Hodgepodge November

I've been wanting to participate in the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side Of The Pond for months.  Every Tuesday Joyce posts seven random questions, with a link-up the next day.  I'm late as usual...

--Besides Thanksgiving, something you're looking forward to on your November calendar?  Actually, I'm excited that there's a whole lot of nothing on my calendar this month.  We're between sports seasons for T, and we have no November travel plans for the first time in years.  I'm hoping to get organized for Christmas and catch up on life.

--If I gave you a thank you card right now, who would you send it to and why?  My sister.  She's been my right hand helping take care of mom, and I couldn't do it without her. I'm pretty sure I've called her 50 ga-gillion times to vent, and she's always there to rescue me when I'm about to lose my mind.

--Of the breads listed, which one's your favorite...bagel, cinnamon, sourdough, garlic, banana, biscuit, pita, Naan, or plain old fashioned white bread?  I plead the 5th.  As far as I'm concerned, bread is a food group, and they're all delicious.

--What's something you have in abundance?  Is that a good thing?  Teenagers. They're everywhere.  Our house has always been the gathering place, but now that senior year has rolled around, they seem to be here all. the. time.  Eating, sleeping on the couch, playing video games, hanging out.  I think they realize that their time together is getting short.  But it's all good, because they're a great group of kids, and I enjoy their enthusiasm and sense of humor. I just need a bigger food budget.

--November 5th was National Love Your Red Hair Day.  Are there any redheads in your family?  Who's your favorite redhead?  There are many redheads in my family tree, so I don't know why it never occurred to me that I might have one someday.  This guy was born with red hair and a personality to match. And I wouldn't change a single thing about him.  He will always be my favorite redhead!

--The travel website Busbud recently calculated the most Instagrammed spot in every state.  Go here to see what made the list where you live.  Are you happy with your state's #1?  Have you snapped a photo there?  Yep, and yep.  What's more Washington than the Space Needle?  Except maybe rain, but that's kind of boring to photograph.

--What's something you've learned about yourself this year that you're grateful for? Veeeeerrrrryyyy slowly I'm discovering that I'll be okay when the boys fly the nest next fall. The steps are tentative, and I start to feel a little panicky if I think about it too much. But I'm working on me and what I'll do with myself when the day comes.

--Random thought?  As a time tested veteran of the world of retail, I've written before about my dislike of the craziness that is Black Friday.  I was very happy to learn that REI, a locally based sporting goods store, would be closing all their locations on November 27th so that employees could enjoy time with family.  You can read about their #OptOutside campaign here.  We'll be doing this instead of shopping...

Have a wonderful weekend!