Alive with the Glory of Autumn

We have officially entered That Part of the Year where my favorite coffee shop keeps the door open, and basically, that's all my autumn-loving heart could want in life. I feel like I always say this, but I literally (and figuratively) can't grasp how it is already Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Eve, if we are being technical, which we are.

So this is the thing: it's almost December, and everything is changing.

Not just because it's the end of the year and the holidays are here (BLESS), but because life has been on the move. It feels like I'm losing certain things while gaining others - people, responsibilities, fears. This season, this year, has been so colored by change and the slow process of becoming the person I am meant to be. And it's good, and it's real, and it's scary.

Also, I got a nose ring. #AllTheLifeChanges

So, what do you do? You take time off of work to sit with your thoughts and feelings and burrow yourself beneath blankets and talk about yourself in the second person. You read think pieces whilst burrowed and buy books brand new for once and string up lights in your room because all the twinkling things feel inspiring somehow. You walk around college campuses and hold hands with your person, and listen to albums that sound like how your soul feels.

It's like....life can be very hard and very good all at once.

Saying goodbye to people is hard. Working through anxiety is hard. Allowing yourself to rest even when you very desperately want to Do All the Things is very hard. But it also adds up to something very good. It makes you resilient. It forces you to grow up a little. It makes you realize you were capable of more than you thought, and that there are always new adventures right around the corner.

I maybe-promise that I'll write up another Care Package post, but for now, here is a small assortment of things that have cozied themselves up to my heart in no particular order:

Clairo's Immunity album; this triumphantly glorious song; this intriguing interview; the pages of this book that called to me in Barnes & Noble; this drink with all the caramel oozy bits; reading end-of-the-year lists like this one; making myself a peppermint cocoa because Christmas.

Also, I went to Michigan a month or so ago, and I feel like I still haven't had time to process that.

My family and I being absolutely ridiculous on my aunt's front porch in Michigan.

Seester.

If this isn't the Hygge lifestyle embodied, I don't know what is.

So, there you have it.

Life is good, life is hard, the holidays are here, and everything is beautiful in its imperfection. I hope you all are having really splendid, refreshing Thanksgiving breaks and remember to take care of your hearts, minds, bodies and souls around this time of year, which can sometimes be tough. Have any fun plans for your weekend, or recommendations to share? Send them my way!

It's turkey time,

E

On Pursuing a Simpler Life

I want a simpler life.

Sitting in church or walking along the edge of the sea, I feel it, the pull to step away from the madness, the noise, the technology. Especially around Christmastime, our lives can become cluttered with lists of things we need to do or buy. Traffic gets crazy. People get impatient. I crave peace.

But it's not just the coming of Christmas.
It's the desire to have more by having less.

This morning's church service has me thinking about what fills my time, pulls at my attention. Am I spending time sitting and reading God's Word? Or am I looking for the next distraction? Pretty convicting stuff. It sharpened the growing sense that I've been having of the desire for simplicity. The desire to carve out a life for myself that values time with family and Christ more than distraction. That values quiet time.

What does the simple life look like?

In theory, this could look different for everyone. But for me, in these last days of December and soon in 2019, I hope they look like more time spent with my Bible and in prayer and less on checking notifications and thinking about aesthetics, self. My simple life would include a lot more time having conversations with people I love and care about, writing by hand, taking nature walks, and spending more time in the moment than worrying about documenting it. More instruments, less internet.

What about you?

Do you have any goals that you are working towards for 2019?
And what would your ideal simple life look like?
Hope you are having a non-chaotic Christmas, friends! ♥

Thanksgiving Day 2018

I wake up before dawn.

Somehow my body knows that this is what I want, to be awake before anything exciting happens. I always do this on holidays - on Christmas, my birthday. It's something about the thrill of it being a special day. I want to see the sun.

This Thanksgiving is no exception.

I wake before six, and already it is chilly, I can tell even when I'm still bundled in blankets. I get up, pull on a hoodie, run downstairs and out the door and down the block until four miles have gone by. The sky is soft with a smattering of clouds and Tom Odell is playing in my ear buds.

These are the things for which I am most thankful.

When my prayers turn to gratitude, I don't often thank the Lord for the big, grand things (though sometimes I do). Instead, I thank Him for sunrises, and cups of coffee with the morning paper, for my record collection and the smell of gingerbread body wash, and my daily bowl of oatmeal. For books.

Today is a sort of unusual Thanksgiving in that it is just my immediate family and I (mother, father, sister) gathering to share turkey instead of our whole extended family.

I won't see Lily or Edward or Curren or Kate or any of my little cousins, and I won't see my brother and his family out in Texas. It's been a rare day of lazing about as my family prepares food and we watch the parade and furtive bites of pie are nibbled.

I imagine Thanksgivings in the future when my sister and I and our husbands will meet up in cream-colored knit sweaters and cozy socks (COZY SOCKS!) for cups of coffee and pumpkin pie and an old John Hughes movie by the fireplace. This is my fantasy world, the future, but for now, I will be grateful. And eat all the pie!

What about you?

What has your Thanksgiving been like? Do you have any fun family traditions? What kinds of pie have you eaten today (I've had apple, pumpkin and chocolate mousse).

Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2018

October was a complete whirlwind of work, woodland drives and embracing any and everything pumpkin-related in a desperate attempt to
"make Fall happen."

And, glory be, it was actually cold enough towards the end of the month to break out the sweaters. At least for a few days. I swear, if every day was under 60°, I would feel at least 50% more inspired. There's something about Fall and a brisk breeze that makes me want to pull on a cardigan and write a story.

Even though Halloween wasn't very cold (though this didn't stop me from wearing combat boots), it was still a complete joy.

My family and I sat out on our porch and passed out candy to all the sweet kids in our neighborhood, and that familiar feeling of community and kindness filled my heart with joy.

I may be a Slytherin, but I am also a Certified Sappy Holiday Person, even on Halloween, so bear with me. But it was just so wonderful, sitting there in a rocking chair, handing out Snickers and Baby Ruths to superheroes and princesses and zombies. We even met people from Iceland who were visiting the States and celebrating their very first Halloween! My heart is full.

October Things:

The new twenty one pilots album; peaceful woodland walks; buying books from thrift stores; getting organized; meal prepping; writing by hand; making playlists; reading the Princess Diaries (sorry not sorry); pumpkin iced coffee; early morning runs; sushi; journaling.

What about you?

Tell me about your October! Did you dress up as anything special for Halloween? (I wore my costume above to work.) Leave me a fall song or book recommendation if you like.
I'm getting in the Thanksgiving spirit already!

Christmas Chaos & Christmas Cheer

*Ducks head out of holiday sweater* Is it safe to come out now?

Hey there, friends! I don't know about you, but Christmas (and 2017, honestly) has been CRAZY. CRAZY. For starters, from September on, time has been rocketing forwards. Autumn was basically a free fall into the holiday season: There was my birthday, NaNo, my sister's graduation, getting a mini-promotion at work(!) and now Christmas (and its insanity) is on the way. Yo, we've got aggressive ladies in Target and elderly drivers out here. I kid you not, these FL snowbirds are out for blood.

DON'T LIE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THERE

So yes, this was going to be a nice orderly post about tips on de-stressing, but YO, I don't have it all figured out. I don't have tips for y'all today. What I do have is a heart so appreciative for the goodness of God (who puts up with my sass) and this year He has given. No tips, but an excitement for the celebration of our Lord - and delicious food. Cookie dough brownies? YES PLEASE.

Have an awesome Christmas and a fantastic 2018, guys!

What are your plans for the holidays this year? Do you have a favorite dish or dessert you're looking forward to? If anyone has any fun traditions, please let me know down in the comments! (My mom always makes quiche and waffles on Christmas morning.) ♥