkness will get to me eventually. There are lots of habits and tricks I have learned to help me cope with the colder, darker months. But for now, I will just encourage you to find the good in the 6pm darkness.
Quote
I will leave you this week with a poem from my Pinterest board:
As always, thank you so much for being here! I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a beautiful Christmas season ahead. Talk to you next week!
Take care,
Caroline