A Change in the Air

"Autumn to winter, winter to spring,

Spring into summer, summer into fall -

So rolls the changing year, and so we change;

Motion so swift, we know not that we move..."
Dinah Mulock Craik

September already... where did the summer go? In two weeks I leave for London... and when I return we will be fully enveloped in autumn.

There is a distinct change in the air and so begins the season of morning frosts, early morning fires in the fireplace, thick sweaters, Pumpkin Spice Lattes (which have already arrived at Starbucks!) and a reflective thoughtfulness.

This is the season I ask myself "What do I want more or less of in my life so that I can love the life I'm leading?"

My answers:

I want calmness and an inner strength; a deep assurance within of who I am and where I am going.
I want confidence to be myself.... my best self.
I want less fear, less distrust, less comparing myself to others... More joy in the moment.
I want a quick mind and a solidness in the work I do.
I want satisfaction without complacency, and success - tempered with humility.
and I want an abiding gratefulness.

Now my friend, it's your turn - what are the things that you want more or less of in your life so that you can love the life you are leading?

Comments

Perfect Comfort Food - Pumpkin Apple Bread

A perfect comfort food, especially when spread with cream cheese, Pumpkin Apple Bread has become a tradition of mine every autumn – Enjoy! Pumpkin Apple Bread from Celebrate the Rain - Seattle Junior League 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg (can use freshly grated) 1 tsp ground cloves ¾ tsp salt ¼ tsp ground allspice 2 cups (16 ounces) pure pumpkin puree (I use fresh / steamed and pureed pumpkin – you may also use canned) 2 ¼ cup sugar 4 eggs, lightly beaten ¾ cup vegetable oil 1 large or 2 medium Granny Smith apples: peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch dices Cinnamon Sugar Topping 5 Tbs sugar 1 Tbs all-purpose flour 1 Tbs butter at room temperature 1 (heaping) tsp cinnamon For the topping – Combine sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon. Blend with fork to an even, crumbly texture. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans. Sift together the flour, baking s...

Focus on Beauty

There will be days when we must force ourselves to focus. There are so many distractions, and it's easy to be pulled this way or that. And as we're pulled, it's easy to get more and more uptight. I've found one way to heighten one's focus throughout the day is to be aware of the sometimes-small details, and the beauty around us. I typically use my early morning walks to make myself look past the obvious and focus on the details. Examples: the morning sun streaming through the window and creating shadows across the room the richness of evening light a clear reflection of a building in a street puddle the colors of the sky, the clouds, etc. a mother walking hand in hand with her child Then in the evening, I write down five of the things that stood out to me during the day. Some days, my list may include more obvious objects of beauty. Other days, the list might include small glimpses of something in passing, sights I may have previously walked right on ...

A Simple "Hello"

Not to start on a negative, but this is one of my pet peeves...people who send condolences or RSVPs, a written invitation or congratulations or any other such personal communications in an e-mail. I mean really, how sincere is it when the receiver knows that this is something you popped off on your iPhone while waiting at the dentist? As Alan Weiss points out in his Balancing Act Newsletter, “Texting ‘I feel 4 U’ is not the same, somehow, as writing four sentences of sympathy and support. We can all afford the ten minutes.” In this day of “instant” everything, have we forgotten how to pick up a pen and a piece of paper? Here’s an easy way to make sure this type of “never have time for” correspondence doesn’t happen to you. Purchase five cards or post cards. Purchase stamps. (These first two steps are honestly the hardest part of this!) Put your favorite music on, settle in and think of five people you love and “never” write because you “never” have the time. Possibly one of your five ...

Windridge Reflections

Search This Blog