And just like that Spooky Season is over. I’m bummed out. My October felt spooky in the wrong ways.

To start with, I never really got into the spooky spirit this year! I started a non-spooky book at the end of September, and it took me until the end of October to finish it. 👻 I’d accumulated a queue of spooky books for the month and literally did not read but one (a late recommendation but decent). 📖 The weather in Austin stubbornly remained summer-like the entire month, with low temps in the 70’s and highs of 90 and no rain. 💀 Probably because of the extra heat wave, I got another wave of ants in the house, resulting in more tracking and spraying and getting bit. 🐜 I did not feel like baking. I did not pumpkin spice once. My big October victory was tackling two art challenges in the same month and technically finishing both — but the downside was losing a lot of my creative mojo by the end. 🎨

I missed sending cards and gifts for every October birthday in my friend list. Every single one. 😭

But if you know me, I’m never down for long. November has begun, and with it, the nonfiction writing challenge that my friends and I are co-hosting. So far, I have written almost 5,000 words and met the 1-hour-a-day challenge.

And more importantly, the baking and pumpkin spicing has commenced. We made a batch of baked pumpkin donuts last night and they are literally perfect — moist, flavorful, and pumpkin spicy. Tomorrow, thanks to rain and a “cold front,” I may be able to wear something other than shorts! And I’m feeling myself rally with the birthday card making and the gift selection. I may be late, but I will get those cards and presents there. I will! What a world. What a time.