“Life was a too-tall stack of books that had started to lean to one side, and each new day was another book on top.”

-from Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Fall is the season when my body aches to slow down as I feel the pace of the external world ramping up. I struggle deeply with this contradiction each day. Our world is an influx of information. The variety of sources and sheer quantity of information is dizzying. I sometimes feel like I’m drowning in information as I inhale content. I’m hungry to learn more to be a better citizen of this world through knowledge, to learn about places and cultures, to experience novelty, to enjoy art and entertainment, and yet never feel satiated.

The endless opportunities to say yes to a myriad of activities and responsibilities are present daily. My ability to say no and set boundaries on my time takes practice and often leaves me constantly feeling as though I’m disappointing others in the wake of taking care of myself and my family.

After taking time away from the blog for a few weeks, I had time to look at what my purpose for this space has become and what I want it to be in the future. I’ve always loved writing, learning, and sharing information. I wondered how I could imbue our collective senses with the feeling of this season without the mental overload.

I thought about how I feel when I’m in nature, working in the garden, preparing a meal for my family slowly, or reading a book that helps me travel to other places when I need a little escape or adventure in the middle of daily life or insight for understanding the world. When I can’t be outdoors or travel in real life, I watch videos from YouTube creators to help me feel a sensation of calm and reflection or peek into what daily life looks like around the world to gain perspective and inspiration. My hope is to do the same for others so that I might share what each season looks and feels like in my corner of the world.

This fall, as the leaves begin to descend and the daylight hours dwindle, my focus is shifting to a new creative project I’d like to share with this community. I hope you’ll enjoy the change for this season and possibly more to come.

You’ll notice a change in the format of the blog. Each blog post will feature a 5- to 10-minute video montage. I’m taking extra time to produce each blog post to allow time for creativity, enjoying rest in a low-energy season, learning new skills, and recording vignettes to capture this season. This means you’ll receive a blog post every two weeks rather than every Friday.

Below each blog post video, you’ll find a few book recommendations for the season. I hope this new approach will be a feast for your eyes and a balm for your soul.

Let me know what you think about this new format. I’d love to hear your feedback as well as what you’re noticing in your own life this season. Share in the comments below this post.

What’s my simple joy this week?

Sipping hot tea and trying out my new fall capsule wardrobe for the first time as morning temperatures dipped into the 40s and 50s

I’d love to hear about your simple joys in life right now and what you’d like to see in future blog posts. Please share in the comments below this post.

I read once that if there is something that you want to do, but you're not sure how to get there, just begin.

Writing blog posts for 52 Seasons is a creative journey into the expressions that come from my heart: writing, photography, tending a garden, immersing myself in nature, reading stories from voices that need to be heard and sharing them with others, keeping a home, being an advocate and supporter of education and basic human rights, and sharing resources with others.

Get involved in your community. VOTE. Speak out. Volunteer. One small action can create momentum for change.