This past weekend, my mom & stepdad drove in from Ohio to spend Thanksgiving with my beau and I. After years of battling the traffic ourselves to get to Ohio and last year's solo Thanksgiving, it was a real treat to have them with us.
The weekend was the perfect kick off to the holiday season. We cooked Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday (complete with my mom's pumpkin pie, my favorite part), went to Apple House for even more apple butter donuts, saw a movie at the new Angelika theatre, oohed and ahhed over the adorable dancers in The Nutcracker, and bought & decorated a cute little Christmas tree. And, my mom surprised me with a sparkly red nail polish (Essie's Leading Lady).
I have so much to be thankful for. Including you, the wonderful network of people I've met in this little corner of the internet. Happy kick off to the holidays! I'm putting on the Bing Crosby & Andrews Sisters holiday station on Pandora and trying to savor every moment.
On Friday, I had a doctor's appointment that I was dreading. Because I feared I would be out of commission for the entire weekend, I didn't make any plans other than Sunday evening. With my worst case scenario mindset, I didn't want to be too optimistic and then have my hopes dashed.
Imagine my surprise when the appointment went well and I found myself with a Saturday that was completely unplanned (and 65 degrees!). After a brief period of feeling overwhelmed & ill-prepared because I hadn't planned anything, my beau and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon in Northern Virginia.
We had lunch at my beau's favorite Mexican restaurant. We took a drive to The Apple House for pumpkin spice donuts. We stopped at a winery for a tasting. We enjoyed the beautiful sunset and I felt miles away from the city, my routines, and most importantly, my worries.
Lesson learned: sometimes, worst case scenario can actually turn out to be the best case scenario.
{Photos taken on my iPhone using the Afterglow app}
Here in DC, it seems that fall has already slipped through our fingertips. One hurricane and an election later, the trees are nearly bare and I'm already reaching for my sweaters and heavier coat. And though I'm clearly a much bigger fan of chilly weather over warm, I keep wishing everything would just slow down a little bit. If I don't pause and enjoy my favorite time of year, in an instant, it will be the cold, dark days of February with nary a twinkle light in sight.
I've been reflecting recently on the passage of time, and how it just keeps speeding up. I get so caught up in our routines and cramming as many things as possible into my schedule that I worry I'm missing the beauty in life. Between snoozing my alarm and charting out every moment in my planner, there is my life, wizzing by. This time of year really just lends itself to slowing down a bit, stopping, and savoring those things in life that make it sparkle for you.
If you think about it, fall is the ideal time of year to release and let go of things you're hanging on to. Think of the trees, letting go of those beautiful leaves and allowing them to fall to the ground. New leaves will grow and emerge, but for now, it is the season for simplicity and turning inward.
A thing I'm specifically trying to let go of is planning, and within that, a bit of control. Next month, I'll be heading home to Ohio for the holidays. Typically, the schedule is chock full of social events and many hours in the car as I travel between different friend's homes. Usually by now I would have begun the planning of a few major get togethers, but this year, I'm taking a back seat. I want my time at home to be full of moments to savor, and not keeping an eye on the clock. I also want to cherish my time with those in my life who love me unconditionally, and not fret if I can't see everyone on my list. Quality over quantity.
Slowing down and letting go doesn't mean less happiness and fulfillment. In fact, in this case, I think it can only yield more.
{Image via Pinterest}
It's been hectic recently, in that way that makes me feel a little like Jessie Spano during her studying-for-finals-while-singing-in-Hot-Sundae phase. You know the feeling: there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day, you always feel a little behind on work, and you're complaining more than usual. That's how this past month has been, and I hated that time was whirling by at breakneck speed during my favorite season of the year.
This weekend, life intervened and caused me to slow down and take it all in. During a weekend where I'd promised I'd spend a little time catching up on my work to-do list, I came down with the sniffles on Thursday evening. I had no choice but to throw my lofty list of work tasks out the window and invest in feeling more like myself, mentally and physically.
As we know, I'm really great at the self care that involves taking a nap, watching a marathon of shows on Netflix, and otherwise distracting myself from the stress at hand. But what about engaging in activities that really restore me and make me realize that my life is full... but of beautiful, lovely things and not just emails, deadlines, and decisions.
So this weekend, I read my friend's little girl a bedtime story and tucked her in. I baked pumpkin chocolate chip bread and shared a loaf as a hostess gift. I ate a bowl of the best chili I've had in a long time. I enjoyed my first eggnog of the season. I had brunch and shopped with some of my favorite lady friends. And I didn't let myself feel guilty for not doing something more productive, because I've got to refill my own well before I have anything to give to others.
Sunday night, I got out my planner and mapped out my week. Yes, it's going to be a busy one. But because I slowed down this weekend, there is more space in my mind, heart, and life to be able to tackle those pesky administrative items and not be bogged down by them.
{Image via Pinterest}
