Have you started your fall bucket list? What are you waiting for? Here’s the start of mine.
Decorate for fall.
Bake some pumpkiny goodness.
Unplug from my phone.
Catch up on my reading.
Hike!
Take my meals outside when possible.
Rewatch Stranger Things season one
Try some new soup recipes.
Go to bed early. Rest is restorative.
Make homemade trail mix.
Buy flannel sheets to match my new blue bedroom.
Go somewhere I’ve never been.
That’s not a bad start!
The weather finally broke, the humidity dissipated and the outdoors no longer hurts my skin or lungs. It has felt a little like fall for the last couple of days and this break has been a tremendous relief.
We hiked yesterday for the first time since June. Plus, we picked up food truck food and had a picnic at the lake. Last night was nice and cool so we went on the porch and enjoyed the sounds of evening in the country.
It was awfully nice and I wish it would last. Unfortunately, the heat will return soon and we’ll be sweating again and I’ll be complaining about it again.
All the same, it’s a lovely reminder of what is to come as summer will eventually shift into fall and I couldn’t be more excited.
I wouldn’t hate summer so much if it always felt like fall!
Welcome to Saturday. It’s going to be 64 degrees and sunny here in southern Ohio so I’m going to take full advantage and go outside. November can be a volatile month although it has been mild so far. Best take advantage of the good weather while we can before it turns cooler and rainy.
It has been so mild thus far that I still haven’t turned on my heat or switched to the flannel sheets. The lovely thing about being a hearty Ohio girl is that we don’t require heat or jackets until it at least dips well below freezing.
The day will come soon though.
Meanwhile, this marks the start of my staycation. I intended to have a solid week of rest and hanging out to do some yard work and organizing. I intended to take some day trips and simply do as I please. I need to focus on supporting my own mental and physical health. Those plans have gone out the window and my week will mostly be comprised of obligations rather than anything I actually want to do. So much for rest and wellness.
It’’s important to take advantage of the free time I have and strike while the iron is hot! Don’t worry – I’ll sneak in some kind of adventure in between the other stuff!
Wherever you are, I hope you are able to get outside today. Fresh air cleanses the lungs, mind and spirit. Exercise is good for all those things too. As always, be happy and well. Nature is a wonderful place to do those things and to gain perspective on the world around you.
“In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.”
Cynthia Rylant
November has arrived, the time has changed and now is the time to make your winter bed. Don’t fight the seasons and don’t deny Nature her will.
Embrace the quiet and peace of these restful months as the earth grows quiet. It’s a wonderful opportunity to focus on self care and other joys of the season.
Happy Monday, friends!
Everyone complains about the time change. Occasionally the politicians will come at it with threats of abolishing it and social media is clogged with people complaining about the early sunsets and dark mornings. But, ya’ll, I have been looking forward to this moment since we sprung forward in the spring.
Hear me out.
First of all, I feel better and and sleep well in the winter. This feels like the natural time for me.
The time change and the winter season are a part of nature and the rhythm of the year. It’s important to humans to have this period of rest and calm. It’s not punishment. It’s an opportunity to focus your attention inward, toward your body, mind, spirit and home.
Look to nature in the winter. Nearly everything in nature lets go of what it doesn’t need and enters a period of rest. And why not? It’s cold outside and often gloomy where I live. There are nice days perfect for outdoor fun but the long nights are perfect for doing things you don’t make time to do when the days are long and you feel compelled to stay busy.
Long, sunny days make you feel bad for going to bed early even when you need rest. Long days force you to devote endless hours to lawn care. Summer days make you feel like you should be out running from one activity to another.
Winter means there’s time to make soup and settle in with those movies you’ve been meaning to watch. Winter means you have time to work on your hobbies or maybe try a new one. Long nights mean you can organize your closet, make some comfort food and turn on the fairy lights as you feather your nest.
Winter means there’s time for self care and for introspection. It means that calm and rest can be a priority if you allow it.
If you have been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder I hope you will seek ways to make the winter more bearable and maybe someday you can find some relief and even a way to enjoy it.
As for me, I am so excited to dive into my quiet winter life. It’s hard to describe what it means to have license to embrace this season of respite, to reset, recharge, rejuvenate and realign my intentions.
Enjoy this season and find delight in what you think you don’t enjoy.
The party’s over and October is nearly through. As we march bravely into November, it’s still a very moderate temperature here. Today will be near eighty degrees when it really ought to be much cooler here in Ohio and Halloween will feel more like Labor Day.
The colors are still pretty in places and there’s no shortage of leaves falling to the ground so that’s nice to see.
I play this game every year where I try holding out as long as possible before turning on the heat. The goal is always November 1 and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single day I felt tempted to give in and embrace the heat. It has gotten down into the thirties at night a few times but my house stayed pretty comfortable.
Anyway, we say farewell to October today with lovely poem and this oldie but goodie photo of Scout in his bat wings. I would give you an updated photo of him in his Halloween costume but he wasn’t having it this year.
October’s Party by George Cooper
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came—
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.
Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly “hands around.”