My Favorite Things (November 2025)

This month I am sharing my favorite things that cannot be bought. They are more observations, impressions, more than things. They cannot be bought, but can be adopted, or understood. Maybe it's the time of the year which has always made me a bit introspective.

Chasing the Last Days of Golden Autumn

With the month of November came a transition from sunny skies to rainy days with some early winter mixed in. From the weather inviting us to go mushrooming in the woods, planting in the garden, and generally spending as much time as possible outdoors basking in the golden glow of late autumn, we were plunged into winter, and then rainy days soon after.

Nevertheless, this is what I love about November. With the last of everything - the last of the flowers, the last garden grown zucchini, the last of fall tinted leaves before they get blown away in the gusts that will surely come. The last tender annuals - such as my favorite nasturtiums - plucked from the garden and arranged in vases to give us color and a scent of summer for a few more days.

Keeping It Real

You may have noticed (maybe) that I am not posting as much on Instagram. I used to like to share moments of my French life on @myfrenchmaison , but with the changes introduced by that platform my audience shrunk, and posting and writing started feeling like talking into a void. It happened around the time of our moving to the countryside, so the combination of the two helped in making the largely unconscious decision to cut back on social media. The real life became more interesting than hashtags, and the real slow living is really slower than anything you can read about the subject on the internet. I still post now and than, but I am not a fan of sharing every aspect of my private life. I like it like that.

Moral of the story - take it slow and enjoy all aspects of life! The slower pace might be the French secret to enjoying life more. Enjoy your chocolate, enjoy a conversation with a friend, enjoy the walk in the rain!

Lingering

And speaking of slower pace - it is a huge cultural difference between the USA and France in my opinion. This is not the first time I have noticed it, but now I got used to not being rushed and having the luxury of lingering. Often I enjoy a stress free experience of choosing the best baguette, or a few perfect pastries, taking my time, even if a line is forming behind me. The shopkeeper is relaxed, happy to answer my questions (and sometimes goes to the back to the store to pick the freshest croissants for me), and no one waiting behind me voices any objections. I am not the only one who lingers, there are lingering customers in front of me, and it's all good. There is no "speed it up lady", or "I haven't got all day". Everyone knows that when their turn comes, they may have to take a bit longer too. And it's OK. Bonne journée!

Next edition of My Favourite Things is coming next month!