By Cathy
she is our month of gratitude
our month of transition
her darkness surrounding us now by late afternoon
as we seek comfort inside; fires lit, candles glowing
we offer up big, bright, ceramic bowls of homemade soup
and say so long to dazzling afternoon sun
and hello to the arrival of the rain, relentless and constant
dragging out our gore tex jackets and boots
she is mornings of thick fog lingering among the trees
full blown gray skies for weeks on end
and the pounding of our windshield wipers keeping time
with Lucy Kaplansky on the radio
inside we surround ourselves with books and knitted shawls
and allow for long phone conversations in the late afternoon with close friends
not feeling hurried or hasty
she is our opportunity to reconnect, hibernate and be mindful
she is our month of gratitude
our month to mindfully show kindness, give thanks and to pay it forward
it makes me wonder if we commit to the magic of her 30 days
how different will our lives be for the remaining 335?
:::
It is wet here in the Pacific Northwest, wet and beautiful.
Isn't life grand!
Cathy, xoox
5 comments:
A beautiful portrayal of November and the loveliest November photos to go with it. Although we don't have the unrelenting rains of the NW, I must say, so far this November we've been doing a good imitation. We will eventually have crisp, clear sunny November days ... {I think}. And your final thought about gratitude: yes, truly something to ponder. If we commit to 30 days of gratitude, how much different will the other 335 days be? More so ... what if we committed to 365 days of practicing gratitude? Great post, Cathy!
You almost make me wish I lived where November was like you describe. Huddling in with a good book, some hot soup and a warm dog sounds so comforting! We're still in the low 80s with tons of sunshine, and for that I am grateful. It's our reward for surviving the hot summer. :-) But I think the bottom line is that we have to be grateful for what we have, be it rain or sun, and focus on practicing that gratitude every day. Some days are harder than others, to be sure, but the habit of mindful gratefulness is one so worthy of pursuing. Your photos are a lovely depiction of what fall is like for you. I adore the top one with the gorgeous bokeh and the green one almost makes me wish we had enough rain to create that mossy environment. Almost. Stay warm and dry, my friend.
What a beautiful post. You have captured the feel of November so sweetly. xo Laura
Great post Cathy! I'm posting my gratitude every day this month and I'm hoping I can keep it up - maybe even longer than the month. This post reminds me of living on "the other side." I do miss the rainy days, some. I do not miss the gray, drizzle. I've never been fond of the darkness and this time of year over there is stifling for me, now until June. I always looked forward to the sun peeking out and giving us a good day. I am so happy to be back in Idaho, but we've had Seattle weather now for about two weeks. I'm struggling. I want 32 degrees if it's going to rain! I'll take the snow over the rain. Your post is so descriptive, I can feel the chill in my bones. How many days until summer?
I often think that November has such a tough act to follow, coming on the heels of vibrant October, but you make it look so good. And I am reminded of how nice it does feel to get cozy in November. I welcome those first months of the cold and the early dark. (Admittedly I am long over it by mid-January, but in November when it's still new? Love it.)
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!