when the calendar flips to august, i start to long for the cooler days of autumn. (summer temperatures in southern kansas tend to linger through the middle of september). this year, that longing started in mid-july. on a scorching 105º day, i bought an iced coffee + walked around the fall decor aisles of home goods + hobby lobby. it was a delightful respite from the blazing inferno outside.
this autumn season was different. i can't quite put my finger on it. it's not a bad different; just different. last fall, the trees were all shades of reds + yellows + the weather was picture-perfect for weeks. it seemed this fall was a little hotter + because of a severe drought, none of the trees were at their peak autumnal gorgeousness.
winsome was my chosen word for this quarter. i chose it because it was fun + held a sort of lightness. while there were many moments of winsomeness, there were also hard days. really hard. but i'm grateful for both: the good + the hard. life will not always be sunshine. and when the darkness came, i could see the Light illuminating my way.
fun happenings this autumn quarter:
• we visited a new coffee shop in ICT
• the boys + i camped in our backyard
• we traveled to arkansas for a short vacation
• friday nights were for coffee + rings of power
• i shared snippets of my work day on IG stories
• we went apple + peach picking
• this was the season of watching all the hobbit + LOTR movies
favorite books this quarter:
- encyclopedia of an ordinary life - this will be in my top books of the year! i love amy's writing style + the way she documented the ordinary parts of her life.
- nora goes off script - i am typically hesitant of any popular rom-com books because they turn out to basically just be porn for women. (i said what i said.) this book surprised me! it was cute, well-written, + i wanted to read more!
revisiting this quarter's goals:
- read 6 books. oh yes! i am right at 40 books read this year. it's not about the number for me, but about the quality. i love books, but more importantly, i love books that i actually like to read. i have long released myself from the notion that i should read something; i read what i want to read.
- continue weeknight + 24-hour sabbath from social media. done!
- finish studying 1 peter. done! i also finished 2 peter, the last part of galatians, and am currently in philippians. (i do a verse-by-verse study, referencing my ESV study bible + this bible reference website.)
- continue to hone my skill in microblogging. i fell into a creative rut this quarter. there were days where i would not write at all. thankfully it seems to have subsided.
- make a fall fun list. i'll be honest: i had high hopes for all these activities. most went left unchecked, unfortunately. and not for lack of trying! did you know it would have cost the three of us $50 - $60 to go to the pumpkin patch one time?! we chose a few activities that were lower cost and still made great memories. i had to alter my perspective, but i knew it was worth it: these are the small sacrifices we make to live the life we love. jackson won't remember a missed trip to the pumpkin patch, but he is still talking about trick-or-treating with his friends. (and i'm still eating all that free candy!)
"hope is not just mere, even if it is meager"
rings of power
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