Loving it.
My hubby has been working hard on our deck, and I'm hoping we will have a few latte evenings out in the backyard yet. Life really is good.
My favourite thing about fall is kids going back to school. That could be taken badly, but I don't mean it that way. When September comes around, we get back to routines and schedules. Everyone is productive and happy. I love it! I give the kids their chore lists for the school year, I create my 5 week meal plans and grocery lists and don't stress about what's for lunch or supper. The house gets clean and stays that way from 9am to 4pm. Glorious.
This summer we had a devastating blow to our business. This was year 5, and we were in the black and ready to make money. But our equipment received some serious damage. While we have insurance, the incident happened in July, and we still haven't received any insurance money. So. We made a decision and closed our doors. It was very sad, but we had a month of summer this year! Silver lining. Always with the silver linings.
I have a year to either push my face painting business to a place where I can take in an income, or find myself another job, or create a new business. This is month 1. I'm enjoying the quiet, the simplicity, the order, the not working 18 hour days....
So I've made no progress in any one of my options. But it's just month 1, right??
I have a few goals to accomplish before December.
1) Learn how to foam milk properly in the new espresso machine we bought.
2) Build a couple barn doors for inside the house
3) Build a dining room table
Those feel like fall projects. Oh:
4) Build/Buy/Create a fall wreath for my front door!
I'm looking forward to the quiet not having a business will create. I'm looking forward to putting my creativity to good use. I'm looking forward to taking in fall with all it's spice, colour and pumpkin-infused goodness. I'm looking forward to the first snow fall (and not having to be outside nailing pieces of wood together while freezing my buns off!).
I'm looking forward to enjoying what we have worked hard for. I'm looking forward to sitting back and being thankful.
A lovely friend of mine had very sad and devastating news. Her husband, who dealt with mental illness/depression took his own life. While she isn't one of my closest friends, coffees with her have always left me inspired and happy to connect with someone so full of life.
When I received the message from her that this had happened, after I grieved quietly internally, I looked over at my husband, who was still fast asleep in the early mornings and was desperately and longingly thankful.
She has now been in the back of my mind, sitting there, reminding me, of the things that I take for granted.
My husband is healthy. And not just in body (which we usually think of), but mentally. He doesn't struggle with depression, or mental illness. He is an incredible man who devotes his life to making my life and our kids lives better. He presses on even when he doesn't want to. And I have never known a man to complain as little as this man does.
And so I'm thankful.
My daughter is healthy, vibrant and lovely. She's at a funny age of talking and sharing everything, but not wanting her friends to see her hold my hand in public. She is "normal" by all society standards externally, but extra-ordinary in who she is internally. We hardly fight, she is obedient, she has an opinion, but she is helpful and wise. We don't struggle with power-struggles, screaming matches and silent treatments or slamming doors (though we do have our moments of not getting along...we can always talk it out).
I'm so thankful.
We have a beautiful home. We have a car. We have food in our fridge. We have friends who love us.
So in my favourite season, with my favourite colours, and some time off of work to build, create and just "be", I am loving to be thankful.
Mmmmm. Tis the season! I hope you enjoy a lovely tall latte of your favourite flavour, sit back, look at the lovely colours and remember everything you have.
