I think my favorite month of the year is November.  I know this may sound strange, but I love the approach of the holiday season, the weather changing to be cooler, wearing comfy sweaters, eating butternut squash stews, and watching the leaves change.

Crochet:  A new month means new challenges in the Nerd Wars Tournament!  This month there are some very interesting challenges indeed.  I have begun work on a sweater for my niece, which would fit into two different challenges (one based on the periodic table and the other based on winter clothing), so I will have to see what else I make this month before I post it.  It is in a light-weight fluffy pink/purple yarn and will be super cute when finished!

In the meantime, here is a hat I finished for last month's challenges:

Cooking:  This weekend I make a "Harvest Stew"; pork, butternut squash, onions, garlic, and apples.  It sounds like a strange combination, but it is so yummy!  I also made a batch of pork and beans for my lunches and a couple batches of cookies - "granola bar" cookies and "gooey butter" cookies!  Mmmmm.  This is why I love November!

Writing:  My NaNoWriMo efforts have been ... paltry.  Here we are, one week into the National Novel Writing Month, and I have fewer than 3,000 words written on my novel.  For reference, to complete on time, one must write an average of 1666 words per day.  Yes, I've written the quota for just two days during the first week.  What can I say - it was a very busy week for me!  I am not sure yet if I have the wherewithal to really take on this challenge, but I like my story concept, so I will keep working on it here and there.

The main character is Chloe Brice, a secret agent that no one notices because she is crocheting during stake outs.  She is about to uncover an international terrorist organization that is funding their activities through the sales of counterfeit fine art.  She travels to Europe and Asia while trying to solve the case, and in the meantime works with an interesting artist named Vinny Clemente.

That's about as far as I've gotten (only 3000 words so far, remember?).  Stay tuned as events develop!  :)

Mid-way through October!  Where has the time gone?

Crochet:  Every year as I approach the holiday season, I enjoy making snowflake ornaments.  I find they make great gifts for family and friends, and they are quick and easy to whip up.

This year, I am making some miniature ornaments.  I have even written a haiku for them:
gentle snowflakes 
falling from a slate grey sky 
beautiful crystals


Cooking:  I have been keeping it simple - lots of roasted vegetables.  I love to eat roasted zucchini and garlic.  I have also recently tried my hand at spaghetti squash, which turned out quite nicely when combined with my roasted zucchini - eggplant combination.

Actually, to be honest, I've been feeling a little uninspired for cooking lately.  I hope to bring more inspiration to my kitchen soon.


Writing:  This week I am adding a new category of creativity.  This is partly due to my planning to participate in National Novel Writing Month.  Part of me thinks I must be insane for taking on a project so big, of writing a 50,000 word novel in one month.  The other part thinks, "What've I got to lose?"  I have long wanted to write a novel, and in fact got as far as writing the first chapter of one.  However, for this project I am starting fresh using two different ideas I've had floating around in my head for awhile.  I am still working out character sketches and plot outlines, and I may post more details here once things are worked out a little more clearly.