As I sip my morning coffee, I am realizing that we are twenty-one days into autumn and I am wondering if I am 'in the moment' enough to fully enjoy it. Fall and Spring are my favorite times of the year, yet both of these seasons seem to disappear the moment before I realize they have happened.
Distractions, perhaps
Once September starts, autumn does too in my book. I don't care for official dates, September the first is fall time. Last month, I was certainly in the mindset, I started gathering the harvest decor, etc. Now, we are thirteen days into October already. What the heck is that about? I believe October got a little ahead of me. I have been too distracted by tying up loose ends from summer that I have barely noticed we are halfway through October. Time to pour a mug of The Special and get back on track.
The Special *coffee, hazelnut creamer, whip cream, & cinnamon
Will mowing season ever end?
The only thing I hate worse than mowing during the summer is mowing during the fall. It's not the mowing itself that I mind, though. On the one hand, I look forward to mowing in the cooler air but on the other hand, it brings with it extra-added challenges. Such as pokeberries. Pokeberries grow on pokeweed and if you mow around these things enough, by the time you are done, you could pass for Carrie (from the movie). One of nature's ways to punish you for not weed-eating and spraying enough.
Then there are chestnuts. Sure, they are terrific to eat and throw at people, but when you get clocked in the face by the burs as you mow under the trees. Well, then you'll know what I mean. Find out more about the chestnut here https://www.farmshedblog.com/post/ye-ole-chestnut
Look around though
Those are just minor complaints as there is plenty of beauty all around me. It's easy to get caught up in all that you are doing or need to do. You just have to pause for a moment and look. Yesterday, I noticed several mushrooms popped up in the yard. That's a great sign, it means the soil is good and healthy. I am not going to eat them. I believe they are edible, but it's never a good idea if you aren't 100% sure which type, they are. Since I am not sure, it's best to leave them be and just appreciate that they are there.
Gran's rose bush is also looking gorgeous again. It blooms twice; once in the Spring/Summer and again in the Autumn. I may be imagining it, but it seems like the second round of blooms are so much larger and fuller than the first round. Some people are telling me I need to prune it back. I don't know, I'll look into it. It seems to be doing just fine without my interference. It just gets thirsty from time to time.
I found an incredibly sweet honey bee asleep in one of my Cosmo flowers. Oh, my goodness how adorable. Bees like to nap in flowers from time to time. I learned that if they nap with a buddy, they hold each other's feet. Is that not the sweetest thing you've ever heard? I am loving the cosmos but I don't believe I will plant them in my flower bed next year. I will still plant them in other areas but I am almost sure the huge packet I had contained some weeds. They may be better suited for another location. Plus, they get really tall which blocks out the sun from some of my shorter flowers nearby.
Gettin' my Fall on
My creative energy has been draining the past couple of months. I haven't been spending much time on the little things that I love so much. Maybe it's the summer heat, it just zaps me, literally. I have put all my energy into completing a couple of the bigger things. Both of which are about halfway done, or at least off to a good start. One is ready to be completed in the Spring, the other is in full swing, it just needs my attention.
Now that the stairwell is complete, I will need to do a few things. 1) I will need to protect it from dust from the vents. 2) Find a way to keep the hot air downstairs to save energy and to keep warm. 3) Finish painting the downstairs hallway entrance area. First, I will need to replace the filters in all the downstairs vents before I plan on running the furnace. That will help a good deal, not only to keep down the dust but for my own health. What I plan to do to keep the heat downstairs is install some long blackout curtains on a room divider track. Hopefully, this will work and it will also allow my cat to travel up and down stairs freely as he pleases. It should be fairly simple once I get the ceiling painted. All that is needed is a little motivation.
One day at a time and don't forget to breathe
I am kind of bad about having many things going at once. Such has been the case through Spring. Summer slowed me down though. Knowing my energy level was down, I really put all my focus into trying to get the hardest part of my Spring 2022 project completed before Winter. With that out of the way, now I can relax and do some fun things. I have a glass cutter that I have been anxious to try. I am in the process of designing and making another sign and I have some glasses waiting to be etched. Let the good times roll.
Like I said, look for it
Sometimes beauty comes at you when you least expect it. If it hadn't been for a scorched pan that smoked me out of the house, I would have completely missed this gorgeous rainbow. It must have just barely rained a drizzle enough to produce this wonderful sight. I ran out of the house just in time to catch a glimpse. Lucky me because it wasn't there for long. It was breathtaking. A beautiful reminder from God of his promise that he will never destroy the earth again by flood.
In spite of all the world's distractions, it's important to stay focused on what makes us happy inside. Water it and it will grow. I believe a drive over the mountain is in order for my near future. Nothing charges my batteries like a peaceful drive in the fresh mountain air.
Enjoy the Fall time, it is here and it will be gone before you know it. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day.