Sea + Prairie

numbered

I felt it yesterday on the soccer field, in jeans and long sleeves, reading the Fall issue of Urban Farm magazine, coffee in hand.  Our days of summer are numbered here.  Autumn is fast approaching.  

There is so much to do.

Harvest, put away, freeze, can the tomatoes, the herbs, the squash and zucchini.

Soccer practice for the older boys (4 times a week) begins again. Carpool.

Fall planting of greens and garlic to get in the ground.

New shoes for everyone.

Seed saving.

School clothes to buy.

Not unlike little squirrels with their mouths full of nuts, preparing for the winter.  

Hurry, enjoy, savor, soak it all in!  The light, the warmth, the relaxed schedule.  Live in it, right now!

Just a few weeks ago, as the late afternoon sun would come barreling in through the back windows, I closed the blinds to it.  It was too hot...too strong...too much.

But now I find myself wanting to bask in the much softer, longer streams of light that filter in.  Mabel seems to have it right.

We've been watching the animals and their cues that Autumn is approaching.  The wooly bear caterpillars, the bees, the squirrels, they all know its coming.

But somehow they continue on about their work with effortless ease.  They've picked up their pace indeed.  But they are not crazy running around to find yellow sharpie hilighters and the correct size of Ball jars.

Somehow they seem to almost enjoy the readying for Fall.

So I listen to what the kings and queens of the nature world are trying to tell me.  I come in close so that I don't miss a thing.

They seem to say, "Drink the late summer warmth in by the gallons, lay in it, roll around in it so that it covers your entire being.  It is good for you.  Good for your soul.  This warmth is meant to carry you through the darker days to come. "

I love Mary Oliver's poem, Song for Autumn

In the deep fall
    don't you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
    the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
    freshets of wind? And don't you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
    warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
    inside their bodies? And don't you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
    the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
    vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
    its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
    the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

- - - - - - 

Yes, this morning as windows are open and coffee cools a little sooner, I am feeling our days of summer are numbered.

Squirrels have their nuts to gather...I'm obviously collecting muckboots.

texas seeping in

I love how we bring things in and out of our lives depending on where we've been, who we've run into along the way.

We returned from our Texas trip a few weeks ago now.  And its become sort of a "thing" to have to mail a box...ahem, or two...back with all of our treasures.

This week our box arrived.

It smelled like home and one by one, the items were carefully opened and placed around the house to remind us of fond memories.

buffalo plates here, cowboy hats there

There are hide shaped coasters in the living room

and a bit of cowhide on the chair.

There will be more hide too.  In Texas you can never have enough cowhide.  A rug will be coming shortly for the kitchen.  Talk about a rug that is durable and will hold up to little boy activity!

Hide is where its at.

You'd think that beachy shells and cowprint wouldn't melt into each other too well, but my theory is if it makes you smile, its your style. 

So there.

Not only are there concrete "decorating reminders" of our trip, there are many (like a gazillion) fond memories of our most recent trip home. (more soon)

Like a story begging to be told, our Texas ties seep in to our life here in Virginia.  And it puts a smile on my face as wide as the prairie.

Now, to get my Mom to mail me some of those Parker County peaches.

:-)

{right now}

It was hot today and i was sticky.  I found myself slowly getting frustrated that he isn't here to teach them these things.  Frustrated that I have to be both mother and father at times.  But the time is quickly approaching that I won't be able to play both parts in this play.

But I took a breath...a deep inhale right to the very middle of myself.

And there I found the thankfulness I so needed.  Thankfulness that I am here, fully present, to share in these very special moments, these milestones that only come once in their lifetime.   A witness to time standing still.

making it a habit

Hello friends...

this month I have been invited to participate over at habit once again.  I continue to be so thrilled (and a bit shocked) that I am asked to contribute.

I begun to rely so much on my ipone for photos.  Its handy and convenient, but I do miss my Nikon.  In the updated guidelines sent, participants are strongly enouraged to steer clear of ig photos and such.  So this should be a great exercise in getting back to taking photos with my regular camera.

Here are a few out-takes from yesterday...a day filled with running errands, pulling weeds and laundry.  

Happy to have you visiting here today!