November Feels

Can you believe it’s November already?  Where has this year gone?  In a whir of a new reality of a Covid-19 world is where!  It’s certainly been a year like no other hasn’t it?  Putting Covid aside for now though, did you realise that every month of the year kind of holds a certain feeling and expectation from us. 

What are your November feels?  

November feels for me are …

• Jacaranda trees in bloom.  In November, Brisbane is awash in the purple haze of beautiful Jacaranda trees in bloom. Footpaths and yards become carpets of purple and lavender.  Generally this blooming is from late October through to late November but has been known to start earlier some years.  For most of us it reminds us it’s ‘exam time’, or at least it was when we were at school and/or university.  There is a saying “As Jacarandas bloom, exams start soon”. There is also the ominous warning about blooming Jacarandas and heavy grey skies meaning it’s too late for uni students to open their books and start studying. Apparently, superstition holds that if a Jacaranda bloom falls on a student’s head, they will fail exams.  

Jacarandas in bloom on a fine blue skied and sunny day (stock image from Unsplash by Tim Cooper)

Jacaranda Trees in bloom on a rainy day in Brisbane with storms building (photo by Min).

• My Dad’s birthday on 1 November.  Sadly, Dad is no longer with us, but we all still mark the occasion of his birthday in our own ways.  This year was a special one as he would’ve turned 90.  Mum and one of my sisters were at Noosa and had a sunset dinner at a restaurant on the beach to celebrate.  Myself and a sister went out to visit Dad and then had lunch at his local tavern.  There were so many signs that day from Dad that we knew he was with us.

Cheers to Dad on what would be his 90th birthday

• 1 November was also my parent’s in-law (Alan & Betty) wedding anniversary.  This year would’ve been their 73rd!!

• Summer’s coming!  It starts to get hotter and the storm season starts.  Summer doesn’t officially start until 1 December but we all know it gets hot and summery before that here in Brisbane.  This year the storms have started early!

• My Twin’s Birthday!  They were born on 19 November 1992, so this year they will be 28.  That is the age I was when I had them!  How can this be? 

• Christmas is near.  It creeps up on us out of nowhere doesn’t it?  To be honest, I find I can get quite stressed at this time of year.  All those gifts to buy (what to get?) and trying to equally balance myself between two families and so on.  I must admit though that this time of year is a lot easier now I don’t have kids in school.  When I was not only working full time but also juggling three schools with all their end of year activities, it was very full on!  In 2014 I wrote about a phenomenon called ‘Endofyearitis‘.  In 2016 I wrote ‘Tips for Managing Christmas Season Stress‘ and ‘Let’s all go on a mind holiday‘.  Clearly it’s a running theme for me at this time of year.  I’d very much like a little holiday away right now!

And so there you go, that’s a wrap up of what November feels are for me.  Before we know it, it will be December and I don’t mean to alarm you but did you know it’s only 7 weeks till Christmas!  Time for me to have a refresh read of Tips for Managing Christmas Season Stress, and to both chillax and get a bit organised.

Are your November feels similar to mine?  Got anything to add?  Are you ready for the silly season ahead?

Ciao for now,