My latest boss quit and although the job is posted, the last time this happened (a mere year and a half ago), it took six months to fill. Once it’s filled, that will be my 5th boss since joining the department. Maybe that’s normal in some places, but people are starting to ask me what I’m doing to them. (I’m not doing anything, for clarification. I’m being perfectly nice. The executives shrug and say “it’s the desk” and they’re not talking about the furniture.)

This has been a little heavy, so I’m glad that most of my social obligations are done for the autumn. I have always been the type of person who has very limited bandwidth and too much going on – even fun things – can have the opposite effect of making me feel even more underwater. I’m grateful for the people in my life who understand that about me and accept it as a necessary downside to our relationships.

But while it lasted, the social things were fun and I am glad for them. Among other things, we went to Charleston for a big family birthday party (Brandon’s side) and walked on the beach, toured a garden alive with pollinators, digested some amazing history and architecture, shopped, and had a couple of good meals and one ridiculous one. 

I got proposed to…and accepted. This was a lovely day and a lovely proposal planned by both Brandon and my kiddo which made it even more special.

The kiddo and I saw the Gorillaz in Detroit (fantastic show) and Brandon and I saw Marc Maron. 

I visited my fiance (how about using THAT term!) for Halloweekend in Ohio. I think I mentioned he lives in the ground floor apartment in a converted barn behind a row of historic Victorian houses that are now funeral homes. (Brandon’s autobiography would be a heck of a read.) I love visiting the very quaint small town where he lives during the week and we have great fun scouting thrift stores for additions to his little space. This time, we found a great old dresser to use as a sideboard. His colleagues came for a little housewarming and then we decamped to the enormous stone steps of the funeral home to hand out candy. I went as Velma from Scooby Doo and Brandon was Elvis. His wig is not the best so despite me trying to tack his sideburns down with double-sided boob tape, they still flew out at angles to his head like airplane wings.

I cheered for the blue tsunami of the midterms and hope that it marks a turning point in our country.

Now, I hope to wind down into the holiday season, keeping up with my expanded work responsibilities and also making time for the things that bring me joy – reading, knitting, stitching. November is, I think, my favorite month. I love the feeling of early darkness and the great motor of the seasons tapering off to a low hum under the cold earth and piles of damp leaves going brown. I like fires in the woodstove and flannel sheets and the big warm duvet and cozy meals. I like walking in the crisp air and tea before early bedtime and lighting all the candles every evening to create pools of glow in the darkness. Here’s to closing this chapter and moving into the next with gratitude.