Seasons 48-49 (2022)
Our whole family has taken turns not feeling well over the last two weeks. We spent the rainy days recuperating, resting, reading, watching the World Cup, completing a few small projects around the house, enjoying plenty of soup, and drinking an inordinate amount of tea and smoothies. We did our best to support and care for each other along the way.
Rain and cooler temperatures were constant this season. The burr oak, cedar elm, and red oak trees exploded with color as the last nod to fall. We walked among the scattered leaves through our neighborhood and admired nature’s brilliance on display.
When the sun finally started to peek out after all that rain, the growth in the garden became exponential after weeks of waiting on tiny sprouts. I spent some time thinning the sprouts to make room for them to grow even more. We saved our mustard green, cabbage, and pak choi sprouts to use as microgreens in salads and soups. I even harvested a few of our chrysanthemum blooms for making tea.
As the weather cools, I want our resident birds and critters to have a little extra warmth. I refilled our nesting balls, and within hours, I could see that they had pulled at the alpaca fur to bring back to their birdhouses and nests.
I hope you enjoy this week’s video. While life rarely keeps a slow pace, the vignettes I share in these videos are a way to reflect on moments that bring calm, a connection to nature, and a reason to pause and admire the beauty in our daily life. I hope they inspire you to find moments in your own life that bring you a sense of peace and wonder.
Special thanks to my husband for the videos of the stunning fall foliage in Blanco, Texas and for making us the delicious cioppino featured in the video.
The music in the video is called Kobi by Arden Forest and Retrace by Arden Forest on Epidemic Sound.
Book Recommendations
I love a good book pairing, and when I read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, I immediately thought of The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I love these light-hearted stories that incorporate essential themes such as finding belonging in the world, found family, and the power of being vulnerable enough to give love a second change.
Authors like David Shannon know just how to re-create an experience through storytelling like in his picture book about the chaos of a sudden downpour and the calm that follows.
With the holiday season upon us, I’m focusing on gifts related to spending time relaxing, reading, puzzling, and spending time with or in nature. I’ve put together a list of a few favorites on Etsy called 2022 Holiday Gifts in case these curated ideas might help you check a few items off your list.
What’s my simple joy this week? The little lavender tree in my office from Vickery Greenhouse was delivered through Farmhouse Delivery. I love that the lavender scent reminds me to slow down during a busy day.
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.
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