Hello Friends!  I can not believe it’s almost Thanksgiving already!  This November went by way quicker than I wanted it to.  Work has been crazy and will only get crazier until the end of the year (gotta love all those holiday parties!), and I just finished my writing class, which I loved!  The creative non-fiction class was through Gotham Writers, which is a writing school based in New York that also offers classes online.  Obviously, I went the online route, which I truly enjoyed and felt like I got a lot out of it.  If you’re interested in taking some extra writing classes, I would definitely recommend them.

This year for Thanksgiving, I’ll be heading back home to Johnsburg for a few days to help my mom cook and do some Black Friday Shopping.  I’m planning on making a chocolate banana cream pie to contribute to Thursday’s feast, because it’s always a big hit.  I always use the Betty Crocker recipe from a cookbook my mom has had for years, and it’s so simple and delicious.  The trick is to let it set over night, and top it with freshly whipped cream and bananas right before serving it.

On Black Friday, my mom and I are planning on going to the mall near my hometown and getting a head start on our Christmas shopping.  I usually have to work the day after Thanksgiving, so this is a special year indeed.  After the shopping extravaganza, it’s tradition to meet up with the rest of the family for Friday Night Fish Fry.  I can’t wait!

In other news, we have officially had our Brody pup for one whole year this month.  I can’t believe how quickly the time flew by.  It seems like just yesterday we were staying up with him that first night to make sure he was comfortable.  We’ve had our ups and downs (like potty training and trying to cut his nails for the first time, yikes), but I wouldn’t trade him for the world.  He’s such a sweet, energetic little pup; we got really lucky when we got the call that he was ours.

Now that November is almost over, I’ve started the countdown to my birthday (t-minus 13 days!) and I honestly can’t wait to put 27 behind me.  More on that later, but I am so excited to start a new year with new goals and new projects!  I think my friends and I will be celebrating with a little staycation at a hotel somewhere in the city (if you have any recommendations, send them my way!)  Anyways, that’s all for now, folks!  Happy Thanksgiving!

How’s your November going?  What are you contributing to your own Thanksgiving feast?