Sabbaths and A Year of Being Here

Recently I have spent time revisiting blogs that have been favorites of mine, some for a long time and some for a short time. One that I had not spent time at for awhile was A Year of Being Here. This blog showcases a poem for each day of the year including a lovely photo. If you haven't visited this blog, take a look. Here is a favorite of mine that was posted on the blog recently.

Sabbaths 1999, VII

Again I resume the long

lesson: how small a thing
can be pleasing, how little
in this hard world it takes
to satisfy the mind
and bring it to its rest. 
With the ongoing havoc
the woods this morning is
almost unnaturally still.
Through stalled air, unshadowed
light, a few leaves fall
of their own weight. 
                                 The sky
is gray. It begins in mist
almost at the ground
and rises forever. The trees
rise in silence almost
natural, but not quite,
almost eternal, but
not quite. 
What more did I
think I wanted? Here is
what has always been.
Here is what will always
be. Even in me,
the Maker of all this
returns in rest, even
to the slightest of His works,
a yellow leaf slowly
falling, and is pleased.

Wendell Berry

Never Make Your Home a Place

I really like this quote.
When we were listing the pros and cons of whether to leave the beautiful place we loved on Lake Roosevelt to relocating to a town named Kellogg in Idaho, one theme resonated with both of us. Home was us. Home was ourselves, our lives together, our dogs and cats,  Home was what we wanted to carry with us that was important. Home was again being surrounded by beauty, family, friends, peace, and an easier way of life. We brought our memories, the learning we experienced, and have already experienced new learnings, new friends, and new memories.
I really am pleased with the decision we made. I just wish we could have our chickens again. I miss them. They did go to a good new home.

Ten Reasons Autumn Is My Favorite Season

We can still enjoy the last roses of a late summer.

The street lights up with yellow.

When you make dessert it doesn't heat up the house.

Autumn Joy Sedum

Autumn decor and the smells of November fill the house.

Mums and pumpkins

The doves come to visit.

The sunflowers are ready to shed their seeds.

There is that moment that a tree begins to turn.

It isn't too hot to eat a dinner in the shed.

Surprises I Never Expected: More Thoughts On Moving Back

When it became a realization that I would be able to move back to Kellogg, and move next door to my mother, there were things I knew would work out well. Mom could share the beauty of her backyard and the infamous Seven Sisters Rose We would share meals. Any time I wanted to I could be brought up to speed on General Hospital.  I would always be informed on the best deals at the grocery stories each Wednesday when the ads came out.

Then there were surprises I never expected to happen.

I never expected to have birds coming to our backyard so quickly.

I never expected the cats to adjust so well. We wanted them to be indoor outdoor cats and they have adjusted by staying close to home, avoiding the street, and getting along most of the time with each other.

I never expected to be sitting in a backyard on Cameron Avenue sitting around a fire with my mother!

I certainly never expected to have the longest, mildest late summer/ early autumn I can ever remember allowing us to plan and plant for next year.

I never expected to feel so much at peace so quickly.

Gathering Leaves, Words by Robert Frost

Robert Frost captures the simple thing in life. That is why I love his poetry so much.

Gathering Leaves

take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.

But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.

I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who's to say where
The harvest shall stop? 

Robert Frost

Freshening Up And Giving Myself A Break

Every so often I like to freshen up my blog. It is a bit like thinking and writing. It clears the cobwebs, gives me more motivation, and it challenges my computer skills. I still don't have buttons linked and other parts added, but it will come in time.
When we went on our retreat away from home last week we did the same thing. We cleared some cobwebs, came back more motivated and we gave ourselves a huge break. JEJ and I needed to do that. We think Rome can be built in a day, so when it comes to projects around the house, we feel the urge to get everything done before the weather gets colder, before the snow flies, before November comes, before the first frost.

We have moved into November. When I was teaching I dreaded November. It was a weary part of the school year with grades, conferences, darkness when you arrived home, changes in weather, and lack of energy. I had an ongoing struggle with depression during that month. This year I like November.  We are giving ourselves a break. We decided last week while retreating we don't have to work on a project every day. If we want to read books in front of the fire, we have given ourselves permission to do that.  If there are leaves on the living room floor that should be picked up, we know they will eventually get off the carpet.

It is a better way to begin the shift in the seasons and weather. We are privileged to be able to do it because we are retired. As November has begun,I  have enjoyed reading four books, working on my blog design, doing some writing,  learning how to use a different camera, and giving myself a break.

Happy November!