Ready or Not It's November

The change of colors among the trees, the falling leaves, the heat kicking on, the shorter days , the colder weather, the winds with a bit of bite. All reminders that we are moving into the next season. All reminders that November was coming- and here it is. The seas will begin to churn, the waves will get bigger, the current will become stronger. The date will slowly creep closer and soon November 30th will arrive, somehow it will mark 2 years since Shane passed away.

I am preparing for the oncoming waves all the heavy days that lie ahead. Preparing for me means making sure our boat is pointed into the oncoming waves, preparing for the glances from people that still do no know what to say, preparing for the lump in my throat, preparing for the sleepless nights. But in all honesty there is nothing that will ever make you ready to celebrate the anniversary of your sons tragic passing. There are a few things that I can attempt to do to move through it, move with it, not get past it for that day will never come. I walk with grief- it is now a part of who I am- I wear my vulnerability as a badge of honor it is my strength it is not a weakness. I embrace my grief as a loving testament to my amazing son Shane, to my mother, to my uncle Bobby and to all the other people I have loved and lost.

In these days and weeks ahead I will continue to say his name, I will tell his stories, if you take the time to ask me how I am may you be prepared to hear an honest answer, I will not turn away from how I really feel, I will tell you if you actually truly want to listen- my voice will tremble, my tears will fall, but I will tell you whatever my heart has to say on that particular day. Still nearly two years later the days vary. My love for Shane has changed its form but it still fills my heart and continues to point me North. He is still guiding me and perhaps in a bit of an unexpected way- but when he sends me a message I listen. I have much more to share about that but it is for a different post.

You may remember that last year we launched a holiday version of our logo with the Trinity Knot wrapped in Christmas lights with a star on top.

November 1st feels like the perfect day to launch our holiday logo for 2025.

Holiday 2025 - image here is in sticker form

We are certainly not the only family that have lost loved ones and I am not the only one that feels like I have angels watching over me every day. I also know for many that the holiday season is a more difficult time to handle their absence. My hope is that this logo for 2025 will be a way for anyone missing someone to carry them with you- not just for the holidays but for any of your days. I strongly believe in the signs that come from my angels, the cardinals, the feathers, the songs, the wind chimes when there is no breeze, the purple in the clouds, the owls.

We continue to work with Beeze Tees in Keene, NH as our webstore hosts. We have added a few new items to our collection for this season.

The sponge fleece hoodie is a 6.5-ounce, 52/48 Airlume combed and ring spun cotton/poly fleece;

technical terms for fuzzy and warm without being heavy. This is the brand we used for our McCarthy Brothers Bond ski weekend- if you have one of those hoodies- this is the same material. As always we offer with a large front image or with small left chest and large image on the back , so make sure you choose the one you prefer.

The tri- blend hoodies are described as : ultracomfortable long sleeve hoodie combines moisture-wicking performance, unbeatable softness and PosiCharge technology to lock in color.

• 4.4-ounce, 75/13/12 poly/cotton/rayon jersey with PosiCharge technology

A lightweight option and offered in a unisex version- standard hood with drawstrings, slight cut vents on the bottom sides. The ladies version is a cowl neck in the front with hood and has larger side vents and also is slightly longer in the back.

Again both the unisex and the ladies are offered with large front logo or small chest and back large.

Our other new item we are offering for the cooler weather is an element fleece 1/4 zip that is made out of 8.3 oz./yd², 90/10 polyester/spandex brushed fleece- the fabric is woven so is only available in an embroidered original logo.

We have added new circle stickers too which is pictured above.

We are so grateful to Beeze Tees as they have continued to let us grow our webstore. When we started out it was limited to 12 items! They are so wonderful to work with and beyond patient with all my requests.

All of our logos- the original, the heritage and this new holiday logo are available on any clothing item that you see (as long as the material allows it ) be sure to click through all the tabs so you are not missing anything!

Don't forget that in the spring we added the laser cut leather patch option for our baseball hats.

We also added two polar mugs that have the logo created by laser technology. On these chilly mornings keep that coffee or tea hot (or cold) and bring us with you on your day. I know I am quite particular when it comes to my travel mugs I chose what I like but if you prefer a different size or style- they have other options- please ask!

Perhaps you want just a small logo on the front chest maybe there is a different color you prefer for an item listed on the site please ask.

Are you unsure about the size you need- Beeze Tees will preorder items for those local so that you can stop by and try it on before it gets printed. They have thousands of items in their store- they will do one off printing for any of our logos as well. Maybe you prefer a Carhartt sweatshirt or a different name brand, they have so much to offer and it is so hard to choose! Please stop by - Melissa has been our primary person but they all will be happy to help. Another option for our local shoppers is picking up an order at the Keene store to save on shipping costs, be sure to indicate that is your preference when placing your order.

I can not say it enough- these people want to help so if you have any questions send an email

info@beezetees.com or call the store 1-603-607-7906

It is such an honor to have people purchase these items and share our logo out there, perhaps striking up a conversation with someone about our story or remembering Shane or thinking of our family.

The profit from these sales goes to helping us keep our boys bond strong we have so much more we want to do in our boys honor- we will be doing another ski day ( maybe 2) at Mt. Sunapee with the New England Healing Sports Association in the spring.

Next summer we will host our first golf tournament at Mike's home course, Thomas Memorial Golf Course in Turners Falls, Ma on Shane's birthday June 27, 2026. Put that date on your calendar now- much more to follow on that.

Please be sure to send us a photo when wearing or using our merchandise. We want to share it on our social media to get it to us follow/tag us on our instagram or facebook pages or send it to our email- mccarthybrothersbond@gmail.com

***Do you know a family that has a medically complex child and other siblings? Could that typical sibling use a pick me up, something special for them so they can shine their light. If you think there is a way we can help- please reach out***