So Jerry had suggested that on November 30th, we have another celebration of our anniversary. So as that day grew closer, I was giving thought to how we would spend the day. At first, we were going to go to an area event, but then as the forecast showed storms and the vegan event was outside, I nixed those plans.
Finally, we decided to go out for lunch and then watch some movies together. However, I was not quite up to heading out yesterday, all cuddling warm and comfy and not up to braving the storms and post Thanksgiving traffic of impatient shoppers. So he made me baked tilapia instead, which was better than most restaurants would have been serving anyway.
We watched "Yesterday", an excellent movie about a man who after an accident remembers things that have not occurred and don't exist in his new reality. Things like CocaCola, cigarettes, and the Beatles. There are some life lessons that he learns along the way, that are not drummed into us, the viewers, but are subtle in the way that life actually does occur.
Then after that, we watched "Mary Poppins Returns", which was delightful and even better than I had thought it could be. Emma Blunt is perfectly suited for Mary Poppins and delivers a solid performance, embodying all the characteristics we've come to associate with Mary Poppins. Spit spot!
Affinity, based on the novel by Sarah Waters, was next up. It does not have closed caption, so there were a few places I had to rewatch a scene or two so that I could be sure that I didn't miss anything that might be crucial later on. It is set in Victorian London, so there were a few things that my husband asked about, as customs are very different here and now. The movie was very good, but then again, I expected it to be: how can you go wrong with Sarah Waters?
I continued to knit while we watched both the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Rises. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed them, the storylines were well told and developed, the movies were well cast, and I was ready for another sequel. But that was the end of Christopher Nolan's batman trilogy.
It was a good day, comfortable and content. I managed to get my eight hours of solid sleep thru the night, with the exception being just before waking this morning, when I had the odd dream that was bound to cause some slight anxiety to my dream~self as it involved folks being perturbed with me over events I could not control, that I was not even involved with, and that hadn't actually happened in real life but that obviously had in the dream world. As I was waking, I felt a huge sense of relief as I thought, "a year or so ago, I would have woken in a panic, now it's mostly annoyance I feel".
Most universities and colleges are wrapping up their fall terms and students are preparing to return home for a few weeks on winter holidays. School children {and let's face it, teachers too} are counting down the days til christmas break, which for Mississippi will begin on or around December 20th. And shoppers are well aware that there are only a few weeks before Christmas.
Office parties and other social engagements are beginning to happen in a flurry, with a few fundraisers and gala events squeezed in here and there. Churches have set out their nativity scenes and are set to perform plays, concerts, and the like. Cell phones are buzzing with the final arrangements of family dinners and so forth.
In the hustle and bustle of all this, and lots more like cards and packages clogging the USPS bags and vehicles, a ton of travelers worry about the weather conditions and whether their flights will be grounded, and oh so much more; many of us will lose our focus, our intention, and our tempers. Mixed emotions seem to rule the season's greetings as we want to feel peace and joy, but are often annoyed and saddened instead.
Waves of compassion are needed for most of us as we go about our days, stepping thru landmine fraught circumstances and events. Compassion for ourselves as we do face tricky situations, reminders, and so forth. Compassion for others as they too are facing their own turmoil, of which we may know very little or nothing.
This month brings births and deaths, sadness and joy, renewal and exhaustion, and so much more. We feel an ending of another year passing and reviewing our goals for the year, most of us will feel disappointed with ourselves that we didn't accomplish more. But some of us will be celebratory of reaching and surpassing our goals, of knowing that we did a lot more this year than we might at first give ourselves credit for, of looking forward to spending these last few weeks of this year in the ways we want and carrying forward into the new year our eagerness toward all the possibilities that await. Some of us know that the many changes of this year that occurred within and around us brought about more personal growth and a more intimate knowledge of ourselves and loved ones, as we've moved on from hurtful relationships, strengthened existing relationships, and forged new relationships. Some of us have continued to exist, some of us have flourished, and some of us have ground ourselves into a rut of dissatisfaction that will continue until we changes something.
This month, in so many ways, is not different from any other month. Unless we assign it meanings that make it stand out in various ways. Most of us will forget that, and feel that these meanings and moments exist outside of us, that we have nothing to do with how we perceive them because this day marks the anniversary of this death, or because that day means that we must encounter this unpleasant person, or because this other day means that these memories will arise and consume us, or because that other day means that we must do this or that. But in truth, we do get to perceive of each of these days and events, situations, and so forth in whatever way we ultimately choose to do so. Even if we think that is not so, that IS our choice, too.
So, slow down, breathe, pause, be still. Give these things thought. And you decide how you proceed.
It was a nice day. And before most people realize it, Grandma will be getting run over by a raindeer.
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