Hello, October!

Truth be told, September was exhausting.

Absolutely exhausting.

I had to adapt to having ouchie knees (woo chondromalacia--but at least it's healing and they're getting better). 

I had to handle yet another round of house issues (yellow jacket hive nestled between our wall and water heater chimney).

Front of our house on September 28th.
No, that's not the chimney that was having yellow jacket problems...
I was actually trying to photograph a spectacular orb web, but it didn't quite show up. Ah well.

...And my husband and I had to make a huge life-impacting decision. 

It was a decision that's been looming over us for the last several months... I went into September thinking that we were going to move to California, and we ended the month having decided to stay where we are. 

View from the breakfast nook--also on September 28th.
Looking out on the backyard deck and the large tree next to our house.

So... what does that mean for October?

It means reopening my Etsy store (more details to come, once I've ironed them out).

It means nestling back into a routine and, like the animals and color-changing trees, preparing for the colder months ahead.

Picture taken this morning, on an overcast and chilly October 1st...
Virginia Creeper vine on our deck.

And it means falling in love with my house--and my life--all over again. 

I spent these last few months mentally preparing myself to say goodbye to everything--this house, this area, my craft room, our friends... And now I don't have to. I'm slowly allowing myself to put down roots again, the roots that I pulled up in anticipation of moving and change--exciting, thrilling change, but change nonetheless. 

My hope for October is that it's a month of coziness and contentment, becoming grounded again in my life. My task is to find the excitement in the here-and-now... After all, I don't have to move across the country for life to be thrilling and beautiful. 

And my hope is that this month is beautiful--beautiful in its overcast Autumn gloom, beautiful in its deepening relationships and connections, beautiful in its combination of familiarity and inevitable time-driven newness.

That is my hope.

...And so, I wish you all a Happy October. May it be beautiful.