Friday.
It’s so nice to see you again.
Fall.
Fall has officially settled upon the Blue Ridge portion of Virginia.
I’m hoping that I’ll have some moments to get out and capture some photos this weekend.
Sickness.
If you read Monday’s post, where I announced my November Challenge, then you know that Miss Sunshine woke up sick on her birthday. No soccer, no party..just pain and sleep. Saturday meant everything I had was dedicated to trying to keep her hydrated and soothed.
Even after our return from the clinic, there was a period of time where I was debating a trip to the emergency room because the breathing was becoming more labored.
I have no nursing skills, but I was monitoring the color of her nails and lips. I am not new to the health concerns of children. I am well-weathered in this department. I have had my share of experiences with the 17, 16, and 14 year-olds. It was a nasty viral infection and left her with laryngitis for the next few days.
Rain.
Monday, it rained all day. It was bringing in the cold. Miss Sunshine felt well enough to head to school on Tuesday.
Hair Time.
And I went and got my hair done!
I always wait for way too long between appointments. Mainly due to the fact that I’m still not good at my putting myself as a priority.
Are there certain ways that you make yourself a priority?
Massage?
Pedicure?
Soaking in the tub?
Spending hours reading a book?
Something else?
Reading.
When I was looking for a book on meditation, I saw this book, 10% Happier
Synchronicity.
But synchronicity being what it is, I had read something recently about 10% Happier, so I decided to check it out. I thought it was really good. In fact, I had trouble putting it down. Interestingly, while reading 10% Happier, Light Watkins, who is leading the meditation challenge that I am doing through Wanderlust, mentioned a quote by Dan Harris (I think it was on day 16 of the 21-day challenge).
Meditation.
Since I am new to meditation I am learning and still have lots to learn. One type of meditation that Dan Harris mentioned, which I had not heard of, was Metta Meditation. After a particularly hard parenting morning (teenagers…need I say more), I decided to try it. I found one on YouTube that I really liked. I have a hard time with “actual” visualization but found this specific type and that specific day, I was able to see the person in each part, clearly in my mind.
Hemingway.
Not to worry, I did finish and am back to reading Hemingway. I had a hard time with the story in the beginning because he introduced so many characters at the beginning that I was struggling to keep track of who was who. I’ve got it now! Plus it’s a short read.
Middlemarch.
Another book that I heard everyone should read was is Middlemarch by George Eliot
Halloween Reading.
Then, my library has a display of “stranger reads” for Halloween. How could I really walk passed a book titled The Queen of Bedlam? So I checked out that rather large book by Robert McCammon.
I think I may have a problem.
New Boots.
Another problem that I have is that I LOVE shoes.
I think that my favorite shoe style of all may be boots. I don’t wear boots in warm weather. I’m not even sure that I ever wore boots when I lived in Florida. I prefer sandals when the sun is beating down. After the move to Virginia, I started wearing boots during the colder weather and I always keep my eye out to add to my collection. Now it’s fall, glorious fall, and I can pull out my boots.
Autumn.
I think autumn is my favorite season.
Crisp air, bright colors, another page turning.
What is your favorite season?
Music.
YouTube once again did well with recommending a new band to me. I had a hard time choosing which of their songs to share. The band is Hollow Coves and they are out of Brisbane, Australia. In the end, I’ve chosen “The Woods” for many reasons. One of those reasons is because I read that the song is about escapism…about how we often get caught up in distractions and forget to enjoy the important things. So much of my public journey has been about learning to be mindful and not so distracted. Even my blog name was created from a concept of stopping to recognize the beauty around even when everything seems as though it is in chaos.
I hope that you all have had a wonderful week and that you have a beautiful light-filled weekend.
Let your light shine!
Amy
I love autumn and can feel your joy, thank you for sharing some of your reads, I’m going to order Dan Harris’s book, 10% Happier, through my library as well and I have the same problem, reading all the books that catch my eye!
I have a tendency to gather too many books at once! I hope you enjoy Dan Harris’s book. 🙂
Autumn is one of my favorites, along with spring. There’s just something about watching the leaves change color before falling in autumn, and then watching everything colorfully burst back to life in the spring. 🙂
Yes! It feels very “cycle of life” and is beautiful to watch. We had cypress tree when I lived in Florida and it would lose its needles in winter and I loved watching for the new ones to sprout in the spring. Now that we are in Virginia, the seasons are obviously much more pronounced and a spectacle to behold. 🙂
I would love to have me-time and reading a book but I feel I relax more and clear my head better if I’m out of the house. So a massage at a nice SPA anywhere here in Dubai is my happy place at the moment.
I do miss the autumn as it always made me feel relaxed for some reason but haven’t experienced it for six years since I moved to the Middle East..
I love massages and yet I never seem to make the time to get one. I think it’s the whole appointment thing that I have trouble with for hair, massage…etc. lol.
Autumn wasn’t a very pronounced season in Florida where I was born and lived until we moved to Virginia four years ago. Since the move, I’ve come to love Autumn… Winter not so much, although I do find the snow beautiful…for a day or two. 🙂
I love Autumn. It’s spring here at the moment. I think I love both equally. Something about the changing seasons. So sorry to hear that your daughter has been unwell. It’s so hard when they are sick. Your hair looks really great! Glad you got some time for you. x
Thanks Dee! I think there is so much to love about both Autumn and Spring. Spring is definitely an uplifting sight now that we live in a place where winter is much colder! xo
I love Hemingway, but not near as much as Middlemarch! 😀 I bet you I’ve read that book five or six times. Knowing you’re reading it makes me wanna read it again, but I’ve got four lined up, so I must wait.
I love boots, too. Lurve. Broke out my burnt orange booties last night. Wore my gray knit boots today. Boot time, Amy! Fall is THE BEST!
Your hair looks fab! I’m totally overdue for my highlights, but I pretty much always am. Just like I’m always overdue to pedicure. I take time to soak in the tub and moisturize, but I don’t have much else in the way of beauty rituals. Reading, yes, much binge, much. Used to get foot reflexology every week when my anxiety was terrible. Seldom do that now, but I still like it.
I’m excited to hear the Middlemarch is so good! I was reading an article where the book was mentioned. It did quote parts of it, but I skimmed those sections as I had made up my mind to read it and didn’t want the storyline to be ruined.
Ohhh…. I need some gray boots. My new bootie ones are more taupe. My knee high boots are my fave and went with me to Scotland. I realized over the weekend that they seemed to blend in with the leaves across the forest floor!
Thanks on the hair!! My highlights go waayy to long and then I see pictures and am like “woah, I need to get my hair done” and then I have to wait to get in to see her. This time I booked my next appointment while I was there. I’m learning… 🙂
In the few massages I’ve had the foot is my favorite part. I’ve seen a place nearby by that does a foot reflexology massage. I’m very tempted to try it.
I’ve got tons of deadlines for Senior year stuff and winter clothes to find for teens that have grown, so I’ll have to fit myself in here and there 😉
Yes ma’am, but self care IS important. I hope you get some reflexology and gray boots 🙂
Oh Amy, we have so much in common, from a love of reading (and sometimes having more than one book on at a time) to our meditation challenge, our love of nature and even our love of shies lol. But seriously this was such a wonderful post and I could relate to everything you wrote here. Thank you for sharing your thoughts lovely lady. By the way, your new hairstyle looks fabulous. xo ❤️
Books, meditation, nature, and shoes are definitely at the top of my list right now!! I’m so happy that you love all those things too Miriam! 🙂 Thank you for your kinds words! I’m loving my hair. xo <3
I suppose writing in the blog has always been my escape from everything going on around me. Love the photo in the sunglasses.
Thanks Jonathan! Interesting on how you see your blog. I probably escape by pouring myself into my blog, but I also find myself by pouring myself there. Mostly because I was so lost as to who I might be outside of mother and household manager. I’m still seeking, but I’m seeing glimmers of who might emerge. 🙂
I hope you are enjoying Hemingway. I cut my literary teeth on his A Farewell to Arms. I have read Silas Marner by George Eliot but not Middlematch. I had read Silas Marner in high school and didn’t like it. Then I saw my old literature text at a garage sale and picked it up for dollar. The whole book of Silas Marner was in the text and I re-read it in my 40s and it was great! 🙂
Thanks for the music. I enjoyed it greatly.
I’m enjoying Hemingway. I think my husband has read every book written by him.
I have not read Silas Marner. I did have a similar experience with Wuthering Heights. Our entire honor’s English class my Senior year of high school found it to be such a painful read that the teacher opted to forgo it and choose other novels. I picked it up again sometimes in my 30’s and found it to be a good tale. I still prefer her sister’s book, Jane Eyre, which is my favorite novel.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the music! I love finding new-to-me bands. 🙂