November is here and it’s time to sit down with Deborah, Coco and YOU for a little catch-up session over coffee as we speed toward the holidays. They arrive faster each year, don’t they? After prolonged warmth, cooler weather is finally here and I am all in for cozy season and the joy of the holidays.
All In For Cozy Season
Over coffee I’d ask about your Thanksgiving plans. We have 3 college freshmen in our extended family as well as our two daughters who will all be rolling in for Thanksgiving and I could not be more excited to have everyone together. While it is the in-law’s turn to host Thanksgiving dinner, I’m planning a little (ok maybe not so little) get-together as well.
Over coffee I’d ask how you feel about the latest marathon cheating scandal involving 2024 marathon “winner” Ruth Chepngetich. Doping is so common in endurance sports lately it’s hard to be excited when someone wins or sets a world record. I wonder if she has to return the prize money?
I’d also ask if you saw that the Cape Town Marathon was canceled 90 minutes before the start due to high winds. That had to be such a bummer, especially for all those who traveled great distances. It was also “on trial” to be a World Marathon Major race. Apparently they issued “provisional stars” to those who return to run in 2026. Since Cape Town will not yet be an official major in 2026, I’m not sure that was the right call. What do you think?
Over coffee I’d tell you I am so proud of myself for overcoming the inclination to procrastinate and getting all my annual medical/dental/vision appointments and tests done. I’m not sure why I loathe doing this every year but the struggle is real.
Over coffee I’d tell you I tried to winterize our outdoor spaces in stages this year so it wouldn’t be a giant task all at once. While that was partially successful, the final “shutdown” still felt like a ton of work, and I left a birdbath out there because birds were still using it. It will have to come in now that we’ve had frost.
What would you tell me over coffee? Are you good about getting those annual appointments done?
I entered the ballot for the Cape Town Marathon 2026 yesterday!
I’ve been waiting for it to become a Major, but I’m going for the provisional star before it blows up and fills with international runners in later years.
Sydney did the same with its provisional stars in 2024. I’m hoping Cape Town follows suit and sticks to its promise of converting the provisional to a permanent star.
thanks for the reminder… i haven’t done anything outdoors yet.
After all that training, I can’t imagine cancelling a marathon. I remember being in Vermont and it happened.
I am working on winterizing everything as well. Hopefully finish this weekend so I can start Thanksgiving prep and decorating. It’s my favorite season too and I love hosting but it’s a ton of work. It is great o have everyone home isn’t it!? Enjoy your family time!
I really felt bad for all of those Cape Town runners! I didn’t realize it’s on the list to potentially become a world major.
I admit I’ve been dragging me feet on the final shutdown of our outdoor spaces but I’ve promised myself to tackle it this weekend and get it done.
I don’t have much winterizing to do, but it’ll be happening tomorrow morning (the afternoon forecast is looking wet, and the overnight is looking…frosty …and white). I was able to get all my wellness “pillars”” knocked-out in the three months I’ve been at my new job (yay! That means a nice cash bonus and an extra day of PTO).
I bet it will be so nice to have everyone home for Thanksgiving. We haven’t made any plans, but I hope we end up having it with my son and his wife—maybe even at their place if they want to host.
We still have some sad tomato and basil plants that needs to be pulled out — I think that’s the only winterizing left for us to do.
I, too, loath those annual appointments so I hear you on that (I don’t skip them, just hate having to go to do it)! I’ve started, but still have quite a bit of fall cleanup left. Ugh!
I am awful about annual appointments, and I give you props for getting it done. I do have a dentist appointment in the next month and I’m already trying to come up with reasons to cancel it.
We don’t have to winterize much here. It seems like so much work!
I’m living in Calgary, Canada right now, and Thanksgiving has already taken place in October.
I have not heard of the marathon cheating scandal involving 2024 marathon “winner” Ruth Chepngetich, Marcia, so you’re actually the person that I get this news from.
Yes, Catrina notified me that the Cape Town Marathon was canceled 90 minutes before the start due to high winds.
I agree that winterizing your outdoor spaces now, given the current temperature, is better than winterizing them in December.
I was unwillingly frying in the sun on Sunday (hiking) but the last two days have gotten so much colder!
That sucks that the Cape Town Marathon got cancelled so close to wen it was about to start. :[
I love your deck space photo — it’s so pretty!