What I Learned in November

It's been a newsy little month in my head, and I've learned a lot! I thought I would share with you some of the highlights! 

1. Lunaversaries is a much prettier word than monthaversaries.

My friend Michele taught me this one. Michele, I forget if you said you heard this on a podcast or read it in a book, but I did remember it! :) She found someone who also celebrates their wedding date each month, but this gentleman used the much more proper term of "lunaversary." How I wish I would have known it when we got married! Now I can't decide if I should switch for our second decade or keep my own word! Either way, we'll keep celebrating them. 

2. Private messages on Facebook spark more conversation than random birthday comments.

Facebook has been a rough place for me in the past couple of years. I enjoy reading, but some folks have made it really challenging for me to enjoy posting. Ahh, the passive-aggressive nature of the social media world, right? I even find it hard to post birthday greetings to others because I feel like a handful of people even use that against me. This month I tried sending those greetings in a private message rather than a public post, and what I learned is that people are often more likely to strike up a conversation privately than they are publicly. I had fun chatting with friends I hadn't talked to in a while!

3. Amish country in Ohio is extra beautiful, even in the winter months.

You might remember that earlier in the month, Ryan and I traveled to Holmes County, Ohio for Love INC training. That is Amish country, and I really didn't expect to be wowed by it, because we live in Amish country (Indiana) year-round. We see the horses and buggies, the laundry on the line, the big houses, the whole bit. I don't know if it was the addition of the hills or what, but it felt extra beautiful to me, even though winter had already hit the landscaping and all the trees were bare. It would be gorgeous to go back sometime in the fall, for sure!

4. A dialed-back Christmas is okay!

I shared our Christmas decor with you last week, and I have to say that I am quite satisfied with the outcome of this year's look. It's dialed back, because of the busyness of our year, but it's okay! It's a lesson I first learned the year we got married, and it is a great reminder for me this year!

5. Decorating with a dog's assistance is...interesting.

I was nervous about decorating with Lexi underfoot. She has FOMO to the fullest, and I feared she would try to eat everything or even knock over a tree. I did wait until Ryan was home to do the biggest trees, so he could help me keep an eye on her, and we had her sit during the ornament portion, but it went well. It definitely slowed me down to do my decorating with her there. I had a lot more considerations, but we got it done. And she's left the trees alone, for which I am so very thankful!

6. Cracker Barrel serves a limited menu on Thanksgiving.

Since we always have multiple family gatherings to attend on Thanksgiving, I've never paid much attention to Cracker Barrel's Thanksgiving offerings. But I learned this year that they don't serve a full menu on Thanksgiving. Did you know that? They do Thanksgiving food only. It makes sense. I'm sure it's much easier on all the staff. But I guess it will be out for me if I ever need it, since I don't eat Thanksgiving food! 

So that's what I learned this month. How about you?