Falling Into The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger linking before you because who couldn't use a little mid-week company these days? Here we go-

  

1. It's fall y'all. What's something you love about this season and also something you don't? 

Autumn is my favorite season of the year and I think there's a lot to love. The color, the light, the sky, blue jean weather, soups-stews-chili on the stove, a blanket on my lap, a fire in the fireplace, and Thanksgiving to name just a few. 

Something I don't love? Hmmm...how about election ads? 

2. When you think of the colors of fall, which one is your favorite? Is there somewhere you could easily day trip to see the leaves in all their glory? Will you? 

This is a toughie, but I'm going with gold. I loved my New Jersey backyard this time of year...

The color never got old.  The snow and ice and taxes did which is why we live in South Carolina now, but the color was a stunner. 

I live within a half hour of fantastic fall color in the Blue Ridge Mountains and would love to take a leaf peeping drive sometime this month or next. 

3. What's one thing you've let 'fall' by the wayside during this season of staying home and staying away? 

Housework. Oh the basics are getting done, but we normally have a steady stream of company in the summer months which is highly motivating in terms of really staying on top of keeping things pristine. Hubs and I home alone=not so motivating. 

4. If you're wearing a sweater is it most likely a cardigan, crew neck, v-neck, or zip up hoodie? 

A cardigan or v-neck most likely, especially if I'm seeing actual humans or we're going somewhere. For lounging around the house I love a zip up fleece. 

5. What's your secret to dealing with change? 

Less digging in of the heels, more surrender. Know that one day you'll look back and see all the ways God used change to grow you, to draw you closer to Himself. Know it's possible in hindsight, if not in present day, to  feel tremendous gratitude for this change you never wanted and were so sure you didn't need. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." Henry David Thoreau

Turn Turn Turn

It's only taken 18 days for me to complete the 10-day writing challenge, but nobody's got anywhere they need to be, right?

Here we go...

Day 10 word prompt-clear

Let's talk about something that's on everyone's mind right now.

Pollen.

Ha! You thought I was going to say that other thing, didn't you?

We have had a crazy amount of rain this winter and everyone is so ready for warmer temps, sunnier skies, and the start of spring. But then spring arrives and with it comes rain of a different sort. I almost forget pollen is a season all it's own in the southland, but on the first day of spring we were indeed greeted with sunny skies and yellow everything.

I've always struggled with seasonal allergies and have learned it's best to stay inside as much as possible until a fair chunk of this stuff has hit the ground. Conveniently almost everyone is sticking close to home just now, so not quite as much of a hardship this year.

We had a little bit of rain overnight and woke up to crystal clear blue skies this morning. Hubs and I were like, 'Quick! Get the dogs and let's go for a walk before the air dries up and we're back to pollen everywhere.' 

This too is just a season.
It won't last forever.

Most hard things don't and it's good to remember that in pollen season.

In every season.

September Is My Favorite

Sometimes I sit down to catch up on my blog and instead end up reading back through old posts feeling envious of my former self. The one who wrote about what she saw and felt and thought instead of the girl I am now. The one always playing catch up with lists and what I did on my summer vacation type posts. I try to give myself grace because it's been a weird hard year, but I miss that girl.

I plan to bring her back here one of these days.

But not today because today is playing catch up with a list and a what I did on my summer vacation type of post. Might as well embrace it, right?

I celebrated a birthday yesterday. My birthday is the third family birthday in the month of September so everyone's a little caked out by the time mine rolls around.

Not so caked out we won't dive into this scrumptious German Chocolate Fudge Pie Daughter2 baked for her momma, but we won't eat it all in one sitting either. My favorite man cub face timed so he could join in the singing of Happy Birthday and also help blow out the candles from 7000+ miles away. The happy birthday song is in his current list of top ten favorites.

Hubs suggested we go out for my birthday but we eat out a lot, and on my birthday I want a home cooked meal I don't have to home cook. I love something on the grill that I don't have to a) plan for b) shop for, c) prepare or d) clean up. Honestly I'll eat whatever is put in front of me if I don't have to do any of the above.

Hubs obliged by grilling the most delicious pork chops he'd purchased from his guitar teacher/ pig farmer and Daughter2 made garlic mashed potatoes and a spinach salad and that fantabulous pie and it was all pretty perfect.

Low key is the name of the game this month because next month we will amp up into supersonic speed with four separate trips covering multiple states, flights, road miles and countries so we're trying to rest up. Hubs doesn't quite get the concept of 'resting up' but even he's not operating at 150% power like he normally does.

It has been exceptionally hot and humid here for the past month but this morning we woke up to 70 degree weather and sipped our coffee under a blanket beside the fire on the porch. Pure bliss in my book. Fall is my favorite and I'm so ready for it this  year.

I've been reading a lot of books and hubs and I have binged on The Americans on Amazon Prime. I really need it to end so I can quit thinking about it, but we're almost there. My Bible Study group is back in session and I've also started a book club in my neighborhood which has been fun. And because it can't be all cake all the time I'm still plugging away at my exercise class a couple of days a week too.

Also today's weather is not the norm so we're still boating and swimming and we're not even mad about it.

The air still says summer but the sunsets whisper fall.