Category: Autumn

Simply A Moment | 10.15.24…

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OH! To be rested, caught up, focused on the best direction …to be relaxed, relieved, revitalized, on spot…Today ‘s Simply*A*Moment and time to write the blog post. Technically, and it’s simply a convention I created to help me remember and focus on “the moment”, I stop and pause on the moment that equals the time of the day that equates to the month and date, e.g., This is October, the tenth month and the fifteenth day – so at 10:15 AM, technically I’m to stop whatever and focus on that specific, precise, moment . As I type this, I have absolutely no idea of what I’ll be doing at 10:15 AM today, 15th of October! Time will tell* <couldn’t resist!>

Currently, at 8:15 AM, I am sitting at my computer desk, in my little zoom box, “alone yet together” with folk from around the world. Today, 199 of us, in our little Zoom boxes, ostensibly writing. Some of us, as moi, are looking at others who are writing, maybe eating ,thinking, listening, engaging in conversation with some one in the room, scrolling Zoom to see who is there and how they show up: live or just a photo. One participant appears to be having quite an animated conversation ` perhaps with someone else or her character; several are “cat ladies” and/or dog or both? And some are clouds, lakes, sunsets, sunrise … Whatever and Whoever we are, we all showed up to focus on our craft, task for the 8 AM ESDST London Wrters’ Salon session. I also have the opportunity to join the Pacific 8 AM – technically 11 AM for me – session…and I may – should I need to -put the finishing touches on this blog post …

Periodically, I stop to check my stats: I’ve been writing for approximately 16 minutes and have 309 words, thus far. The goal is 1000 words per any writing session. I don’t know that I’ve ever hit that number tho’ I also don’t know that anytime I sit to write – be it via pen or keyboard and occasionally, a verbal note – I care to do so. I did wonder where the metric originated and thanks, to the “web”, learned it was from Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks. A book I’ve read and have not one, but two print copies and I daresay, a digital version, too. T’wouldn’t at all surprise me if t’were the case.

412 words— WH is ending and I’ll move on. A busy Zoom & Writing 1000 Words today.

*Circa 10:15 AM – Actually, it’s now 10:43 AM -I’m currently ensconced – a fancy way of saying settled in/at the dining table. Just finished breakfast: Scrambled egg with shredded cheese and green grapes – just five. Not sure why I settled on that number. Currently, it’s sunny and cool – 55 degrees AND the expected high? Just 58 degrees. Seriously? Seriously!

This morning, as has been the agenda, the street’s being torn up. The gas company is installing lines to meters in most houses on this block. Not my house ‘cause my meter’s already in place. Every day, the leaves on the trees are turning color and/or gently falling to the ground. Leaf collection’s scheduled to begin the end of the month.

512 words at 10:58 am. Not bad . Won’t make the 1000K mark this session but that’s OK with me. Besides, I have two more journaling sessions scheduled for later this afternoon. The last one is at 7PM, ESDST; last week, I completely forgot about it. I know NOT WHY! Not this week, tho’!

608 words …

TBC…

simply a moment | 9.15.24

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On my walk, Sunday, September 15, 2:42 PM:

Leaves on the sidewalk crunch under my feet. I hadn’t realized how impactful the few days of cool weather has been on the trees just two days ago. Hardly any leaves had turned – yet today, not only have many leaves on many different kinds of trees turned, they are also falling, falling, falling. A dog being walked by its owner is just panting. Kind of snuck up on me – thankfully it’s on a leash! He looks like he’s a bulldog mix. It might be a she for all I know.


I stopped to take some pictures of leaves on trees and the ground and see that two other dogs are at a standoff . The owners apparently know one another. And the dogs? One decided s/he wasn’t going to be friendly. The other responded in kind; they may know each other and they may just do that every time they meet.


As I arrive home, my first thought: Where is my car? … and then I remember: my sister has it. A reminder: I need to have the garage auto door looked at – does the remote opener actually function. I just need to make sure the opener works or will it need to be replaced? And if I need to upgrade, how much will it cost? I make a mental note to talk to my neighbors and see what they suggest.

The azalea bush has bloomed again. This is probably not its last time this year…

I check my watch for my walk stats: 43:14 min; 1.10 mi; 2:12 -2:55 pm; 80 degrees; 47% humidity . Exercise goal achieved! Go Me!

Fall, Y’All!

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Lots of leaves on the ground these days; sadly, they aren’t very crunchy but t’is fun to see the types and colors. Currently, at 4 PM, as I write this post, the sun shines and the wind is gently rockin’ the trees, causing, of course, more leaves to fall. I love Fall and my walks during this season just make me happier.

I subscribe to NPR’s Life Kit – a weekly podcast and an email . This week’s “Kit” shared the responses to a question queried last week: “What’s a recent book you read that you couldn’t put down?” My immediate response was Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain that I read six plus decades ago – definitely not recent – when I was a children’s librarian with the Detroit Public Library. The book arrived in the morning delivery and for some reason, I was emptying the delivery – don’t remember where the clerical staff were – maybe a staff meeting? Anyway, the book captured my attention! I sat down to flip through it and the next thing I knew, t’was 3 PM and the kids were arriving from school. I had absolutely become mesmerized. Don’t remember eating lunch, helping any customers, nothing! Just flipping the pages as fast I could to reach the end and find out what happened! Thinking about that time made me happier…and of course, since then there have been many, many many books that have captured my full attention!

And I was delighted to see the first lawn display of Halloween, as I made my way home from to the park.

Welcome October | 10.1.23…

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7:15 p.m. As I type this, the sun is setting. This has been a lovely Fall day, just warm enough to be without a jacket. I took a long, unplanned walk, to Franciscan Monastery and “wrote”, i.e., spoke via Apple Notes about the trip to and back. What follows is a very edited version of those spoken notes.

Sunday, October 1, 2023.

At the Monastery. I’m sitting on the bench overlooking the forest; to my right, the Ronald McDonald house. The sun shines. The trees are not quite as leafy as they were a month ago. I hadn’t planned to come to the Monastery today – I left home without ID or bus fare or a credit card or cash. I was just going for my normal daily walk but I found myself heading north and Here I Am .

It’s a lovely day: Quiet; there’s a cloud or two or three or four, but they’re not menacing – just adding to the overall glory of this day. I enjoyed a quiet morning in bed, dipping into the three new books on memoir writing I bought yesterday; listening to WSHU’s Sunday Baroque; and jotting down thoughts in my journal. Just relaxing. Enjoying doing nothing.

According to the clock it’s 1:33 PM and this is Sunday, October 1. A month ago I was here and I challenged myself to learn something new every day. Well, I suppose I did but what I didn’t do was document what I learned. C’est la vie.

So again, here I sit, partially in the sun and partially not if I turn a little bit. I’m just resting, enjoying the breeze and the scenery, and looking up at the sky following the trees to their very tippy tops. Such a beautiful, peaceful setting. I see a young boy running uphill and wonder where he’s going.

The koi pond is overflowing with plants; I barely saw any fish; wonder why they let the plants grow that way? I’m sure there’s a reason. I tell myself I’ll take a couple pictures of the Koi pond on my way out.

And thus the day comes to an end. Welcome October 2023.

Simply A Moment | 9.15.23…

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9:15 AM – The bright blue sky is crystal clear; there is a slight breeze, evident by the gentle sway of leaves on the trees, bushes, grasses and an occasional leaf or two, whirling to the ground. There isn’t a cloud to be seen. A beautiful autumn day.

Look closely. Do you see the butterflies?

I sit here at the table, trying to decide what do I do next? Writers’ Hour is over for the time being; there is another session scheduled at 11 A, EST, 8 AM PST… I doubt I’ll join for I’m not actually bursting with words begging to be made visible and my day’s to do list is long…

I contemplate a walk to the Franciscan Monastery but my “to do” agenda rules that out. Me thinks my morning walk to and thru the park will fit the bill quite nicely and on the way to/fro I will undoubtedly stumble on a leaf or more on the sidewalk, a lovely autumn fleur, and the refreshing caress of a breeze on my cheeks. Cool enough for sleeves on my arms.

Over the past couple years, since Covid rudely interrupted all our lives, I’ve sat at this table and watched another apartment building being built. DC is only 64 square miles and these days, a plot of land, especially on major thoroughfares and streets, becomes prime real estate for multi dwelling buildings … and because no building can be taller than the Washington Monument, sky scrappers are out of the question, thereby limiting how tall any building may be …

The big decision: do I check out the progress of the new apartment building on my walk to or from the park? I think To… or Fro…Hmmm

1:30 PM – This gorgeous day is half over! I’ve completed my walk and every step was as lovely as I’d anticipated. The breeze still caresses the trees and the sky, cloudless. Three loads of laundry – not necessarily “fun” but definitely D-O-N-E.

A photo to end this post: Elias, now in all day kindergarten, working on his autobiography. They start young…

Cheers~

LSNED

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September. Today, being the first day of meteorological autumn – my very favorite time of the year – and an absolutely gorgeous day: warm temps with no humidity, bright sunlight and the Friday before 2023’s Monday Labor Day –

At least ten years ago, I joined Shimelle Laine and scrapbookers from around the world document something learned daily, during the 30 days of September. I decided to revive the practice and document what I learned each day this month. It’s always a good thing to pause and take stock of one’s learning …or lack thereof.

Today has been absolutely gorgeous: Sunshine, blue sky, temperatures in the mid 70s and low-to-no humidity ~ the perfect invitation for a walk to my favorite resting place: the Franciscan Monastery, about a 14 block walk – if I take a particular route (hold onto that thought: it’s a critical piece of today’s learning experience). I decided that I’d first walk to Zeke’s, the coffee shop about a mile from home for a pumpkin spiced latté. I learned that I was a few days ahead of their schedule – PSL not available til next week. C’est la vie; LSNED. I ordered a different concoction, a tad sweet but tasty. I drank most. LSNED!

I arrived at the Monastery tired, ready to sit for a spell. My walk turned out to be longer and farther than I anticipated – I’d taken a wrong turn that led me to a dead end street – so I had to back track my steps. As many times as I’d walked to the Monastery, I’d never started from the coffee shop. LSNED!

Once I arrived, I sat for a while, enjoying the fresh air; trees, reaching high to the sky; squirrels playing tag and butterflies, flying high. I might have stayed a tad longer but looked at my watch and realized I needed to start home. My lawn care service was scheduled to arrive shortly around 3 PM. I arrived home to find them busy cutting the grass.

Wonder what other new things I’ll learn this month. Are you planning to LSN this month?

Cheers~

PS. The class is no longer offered but there are plenty sites to visit if you want a broader view. Just search Shimelle and Learn Something New.

Zibaldone| 8.26.22 …

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It’s Fall, Y’all!

Perhaps you are like me: Autumn/Fall is my absolutest favorite time of the year…and has been since I started school at age  4 years, 10 months. I remember telling my mother (whom I called Lilly – that’s what her close friends called her, not Mama) on my 3rd day of school: “You don’t have to walk me to school today, Lilly. I’m a big girl now and I can go by myself.”  Years later, my mother shared that a) her heart sank and b) even tho’ she let me venture on my own, she discreetly followed me to school. When I think about that, I have to smile …tho’ I never caught sight of her, I fully appreciate what she did!

Each year there after, “back to school” meant a new plaid dress and shoes – oxfords, usually burgandy in color to which my father gave the first-class United States Army shine – and, drum roll: a new box of crayons and a ream of newsprint. Nirvana! My heart still quickens at the memory.  Of course, as I matriculated to higher grades, 3, 4, 5, plaid book bags were also a part of back-to-school regalia (backpacks came well after I was out of high school, if not college).

Now that my school days are loooong gone, my excitement, plans (wishes?) for the season include the completion of my AMAZE – About ME A-Z – project: telling my life stories. I began this project six years ago and it has been off/on. In February of this year, I resumed it in earnest; I am now at the point where I’m ready for the next phase: Determining the final project format/s – it will be a book, either a scrapbook album or printed photo book or both.

I am also developing a slight itch to stitch: knit, quilt, and learn to embroider.  And, of course, my TBR list continues to grow – which is a good thing and content for the next blog post.  Stay tuned…

Cheers~

*Despite the very summery looking photo ~ the subject of another post – someday…

simply a moment|august 2022 …

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On my walk today, I noted more  leaves, in various stages of turning color, on the ground. Autumn, according to the meterological calendar is September 1 – just 16 days away! I feel the excitement building in my mind – despite the fact that I have no special plans on the agenda.

Thus far, weather this week has been ideal and is much appreciated! Today, since Sunday past, I’ve been able to go for a walk to and through the park, just 3 – 4 blocks from my house. Round trip, my walks are at least a mile long, take about 35 minutes and include a few hills to “climb.”  Weekdays are especially fun for the littles – children from a couple local day care centers are in the park: playing on the jungle gyms, swinging; toddlers, practicing their walking and the older ones, learning how to “get along.”  “Oh no, you can’t snatch that toy from someone ‘just ’cause you want it,” or push someone out of the way, just ’cause you can, etc… I smile as I observe these interactions. Ah life!

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I arrive home and note just how lovely is the crepe myrtle – another treat of the summer-to-fall season’s glory. I am ever grateful for these morning walks.

this tree|11.25.21…

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this tree, Thanksgiving 2021

Nearly 36 years ago I moved into my house; several years thereafter, I fell in love with the Japanese Maple tree and promptly had one planted. Over the years, I have watched the tree grow and change colors as the seasons evolved: winter, spring, summer and autumn.

I have delighted in watching the leaves change on the trees – but none more so than this year.

This year, this autumn, as best I can recollect, the Japanese Maple – this tree – shines and glows in all its glory! Its color is absolutely stunning! A feast for the eyes, even on a grey day.

It has been chilly all week: mornings, I sit with a woven shawl thrown around my shoulders and on my walks, accompanied by hats, gloves. My glasses are easily fogged by my mask – I always wear when out in the world, despite being fully vaccinated. The mask reassures me and I trust, others too.

In the wee small hours of this very chilly – 38 degrees – Thanksgiving morn, I am especially grateful for this tree and this day. May your days, especially this Thanksgiving, be filled with good health, good food, the companionship of loved ones, both near and far … and a this tree.

Cheers~