This is the day the Lord has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it!
- Psalm 118:24 -
Fall's shimmies on in, slow and graceful yet persistent. And even though I usually drag my feet when it's time to bid farewell to summer, I'm welcoming this fresh season with a good measure of serendipitous enthusiasm and wide open arms.
The sun is shining all golden and warm, a cool breeze makes its way through when the clouds float by, the birds are going crazy feathering their nests, their songs often insistent, sometimes fleeting. The leaves around here stubbornly refuse to don their autumn hues yet being out and about is an absolute pleasure.
A brisk morning walk never seemed so delightful, so right, so welcome. A late afternoon stroll down the beach so mandatory, so serendipitous, so therapeutic.
Despite life's very real and valid concerns, I'm sleeping better than I have in years.
There's some reorganizing projects going on, a few pieces of furniture to be hauled around, a stack of books to settle down with, a decision or two awaits. I'm finally eating healthier instead of randomly grazing at will. A new door is opening, we gather with friends and visit with Mom, yet another family member looks to be emerging from covid's awful grasp.
God is good.
Yes, work and family and those screens and homekeeping tasks beckon us to stay inside and busy. But when at all possible, let's not linger too long indoors. Let's do what we need to do and then head outside. For we know that before long we'll decide that lingering indoors in front of a warm fire is the only sane choice to make.
These are the good old days. And we will rejoice and be glad in them!
Now ... if I can only find some of those elusively serendipitous blue pumpkins ~
Linda
P.S.
Yep, serendipity is my 2021 One Word. You'll find more snapshots right here.
P.S. #2
My friends Barbara and Debby have penned the loveliest odes to September ... click on their names to savor their serendipitous musings.
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<< Gentle & Lowly Book Club -
Session 2
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I love all these pictures of fall! Fall is my favourite season. Now I want to go buy some decorative pumpkins!
ReplyDeleteBe sure and take some of your beautiful photographs when you find them! Especially if they're blue, ok, friend?!
DeleteI'm welcoming fall with open arms, Linda. A big front is supposed to be moving to our area on Wednesday, the actual beginning of autumn, and I'm already getting my long sleeves and sweaters ready. Bring it on!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I'm more than ready myself for sweaters and fleece, candle glow and soups! (Confession: I've already lit the candles these last couple of days of rain. Clouds and candles go together too!)
DeleteYes please, always, to candles. And any kind of fleece.
Delete;-}
Great pictures Linda! The phrase "serendipitous enthusiasm" is a new one - I'll have to think about that for a while!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what emerges when you're clattering away on the keyboard ... especially when it does't fully make sense.
DeleteSince we're from the same gene pool I think you can get how suddenly realizing we're enthusiastic about something can be viewed as a delightful surprise!
xo
Is that an actual potting shed? Storage shed? Or a 'She Shed' that you use for crafting or writing? It's cute!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I was entranced when I saw the photo of this ramshackle little outbuilding in a house-for-sale listing. [Thanks to Bob Sheldon, local real estate expert and friend}.
DeleteMaybe it was the chippy yellow door. Or the overgrown rose bush spreading past the door. Or both.
Love, love seeing all these lovely photos. That shed! It has stories to tell. Barbaras post was so wonderful. I'm honored to be included in such good company. ♡
ReplyDeleteYes, you're hearing me about that shed, Debby. I'm always fascinated by abandoned or tumbling down buildings. There's always a story, isn't there.
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're here, Jodee.
DeleteHere's hoping you find your blue pumpkin when you're out shimmying with September! October awaits and there's still more fall to revel in! Thanks so much for your thoughtful feature! Enjoy every minute!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, your creatively compelling ode to 'dear september' continues to make me smile and calms my soul every time I read it. It's bookmarked and sits front and center at the top of this screen.
DeleteYou've got a magical writing style, friend.
Beautiful photos, Linda. Is that your she shed? We have had torrential rain, but tomorrow it is supposed to end with cooler temps and sunshine. Bring on autumn, my favorite season!
ReplyDeleteREADERS - Speaking of the loveliest of little hideaways, run, don't walk, to catch a glimpse of Pam's very own Sunshine Cottage!
Deletehttps://everydayliving.me/2021/08/05/summer-in-the-sunshine-cottage/
And Pam, see the response 4 comments back. That is definitely not my she-shed.
;-}
I'm so glad you're sleeping well, Linda. That give me hope ... :-) I wonder if the "eating healthier" has anything to do with that? You know I love your serendipitous musings ... maybe you could make Serendipity your word for 2022 so you can keep them coming? (Just kidding. Sort of.)
ReplyDeleteYou know it never occurred to me that the eating and sleeping were linked up, but I'm guessing they are. Thanks for putting 2 + 2 together for me.
DeleteBrilliant.
;-}
Your pictures are beautiful Linda but I'm not buying into Fall. I'm skipping right into Spring. :) Cooler temps mean shorter rides and less of them. It also means cold weather is right around the corner. But I'm an optimist so I believe our weather is going to be bike riding all year 'round. AHEM! Enjoy your Maine Fall.
ReplyDeleteFrom scenic Indiana {where Tim and I began our marital bliss} to Massachusetts' beautiful Cape Cod {where we're still happy together}, I'm hearing ya, Bill!
DeleteLove this season, every melancholy goodbye to summer and every joyful hello to the new season.
ReplyDeleteMichele, you're right, there is some melancholy in every transition around here. I guess it's part of the rhythm of New England life, isn't it ...
DeleteAfter forty years in Florida (23 in South Florida) we experienced enough summer to last more than a lifetime. So thankful that in retirement we get to enjoy all four seasons again. Love your description of seasonal change, Linda: slow and graceful yet persistent!
ReplyDelete40 years in Florida, wow, Nancy! I could use some of Florida's delightful winter temps come the beginning of each new year.
DeleteBliss.
I am a beach-bum born and bred,
ReplyDeletea denizen of summer's land,
and when you find me cold and dead
I'll have a Bud in either hand,
and you'll groan when you see
some history besmeared by dirt,
my ancient, and, yes, lucky tee,
my treasured old George Michael shirt.
Don't overlook the cutoff jeans
that hide what no-one should behold,
and my flip-flops surely mean
that I died 'fore getting old,
so leave me lie, my soul to roam
through endless summer, home sweet home.
You might not see me with a Bud in hand, but I'm absolutely tracking with you on the worn tee shirt and flip-flops. There's nothing formal going on around here any day of the year.
DeleteAnd we couldn't be happier ... or our wardrobe a whole lot smaller.
Works for us.
I'm also feeling the blue/teal pumpkins this year.
ReplyDeleteI bought a new autumn mug (not that I need any more! LOL), because it had purple pumpkins!
Thanks for the visit!
Oh I have a grandgirl who'd love to get her hands on some purple pumpkins!
DeleteLove that!
I LOVE your lovely photos! We have a cool snap coming here. That means the highs will be in the 80's. We will take it!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Yep, those cool temps are coming at us, north and south.
DeleteHopefully a change in weather patterns might help cool those easy-to-flare tempers so easily ignited in this hard season.
Lord, have mercy.
A great selection of photos to remind us of lovely times. Thanx Linda.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank YOU,Victor!
DeleteThose flowerpots are fabulous! And I love the fence with the black eyed Susans. All beautiful -- isn't it a lovely time of year?
ReplyDeleteThe best, yes!
DeleteOh, how I love the serendipitousness of your photos, Linda! They actually make me look forward to autumn instead of dread the coming of winter. ha. Summer is my favorite season so it's hard to let go of it.
ReplyDeleteI've actually been sleeping a bit better the past few months as well. I'm not sure why, but I'll take it!
There's something about sleeping with windows wide open, isn't there ...
Delete;-)
Ahhh, Linda. I loved this. It seems like the older I grow the more I want to be outdoors. Whether it's sitting on our deck or walking our neighborhood, or—oh, joy!—taking a hike with. my honey, the outdoors invigorates and refreshes me. And yes, in the part of the world where I live, winter forces many indoor days. So, I'll join you vicariously on some of those lovely walks you're taking while the weather is just right.
ReplyDeleteFascinating observation about growing older and the yearning to be outdoors, Jeanne. It's like our bodies are trying to tell us what they need to thrive ...
DeleteAutumn's nip is starting to be here, too, in our evening mountain air. And it is SO welcome! I absolutely love the fall! My favorite season of all. Loved seeing your beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteIt's like once mid-afternoon creeps in the air remembers that it's supposed to be autumn ...
Delete;-)
I love all of your fall pictures. I got out today hiking and took few myself. Thank you for sharing with Grace & Truth Link-Up. Maree
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love that combination of hiking and snapping pics! I recently added a birdsong app to the mix. Makes those journeys outside a pleasure.
DeleteLinda, this is such a refreshing post and photos. And I love that your word is serendipity. I don't like to linger indoors too long when the humidity is lower and the breeze is cooler and beckons us to get outdoors.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya', Karen! I'm looking for every opportunity to be outdoors these days. This season is all so delightful ...
Delete