Go NaNoPloblano (National Blog Posting Month) (https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/) !  And day 8 of 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).

A perfectly beautiful day – how can it possible be November?

Oh, yeah…

But now, it’s bearable

Especially since I can be thankful to be Canadian.  My thoughts are with you America…

Go NaNoPloblano (National Blog Posting Month) (https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/) !  And day 7 of 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).

This evening, I am tired.  I spent the day as part of an interview panel, and if you’ve ever done interviews, you are exhausted at the end of the day without feeling like you’ve really done anything.  Always an interesting experience though.

But to my point of thankfulness today.

I am not American, but I can tell you, as one of a group of people who have had the right to vote for less than 100 years (which is longer than other people out there!), and as the beneficiary of many of the rights and freedoms afforded to me through people getting out and exercising their right to vote, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote.  I know it’s hard sometimes to believe that your vote makes a difference, but it does, and it will.  So, there you have it.  I am thankful to be able to get out there and put an X on a ballot (at least that’s the way we do it here in Canada – easy-peasy and no confusion!!)  So, dammit, just do it!

And I will tell you one final thing – if you don’t vote, don’t complain to me about the outcome!

And now, a picture of a kitten!

Go NaNoPloblano (National Blog Posting Month) (https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/) !  And day 5 of 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).

Lots to be thankful for today – sleeping in, lunch with a good friend (thanks Darca!!), hanging with Kev for the afternoon, and soon, symphony with mom and dad.

And not to mention a pretty gnarly sunset!

Go NaNoPloblano (National Blog Posting Month) (https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/) !  And day 4 of 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).

I was opening my  blinds this morning, and noticed that the sky looked a cool colour, so out onto the porch I went to take some pictures.  Incredible!  And I felt grateful for another beautiful day coming our way.

I know I said my NaNoPoblano posts would be more about writing, but you just can’t do any better than this sunrise!

Go NaNoPloblano (National Blog Posting Month) (https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/) !  And day 3 of 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).

It all fits with the Gratefulness theme that has become what my NaNoPoblano posts are about.  I do have the most amazing colleagues.  Articulate, brave beyond belief – I feel humbled by them and their ability to face adversity.  This has been a hard time for a lot of people, but I feel that I have learned so much about myself – not all of it good, but I am learning to let that go and begin to forgive myself, and find my way to becoming a better person.  And it is all due to some people who I can’t ever thank enough.

The only other thing I can say about today, aside from the fact that it was a really hard day that strangely enough, I am grateful to have somehow (I really don’t know how) had the strength to have participated in and gotten through, is that this is what it looked like outside today:

And then, of course, coming home to wine and kitties didn’t hurt either!

Here is my first NaNoPloblano post (go Team Cheerpeppers!) for National Blog Posting Month (https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/).   And, incidentally, it is also my first post for 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).

There are days I wonder how one can continue to have faith in human beings.  And then this happens:

Seriously.  I was off work yesterday (since it was my birthday, and Hallowe’en SHOULD be a stat holiday as everyone knows, but that’s a subject for a separate post!) and my work colleagues did this for me.

Understand that there has been some pretty unbelievable stress at work lately, but still my colleagues did this for me.

Today could have been a much bigger challenge for me due to an incident which sent me back into a very sad place of feeling like you just should never let yourself trust some people, but for my colleagues.  They are, without a doubt, the best – they restore my faith in humanity.  Even when the velociraptor-free workplace counter has been reset to zero!

So, what am I grateful for today?  That’s an easy one.  4 people who have my back and have become my dear friends.

The other day I was thinking of NaNoWriMo, and suddenly remembered NaNoPoblano from last November.  Took me a few minutes, but I found it!  Team Cheerpeppers for National Blog Posting Month at https://cheerpeppers.wordpress.com/

Now, I already blog every day, but I am looking at this challenge for three things.  First, to introduce some new photo-related weekly posts.  Second, to start a new series, which shall continue beyond November, called “Welcome to James Bay!”.  And third, to introduce a bit more writing into my posts.  Oh, and in addition, I will also be attempting to participate in the 30 Days of Thankfulness (https://mcclendonvilla.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/30-days-of-thankfulness/).  Why?  Why not??  Basically I have a “plan” to see what happens this month as long as I post every day and try some new things!

So, a range of new things to try for November.  Hopefully some of you will try the NaNoPoblano/National Blog Posting Month challenge too!!

Now, back to watching Hallowe’en!