The Little Things No. 58

And just like that, it is winter. We had our first big snow after Thanksgiving and the snow has actually stuck around. I got a snow day off from work, and it felt like Christmas this past weekend at the Bethlehem Christmas Festival. I usually post my “The Little Things” blogs on the last Friday of every month, but this was a busy one with Thanksgiving and trying to finish editing client photos before the holidays.

We have some big news; two and a half weeks ago we brought a new kitten into our home. My brother-in-law’s cat had kittens, and Matthew was visiting in November. We waited until the kitten was twelve weeks old and Matthew brought him home on the plane. We weren’t sure how it would change the dynamics with our dear Madeleine and Monet, but it has gone smoother than we hoped. As you can imagine, our sweet girl was not excited to have another cat in the house, but she is already over it. It took her nine months to forgive me for bringing Monet home and thirteen months for her to accept him. In less than two weeks she was back to her usual self.

Monet on the other hand, was instantly delighted. The kitten belongs to him. It’s not our kitten, it is Monet’s kitten. Right away he started licking Michelangelo’s little orange head and they started to play within an hour of meeting. Michelangelo tries to nurse from Monet still (he hasn’t yet figured that out), but Monet loves the cuddles. However, by the end of week one, Monet was exhausted and we found him hiding from the kitten on numerous occasions to get some extra rest.

We didn’t intend to go with another “M” name or even an artist’s name for that matter. I first thought Oliver because of Oliver and Company. He came with the name “Rex,” and he really isn’t a Rex. I said “Michelangelo” as a joke and Matthew loved it. Then I had to admit it was rather cute too. I just bought him a mini stocking the other day with an “M” on the front to go with Madeleine and Monet’s. You are now forewarned that most of my monthly recap photos for November are of the kitten.

This month, I’m trying to dress up a little bit more. I love dresses and dressing up, but once the cold weather hits, I am a wimp. It’s leggings and oversized sweaters all winter long. On this particular morning, I wore a cozy cardigan with a long skirt, and I added tights later. I bought a pair of Noosh winter tights as a warm layer.

Matthew surprised me with an electric fireplace for the tearoom! It has a heater that can heat the whole room. If you didn’t know, this is an addition to the back of the house we are renting. It has cement floors, and it took a lot of work to make it look pretty. While there are a couple electrical outlets, it is not connected to any heat. It’s a glammed up shed and as much as I love the space we created, it was far too cold in late autumn through mid-spring to use it. With the heater I can now use the room in winter. On days where it is absolutely freezing in the single digits or below, it struggles to keep the room warm, but it does a good job when it is just cold outside.

I love that it looks like a real fireplace with a pretty flame and a mantle. I’m looking for the perfect art piece to hang above it. With the new curtains hung and the fireplace, the room feels extra cozy.

In mid-November we went to see Hamilton at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford and it was an incredible show! We went with my dad and his girlfriend and had the absolute best time.

And once again, the aurora came, but it was cloudy! Every time it comes to Connecticut we have a very cloudy night that blocks the view. Matthew LOVES the auroras, so it is always upsetting that we don’t get to see the whole thing. Once day I’m going to have to take him to Norway or someplace to see it.

Our sweet Madeleine.

In November I visited the local middle school to talk to all of the kids about the library, our teen room and the programs we have. Some of the 6th graders remembered me from Storytime in the spring when their 5th grade class would visit the library. One boy ran right up to me, “I’ve missed you!” he said. “I missed you too. I still work at the library and you can visit whenever you’d like.” It was really cute.

Michelangelo’s first day and he already had a friend in Monet.

Storytime at the library.

Pumpkin muffins.

Michelangelo being adorable on Thanksgiving morning.

Matthew was sick on Thanksgiving and missed out on the family celebration. The day after, I made him a cozy mini-Thanksgiving meal with Turkey en croute (turkey breast wrapped in stuffing and puff pastry), cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, broccoli, mashed potatoes and leftover pie for dessert.

Madeleine has been letting him sleep next to her!

Michelangelo’s first snow.

With the stress of the end of the year photo season and busyness at work, it’s hard to slow down and appreciate the little things. I’m doing my best to live in the present. The kitten certainly helps with that. He has already brought us all so much joy.

I hope that you had a lovely November and have an even more beautiful December.