It's Evenings Like This:
I've been out running errands, but made a stop in Barnes and Noble for a peppermint mocha and a few minutes of reading.  I sat at a window table reading Jane Austen's Persuasions.  It's chilly outside.  This week it's been near the mid 60s, but the last few days the high has been in the 40s.  As I walked out to my car, whether from swooning while reading Persuasions or from being chilly I was suddenly aware it's on evenings like this I wish I had a significant person in my life.  I would love to come home, share a bottle of wine while cooking dinner together.  Feeding each other sample spoonfulls of steaming food while it's still cooking.  The aromatic smells of dinner along with the occassional nibble of what we're cooking, and more wine making us giddy and flirty.  Then eating dinner together.  After dinner cuddled on the sofa with a blanket over us, pjs on, talking, laughing, sharing, watching TV, reading to one another.  Someone reading poetry to me and me reading to them is on my list of must do's.  Eventually evening giving way to night, drifting off to sleep, cozy and content.  It's evenings like this that I long for closeness on a chilly late Autumn night.  

Thanksgiving Day:

It's Thanksgiving Day and I'm so very thankful!  After a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch with my family I sat on my patio in the sunshine writing.  It was such a warm, and gorgeous day today!  I know that every day is perfect, every moment of everyday is perfect, every second, but in moments like this I know that is true.  I feel the perfection of this moment, not because of any previous good meal earlier in the day, or any man made contriving, but because the second is full of life.  Here I am sitting in a bright yellow fold out camping chair, a pair of tennis shoes on, white, comfy socks, jeans, green fleece shirt, my hair is fixed cute, but I'm not wearing makeup.  Sitting here in the cool late Autumn sunshine listening to neighborhood kids play a pick up game of football, falling leaves rattling as they fall through the branhes to the ground, squirrels making noise.  Yes, this moment is full and perfect and for that I'm so very thankful, bless, and grateful!  Peace and contentment!  Thank you God for blessing me abundantly and unconditionally! 

These photos were taken of my dining room and table decorated before Thanksgiving lunch and photos taken during my walk a few hours after lunch. 



Pushing My Boundaries:

One of the ways that I'm surrendering to the moment, pushing my boundaries, stepping out of my comfort zone, and BEing in the present, is by engaging in free writing.  I like to call this my spark writing.  These short vignettes provide me with kindling to fire the creative writing process.  It literally frees my creative side in a playful, whimisical, and interesting way.  These pieces take me out of the cognitive side of writing into the feeling, emotional, enriching stories that provides a meaningful support to deeper writing.  I write short stream of consciouness so I can dig deeper to find the well of creativity that is bursting to find a voice.  Spark writing enables me to get to the root of writing where the nourished, juicy parts are ready to be revealed.  

Crafting Weekend During Thanksgiving Week:

Several wreaths have been made, the other crafts have been using acrylic paint to paint on tile.  It was a fun weekend of crafting!

November's Thanksgiving:
I woke up around 7:20 with the sunshine glowing golden in my bedroom windows.  The beautiful blue sky glistening down on me through the blinds.  I lay in bed enjoying the silence and the warm cocoon I was in.  Around 7:40 I got out of bed.  I opened the curtains and blinds to Autumn's beauty, seeing the golden trees, blue sky, sunshine, and the wind blowing.  The day opening absolutely breathtakingly beautiful!  Thankful beyond words, only the flow of feeling. 

Pushing My Boundaries:

I'm at a place in my life where I want adventure.  Starting with small steps with gradual changes will increase the chances that I will continue to add flavor to my life.  I love consistency and routines, but there also needs to be spice to life.  Routines lull, their false sense of safety and comfort stifling, create fear.  The safety net has been flung aside, I am jumping fearlessly into life.  I trust and surrender to All that is.  To BEing.  Life is a beautiful gift to be lived to the fullest!  Life is to BE lived out loud!  In vibrant color!

So to celebrate life and the part of me that craves adventure I decided to start going on hikes.  I joined a group a couple of years ago but never went on any of the hikes because I was apprehensive about the challenge of the hikes.  The other day I chose to finally go on one.  I've been on two so far.  The first hike was at the beginning of September at a park.  It was 2.5 miles and relatively easy.  The second hike was in October.  It was 2.5 miles but a little more challenging with rougher terrain, deeper in the woods.  There were rocky sections that I had to scramble up, narrow steps that dropped to a stream below, a suspension bridge.  My adrenaline was pumped several times, but I loved every second of the hike.  There were 12 women in the group.  We talked, walked, laughed, stumbled, tripped over the roots of trees, laughed some more, talked about our lives, and families.  All different, but the same.  Everyone seeking the challenge of the hike, to connect with nature, and one another.  I pushed my boundaries because I didn't know anyone on the hike, out of 12 people only 2 people were acquainted.  I also pushed my limits by hiking.  Being a self proclaimed introvert I forced myself outside my box of comfort by meeting 11 new friends, and physically forcing myself to hike 2.5 miles.  We stopped half way through and ate snacks, talked, laughed, got to know one another.  I cherish the day.

I will continue to live outside my comfort zone in small ways, getting the blood to flow scortching hot through my veins.  Knowing I'm living the life God intended for me to live.  I'm reminded of the quote by St. Catherine of Siena which she states most beautifully and eloquently, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."