Big Sweaters, Old Lady Couches, Lucy M. Montgomery

I'm a bit sad that November is ending because I have really enjoyed the month of gratefulness! As I sit here typing, there is a geriatric sweet old fat cat sitting on my lap purring. I would feel loved if it were not for my sweater. You see:

Twenty Eight: Big Chunky Sweaters

We are all in love with my big, long chunky sweater. My last week in NJ was super cold. I arrived to the NYC train station and was greeted by 22 degrees F which bit my bum with a cold crunch. I immediately took my frost bitten hiney to Marshalls and bought the longest and warmest sweater I could find. The Chef calls it my Queen Sweater. It is flowy. The cats and I both know it is a blanket that I can wear. This thing is miraculous. I can dress it up with boots and a skirt, or be totally lazy and feel like a baked potato wearing college sweatpants and the sweater. The kittens, especially Bentley, know that I will share it if they sit on me. Bentley's back hind legs hurt now that he is ancient so he knows that I will fold over a part of this sweater to tuck him in, and he will have not only a blanket but also some of my body heat.

Win win. And I get to pretend to believe that they are cuddling me with love and gratitude. As if a cat could ever be grateful.

Twenty Nine: Nanna Couches

They don't make X like they used to. Fill in the blank and you can say almost anything. They don't make toilets like they used to. They don't make suitcases like they used to. They don't make cars like they used to. They don't make children, hot chocolate, dentures, pens, curtains etc etc etc like they used to. And they definitely don't make couches like they used to. My significant other and I vowed not only to spend life together forever, till death, but also to do our part saving the planet. One of those things means buying used furniture. New furniture has so many chemicals in it that you can literally preserve yourself with the formaldehyde if you sit there long enough watching Top Chef. That is one way to stay forever young! So we have bought furniture for our new place at antique shops and estate sales. Let me tell you....estate sales are the best. People who retire and move to Florida, downsizers, the occasional death and rich folks redecorating all have estate sales. Estate sales are like garage sales but better: almost everything in the house gets sold. The national website we use is www.Estatesales.net. Usually furniture is 50% off on the last day. Not only do you get stylish stuff but it is also very well made and costs a fraction of new furniture. I'm grateful for the beautiful grandma couches we got. They are everything I hoped and dreamed of. They are both incredibly pretty and comfortable and make me feel like I am at grandma's house. One is green velvet and the other has this funky 1970's floral pattern in satin. It reminds me of this painting by Norman Rockwell. 

Thirty: Lucy

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite authors: Lucy M. Montgomery. The Anne of Green Gable books were some of my favorite. I never really accepted Anne marrying Gilbert. She became so boring after she did. However, I liked the stories of Anne's children and remember being heart broken when her son went to war and didn't come home. Lucy's books were some of my families favorite as well. My mom, brother and I have had long talks about people we know who are like  Mrs. Pringle. It is of no wonder that Lucy was such a good writer. She was Sagittarius and as we know, they are some of the most sensitive, creative and observant souls. So I am thankful for many a happy hour as a child and adult reading and living in Green Gables thanks to Lucy M. Montgomery.