One fall morning at home in Maine. Welcoming November with a focus on the season, home, the beauty in the moment, and gratitude.
Welcome November
It’s November!
And I have to admit I am happy to see it
October was a difficult one — locally, nationally, globally. And while I and my loved ones are, fortunately, safe and sound, the unimaginable peril, strife, and sadness which so many others are enduring hurts my heart and dampens my soul.
I spoke in my post last week about the importance of home as a source of comfort. Of looking for the beauty in the moment.
So, instead of rushing from fall and Halloween into Christmas, I am choosing now to pause. To look around. Savor the beauty of this unique moment. And be grateful.
November is, after all, the month of Thanksgiving.
Let us also make it a month of thanksgiving.
One Morning In Maine
“One Morning in Maine” is the title of a picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. Published in 1952, it won the Caldecott Honor in 1953. The book tells the story of McCloskey’s family, focusing on his elder daughter Sal, on a regular old extraordinary ordinary morning at their home on an island in Maine. It depicts a slice of everyday. And is a tribute to the beauty of a quiet simple life.
In this post I am sharing a slice of my everyday.
One regular old extraordinary ordinary simply beautiful quiet fall morning in Maine.
Note:
I highly recommend One Morning in Maine and also Blueberries for Sal (awarded the Caldecott in 1949) for your children, grandchildren — or you! I am linking them below for purchase through Amazon for your convenience. But I hope you will look for them at your local independent book store instead!
Mornings at Home
One of my favorite things about retirement is spending mornings at home.
For 34 years I worked at a place where it was a badge of honor to get into work at the crack of dawn.
Even better if it was before the sun rose.
Sometimes the early start was necessitated by mission. But usually it was just because people liked to get off work in the early to mid afternoon.
If you lazed into work at 8:00, you would be hard pressed to find a parking spot that wasn’t a good 15- minute walk (or if it was really bad, a shuttle bus ride) from the building.
This fact, combined with DC Beltway traffic (some of the worst in the country), made for a very stressful morning.
I would rush around the house getting myself, kids, and pets ready for the day, then fly out the door to sit anxiously in traffic.
So, now that I am retired, one of my greatest luxuries is to rise when I feel like it and spend a quiet morning at home.
Fall Mornings
I like sunny fall and winter mornings best!
Because this time of year the sun shifts, so that it rises directly across the harbor, its rays shooting straight into the house.
I brew a mug of decaf and settle in to take in all the beauty for a few moments before starting my day.
Outside, sparkles dance on the water. Seagulls soar overhead. A tiny boat moves far on the horizon. The last few leaves cling to branches. Bright orange pumpkins dot the stone wall. Frosty crystals glint in the sunshine. A few summer blooms linger. And the silhouettes of two familiar spruce trees say good morning from across the harbor.
Inside, the sun illuminates the downstairs from the back windows all the way to the front door. Maddie and Cisco doze peacefully in their favorite swivel chairs. The sunlight plays with objects around the room — bathing some in bright white, while casting others in shadow. And, as I enjoy each sip of coffee, the sun’s warm rays wrap themselves around me in a cozy hug.
I sit and savor the moment, thinking how very thankful I am for the beauty — big and small — which surrounds me.
Throughout today’s post I have interspersed photos of one of these cold-and-sunny-outside, warm-and-bright-inside mornings in Maine.
Tell me in comments — what are your small morning comforts?!
This Week Into Next
This weekend I am missing my cozy mornings in Maine.
Instead, I am enjoying the comfort of my daughter Zoë’s bright home in Washington, D.C.. And of course I am eating up every single joyous moment with my sweet little Poppy.
I haven’t yet started decorating for the holidays, but I am starting to think about it. This year the whole family will be gathering in Maine, and I can’t wait!
I actually loved what I did last year, with the pinecone theme in the living room and the oranges in the dining area and kitchen. I feel under absolutely no obligation to do something new every year, so this year will probably just be a slight variation on last year.
Since I will be reprising the pinecone tree in the living room, I have purchased a King of Christmas tree for the bedroom to decorate with all the collected family ornaments. I have never had a full-sized tree in the bedroom. It will be so festive!
Next week on the blog I will be sharing sources for and items similar to what I use to decorate. So while I don’t yet have my jingle on, I will be able to fulfill my blogger’s duty to help you decorate your home!
And if you are looking for Thanksgiving inspiration, check out my blog posts:
Abundant Harvest Thanksgiving Table Setting
Our Family’s Mostly Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu
An Outdoor Harvest Table Set With Fall’s Bounty
That’s it for this week, friends!
I encourage you also to take a pause. Look around. Savor the beauty of this unique moment — whether you are surrounded by pine or pumpkins, tinsel or turkeys. And always be grateful.
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I have been working from home since covid hit and am also enjoying the commute free mornings. I still get up at 5:15 but am able to enjoy a cup of coffee while grooming my very fluffy corgi. Then we go for a quiet walk before anyone else is out and some seasons watch a beautiful sunrise.
Hi Mary! So much better than rushing out the door and dealing with a commute, right? I remember always turning to look back at my cozy home with longing before heading out the door. A walk is a great way to start the day! Thanks for sharing!
Molly,
Hope you are having a great time in Washington DC. We were there last weekend for our youngest child’s wedding. It was wonderful .Turned out just as they hoped. If you know anyone in the area that needs a florist. They are the best! My son, yes my son! Worked closely with them to create the most gorgeous results. They did the arrangements for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. I was overjoyed as flowers mean so much to me!
Park Florist in Takoma, Maryland! Just encase you know anyone that needs a full service florist in that area!
Look forward to up coming blogs! Thank you also for the book recommendation! I know someone I want to send it to
Hi Kathleen! Congratulations on your son’s wedding! It is funny — my son, yes, my son, chose the color scheme for his wedding. Like mother like son, haha! I hope your friend enjoys the book gift!
I also love to just sit and enjoy the light. We have both morning and afternoon. I confess the afternoon light is my favorite in our home. Morning porch sitting with coffee and a blanket is the best.
Hi Linda — I love evening light too, but our home is situated for prime morning light. And I have to say it is a great way to start the day!
What a beautiful post, Molly. I don’t enjoy your beautiful water view here in Dallas, TX but after traveling overseas for a few weeks I can truly say there is no place like home! Despite our problems we are blessed to live in America. Thank you for the reminder to be grateful.
Hi Linda — You certainly don’t need a water view to enjoy and be grateful for your home. There are so many small everyday beauties to savor too!
Life’s simple pleasures are such a gift. Thanks for sharing. Maine is so glorious. Do you typically get blazing colors from fall foliage? The photos of the fall light were lovely.
Hi Sheena — Thank you for reading and for taking the time to say hello! We have a lot of evergreens on the coast, so we get pockets of color. The leaves really weren’t the best this year — we have had so much rain!
Hi, Molly! I found this post very beautiful, comforting and insightful. I, too, really enjoy the peaceful mornings at home since retirement. I am also taking a pause before starting to decorate for the holidays. I have put away my Halloween-themed items, such as witches, but am keeping my pumpkins up for fall as they give me joy. I
In other areas of my life I was thinking briefly that maybe I am being lazy and uninspired but your post reminded me of how important and okay it is to take a pause and reflect and appreciate what I have and the beauty of this time of the year.
So glad you get to visit Poppy and her parents again. Enjoy the fall and your grateful pause/
Hi Jill — Isn’t it so wonderful not to have to deal with the crazy parking situation anymore?! It was always so stressful. You have definitely earned this time to rest and to take care of yourself. I wish I was going to be able to see your Christmas decorations. I loved getting to see all your pumpkins and witches!
The quality of the sunlight during this time is so appealing … once the sun rises above the tall firs and cedars behind the homes across the road, it floods our east facing living room with warmth. Here is where we enjoy our coffee every morning… since the weather has cooled and chairs from front patio are stored for the winter. The sun moves into the kitchen, warming the Tuscan yellow walls and, as it swings further west, our family room is bathed in pink tinged light. the strong colours of our trees in the garden ( flowering cherry and glory maple) bathing the decor of golds, tans and olive. The colours are more intense this autumn, which I am loving. Your photo of the beach and water could be my view of the Salish Sea just at the end of our road. Different coast, ( east Vancouver Island) and milder than your place in Maine as winter creeps in.
I am thankful for the beauty of our surroundings, and the opportunities to walk and cycle within it.
Hi Cath — Your home sounds beautiful. I am learning there are so many fellow “light-chasers” out there! Enjoy this beautiful season!
Your post this week was very calming to read. And, oh, how I miss Maine. I told a friend yesterday how my body relaxes when crossing “the bridge”.
Btw, I still have something to send to you so will be dm’ing to get your address.
Hi Pam — I am so happy you found this post calming. We need that in this crazy world right now. And yes, crossing that bridge is always the best feeling!
Still morning here on the “other coast”, Molly,
Retirement began a year ago when we moved into a CCRC on Mercer Island, WA. It was fun to discover we share the same luxury of sleeping until one awakens. Then my mug of “real” coffee accompanies a time of reflection. Currently, I’m welcoming autumn’s revelation of creation’s splendor. I trust it’s glory will teach me some semblance of wisdom.
After my reflection, I reach for sources of inspiration . Consequently, Saturdays, have become Molly mornings. Today, I’m grateful for your encouragement to pause while entering a season of “Thanksgiving”.
Enjoy your daughter time,
Diney on Mercer Island,
Hi Diney — Yes, I am enjoying a quieter November and having fun planning for December and Christmas. Then I will be ready to go! Thank you so much for making me a part of your Saturday mornings!
Molly, I love seeing all that gorgeous sunlight pouring into your home. It’s lovely even when the fog has rolled in, but you can’t beat the way morning sun gives a natural boost to your mood. Thanks for the children’s book selection, I will check that out for sure. Also thank you for not rushing the season by flipping the calendar from Halloween to December. Thanksgiving deserves it’s moment,,,after all it waits all year to be noticed. I know you’re excited to have your family for Christmas. Those babies will be front and center and how special that will be. Can’t wait to see your new tree this year. You can fall asleep and wake up to all those family ornaments and memories they will bring to mind.
Hi Julie — Yes, I am enjoying a quieter November. It is giving me time plan for December and Christmas! I am looking forward to a tree in the bedroom too. It will be another great way to start (and end) the day!
Molly, Recently found your blog and am enjoying it so much. I am retired after 36 years of teaching K-2 children and always read One Morning in Maine and Blueberries for Sal each year. It is a blessing to be able to rise whenever I want and start the day with a grateful heart. Looking forward to reading more of your posts!
Hi Margot! Welcome! So glad you found me! Starting the day with a grateful heart is so important, I think!
Loved reading your posts — especially this one. I too am retired and my favorite thing about it is the slow mornings. I also had to rush out the door for too many mornings and a slow morning is such a joy. We live in North Carolina on a lake and watching the water glisten with a cup of coffee and my dog by my side — am very grateful for that.
Thanks for sharing your life and inspiration. Also I love your springers
Hi Kim — Thank you so much for joining me here. I am so glad you enjoyed this post! Your mornings sound much like mine. Aren’t they wonderful?!
Dear Molly,
In the midst of raising a baby. a toddler, elementary-aged children, tweens and teens, I love taking a few moments to visit here for refreshment, inspiration, and joy! You’ve created a refuge for your family and friends from the chaos of this fallen world, filled with beauty, goodness, and light. I’m so grateful that I can glean from your example as I work, day by day, little by little, to build such a place for my loved ones. Your home is the vision I keep in my heart on those weary, mundane days to keep going, to not give up! Thank you for your blog, it means so much. Have a very, very blessed November.
Hi Annabelle! Thank you, thank you, for your kindest words. So happy that I can send a little light out into the world. It sounds like you certainly have a houseful! After my weekend in D.C., my daughter talked about the “chaos” of her life, trying to juggle careers and a baby. I said it was beautiful, not chaotic. I always loved the energy and activity of a busy family life. I hope you enjoy yours!
Oh, thank you so much, Molly, and I sure do! I can completely empathize with your daughter, that feeling sometimes of “everything’s chaos!”– but by God’s grace, we women are so gifted at overcoming it. One of the secrets, of course, is finding a few minutes each day to sip some strong tea or coffee and enjoy beautiful blogs like this one! Wishing you, and her, a lovely upcoming holiday season.
And speaking as a woman with grown children, I miss those days of “chaos”!
My husband and I have enjoyed our mornings since retiring. We sit in what we call the library, which is an office or study in the house plan. Whoever gets up first brings the coffee in. We sit for about two hours with our iPads reading news and social media.
I remember the books “One Morning in Maine” and “Blueberries For Sal” from my teaching days of preschool as well as learning about Caldecott winners in my Children’s Literature Class in college.
Hi Nancy — Mornings at home are the absolute best! And yes, those books are classics, for sure!
Love everything about this post! Light in a home is also important to me. One of the reasons we purchased our home was because of how it lit the home from sunrise to sunset. Enjoy getting your jingle on as this “pause” passes into the next beautiful season.
Hi Beth! I didn’t realize how great the morning light is here until we moved into the original cottage. Sometimes we actually needed sunglasses on in the house, ha! I am enjoying planning for the holiday decorating. I will be sharing some of those plans this week!
Thank you for posting so many beautiful pictures of your home. It is so inspiring! Slow mornings at home are the best part of retirement for me.
And thank you for reading my post and taking the time to reach out! Yes, mornings at home are the best!
Such beautiful light Molly and I hope you’re enjoying your weekend with your loved ones💙🩵
Thanks, Ann! I had a great weekend in DC. Poppy is the cutest!
Truer words were never said—November is the month for Thanksgiving!
And I am truly grateful for all that I have!
Beautiful blog, Molly. I love working from home and being able to snuggle with the dogs as I slowly wake up. The two dog and 10 stair commute is also a plus!
Hi Buffy! So nice to hear from you here! Lucky you to be able to enjoy mornings at home AND work!
Your views inside and outside your home are lovely. I enjoy having my 2 cups of coffee on our porch, weather permitting. I see all of the cars passing by on their way to work or school and I’m so thankful that I’m retired!
Yes, Jane, aren’t mornings spent at home the best?!
I live just up the coast a bit from you and my favorite time of day is also when the sun comes up and shines across the water lighting up the living room, kitchen and bedroom. It is a most appreciated sight and time of day!
Hi, neighbor! It is magical time of day, for sure!
I too used to rush out the door to get to work. I was a Realtor for over 30 years and used the quiet, early mornings at work for paperwork and returning emails, sending notes to clients, etc. Now that I am retired I still get up early (morning is my favorite part of the day). But now I make coffee, open all my shutters and shades, look at the mountains out the back door and spend a quiet hour in our Den doing Bible meditation and reading. My den has south facing windows and I love how the light changes as the sun rises. In the warm months by “quiet hour” is spent on our back deck. This quiet time and meditation are important to me for many reasons and I treasure the time spent. It eases me in to my day.
Enjoy your time with your family, and especially your granddaughter – precious moments!
Thank you! I had a wonderful visit to D.C. I enjoy mornings, but not getting up really early. I am a night owl — always find myself puttering about until midnight. Your morning routine sounds like a wonderful start to the day!
Beautiful post. I am a morning gal, always have been. The earlier the better. My most perfect morning is waking up to a cold, clear, sunny Maine morning enjoying a cup of coffee listening to the wind blow through the pines. When not in Maine just enjoying the stillness and quiet of the new day is cause for being grateful. Enjoy your time with your family. Thank you for sharing a slice of Maine life. P.S. My son’s third grade teacher gave him the book One Maine Morning as an end of year gift years ago. She knew how special the great state of Maine was and still is to us as a family. In closing I am grateful for your blog. 💙
Oh, thank you, Suzie! Mornings in Maine are special, indeed. But morning sunlight, a cup of something warm, and a moment of gratitude are a great way to start the day, no matter where you live!
Sorry Molly I meant to say One Morning in Maine.
Molly – Thank you, thank you, thank you for these enchanting photos and heartwarming sentiments. So many bloggers are all about Christmas now (which I get) and affiliate links (which I also get). However, it’s so refreshing to read your blog (word for word!) and simply enjoy the splendor and bounty of this truly beautiful season. xoxo
Thank you, Peg! I am so happy you enjoyed my quiet post. This week I will be sharing Christmas links, though I am still enjoying fall here!
Mornings in Maine are a beautiful thing. Glad you’re taking time to enjoy the moment … in Maine and DC … before the real craziness of the holiday season gets underway. Thanks for the book idea. Young mothers have been requesting inscribed books at their baby showers and I’m always looking for something new and different to a child’s library. You made me laugh with your tales of working days. I was very competitive in the first in last out competition … I don’t miss those days. xo
Hi Juliet — People used to arrive at work at 5:30 or 6:30. Crazy, in my mind! These books are classics, and definitely something different!
My morning comforts are waking up with the sun shining in the window letting me know it’s time to start the day. I open all the blinds and grab my coffee and see what is going on in the world good or bad. I love when my chores are finished from the day before and I have a clean plate and it’s at that point I decide..do I head to the gym, take a walk or meet up with friends. I always feel a need to get out even for a short time especially as the lake is just about closed up for the winter. Enjoy Molly!
Hi Joyce — I love opening up the blinds to sunshine in the morning too. It is the best feeling! I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Love this! I could feel myself relaxing into your words and imagery from the very first sentences (thank you ❤️).
Hi Lisa! I am so glad you enjoyed this post!
You have captured the beauty of being able to start the morning slowly and savor all the beauty around you. Love the pictures of the light reaching the back of the house! I don’t have the views that you have but I do treasure being able to sit at the breakfast table and enjoy my garden with birds and other animals and insects out the window with my dog on the chair next to me. I too had years of frantic mornings getting the household to school and work. Don’t miss that part of working at all. Can’t wait for the tips for decorating for the holidays.
Amy
PS Enjoyed glancing back at the holiday decorations from previous holidays.
Hi Amy — You have a lovely view out into your back yard too! Mornings at home are the best!