Project 365 – November

This month, we went from Autumn to Christmas feeling, both in our house and outside! We didn’t travel anywhere, but did get a lot of use out of being home. Dann and I had a lot of events this month, and we all did so many fun activities as a family. It’s been fun documenting each day, and I cannot believe the year is almost over. This blog post is a part of Project 365 which is where people take a picture and document each day of their lives for a year. Some post monthly like me, others post daily or weekly! You can check out some other bloggers and see what they were up to at the end of this piece.

November 1st – Halloween Party

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The Yard Looks Finished. Why Does It Still Feel Hard to Use?

The grass has been cut. The planting beds have clean edges. There is a patio, a few established trees, maybe a path to the gate, and enough outdoor furniture to suggest that people are supposed to spend time there. Yet nobody really does. Someone carries a chair into the shade because the patio gets too hot. 

The children cut across the lawn instead of using the walkway. One corner stays soggy after heavy rain. A sprinkler keeps hitting the driveway. The side gate is technically accessible, but getting a wheelbarrow through it feels like solving a puzzle. None of those problems necessarily makes a yard look unfinished. They make it feel unfinished.

A usable landscape is more than a collection of attractive plants and outdoor features. It has to account for movement, water, sunlight, maintenance, privacy, changing seasons, and the ordinary routines of the people who use the property. That is where some otherwise attractive yards go wrong. They were arranged to look complete rather than designed to work as a complete system.

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Wandering Through Singapore’s Hidden Charms and Delights

Singapore often shows up in travel guides as a city of clean streets, luxury shopping, and fast-paced urban life. But spend a little more time wandering its corners, and you’ll start to notice a quieter side. This city has depth. It has stories tucked behind shophouse doors, flavors hidden in rooftop dining, and small businesses that add warmth to even the briefest visit.

For travelers who want more than just postcard-perfect views, this guide takes you through some of Singapore’s most memorable local experiences.

Discovering the Unexpected Side of Singapore

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A Day Out at Lumagica – Light festival with impressive illuminations

Dann and I have been pretty into light festivals over the last few years. We have gone to Lightopia, Chihuly: Reflections and Ashford Illuminates – which have all had a different feel to them. When in Norway, we figured we’d check out Lumagica, which seems to be a worldwide light festival, but is not one either of us had heard of or attended before. Lumagica was a unique experience, but most closely seemed to be a mix of Chihuly and Lightopia, in the way it was set up and ran.

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2021 Goals

2020 is nearly over, and as I have done a goals list last year, I felt like maybe I should do one this year! Looking back to January, I had no idea that there was going to be a global pandemic, and that really threw most of my life in a bit of a twist – much like I am sure it did for everyone. Regardless of that, the majority of my goals were actually achieved. I was able to get a new car, we are well on the way to moving to our new house, I did record more video games for Youtube and I was able to do some virtual volunteering and donating of my time. The only thing I don’t feel I achieved was getting a new tattoo – but I didn’t really feel comfortable getting a tattoo during a global pandemic!

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