Taking Stock // September 2019

September went by in the blink of an eye, though I can't say I mind it. For much of it, I was dealing with lots of fear, self-doubt, and other heavier feelings like these. That being said, I still managed to enjoy some of what this month had to offer. Here are a few things that stuck in my mind:

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cooking with our own vegetables - it just never gets old; we haven't had the best season in the garden, mainly due to the extra long and cold spring weather, but we've still picked plenty of zucchinis and green beans, cucumbers, and some tomatoes too

drinking a mug of mint tea (most often picked from our own garden!) at least once a day, but most likely two or three times a day - I can't get enough of it, and now that the weather is really cooling down, even just holding the warm cup in my hands is so soothing

hoping the snow doesn't come our way too soon, even though it's already snowed in other parts of Canada and the temperatures have been dipping into the single digits several times already

enjoying writing again

loving these apples from our own tree; although we've been living in this house for over 8 years now, and the apple tree has always been here, this is only the second year we get to eat apples from it. They're not the prettiest, as they get attacked by bugs throughout the summer, but they're so tasty

smelling the aroma of holy basil that we grew in the garden this summer; it was the first time we planted holy basil, and when the flowers bloomed, it caught me completely by surprise that they smell like bubblegum!

watching some of the new shows that have started airing this fall - there are a few good ones, but Bob Hearts Abishola and Stumptown seem to be the highlights for me so far

noticing all the flowers that are still blooming; perhaps it's the long winters and grey days that come with them, but seeing the beautiful flowers growing around our house and everywhere I go makes me so happy; knowing that they won't be around much longer this year makes spotting them even sweeter

feeling lighter after a period at the end of summer that felt particularly hard and stressful

giggling at all of Toby & Mikka's antics; they really do make life so much better

listening to Taylor Swift's new music - I can't help it! Lover, Daylight, and London Boy are definite favourites for me from her new album, and this rendition of Holy Ground is so beautiful too

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When I started writing these, I had no idea they would be so garden-centric, but this little space of ours really is such an uplifting place, no matter what else is going on outside of it. There's something really special about helping a tiny seed grow into a much bigger plant, that's not only beautiful to look at, but that we also get to eat and enjoy on our plates too. I'm glad that so many of my happy memories from this month revolve around it.

Tell me, how was your September?

Taking Stock // September 2017

September was a hard month for me. Not only did it absolutely fly by (even more than other months!), but all throughout it, I struggled to stay positive, to see the big picture, and to get things done. All the little (and big) things that are not going well in my life took up so much space in my head that there was almost none left for the good, the fun, and the happy. Of course, I know the hard is never the whole story, and I don't want to write off September 2017 as terrible, so I thought that taking stock of the simple, everyday things that did bring me joy would be a nice way to say goodbye to this month.

And so, my September days were filled with...

making placemats; I finally finished the first knit herringbone placemat I've been working on for a while now. Time to cast on the second one!

cooking hummus; I use the basic recipe from Ella's first cookbook* and add whatever flavours I or my family want to try at that time. A couple of weeks ago, I whipped up two batches: one with roasted onions and one with artichoke hearts, and just yesterday (even though, technically, it wasn't September anymore) another two: one with roasted hot peppers and one with roasted sweet peppers 

drinking mint tea; I struggled with some bloating and general stomach issues throughout August, and it wasn't until a particularly uncomfortable day in the beginning of September that I thought of having some mint tea to help my digestive system. Thankfully, I felt much better before I even finished my first cup and since then, I've been enjoying a cup of hot mint tea often in the evenings

reading little bits of different books, though I have to confess, I didn't make time to really curl up with a book all month

hoping for better days ahead

playing lots and lots of Sudoku; it's become my go-to pastime in the evenings, or anytime during the day, when my brain feels a bit fried. I try to use the Sudoku book I have so I can get a break from my computer screen, but if I'm being honest, most often I play this online version - and recently switched from the medium to the hard level, which is really challenging me 

loving my pets; the guilt that I'm not giving them enough attention is almost constant, but when I do take the time to cuddle them, I almost instantly feel so much better

needing a break and some quiet time, stat

smelling autumn in the air

wearing tank tops and shorts again during that week-long hot spell at the end of the month

watching a bunch of TV show season premieres; I've already mentioned this before, but I'm partial to sitcoms, and I've been looking forward to new episodes of The Big Bang Theory and the new Young Sheldon all summer long, and they definitely didn't disappoint. A little more surprisingly, I also enjoyed the first episode of The Good Doctor

noticing how much less patient and more irritable (i.e not myself) I am when I don't take time for myself to be quiet, to reflect and to daydream (#introvert)

knowing that this too shall pass

feeling generally down, but also a slight and slow shift upwards

bookmarking quite a few interesting, thought-provoking and perspective-shifting blog posts, many of which will be included in my next RLL post, coming soon

giggling through reruns of Mike & Molly during lunchtime every once in a while

wanting to slow things down

listening to as little as possible; I'm in this mood where it feels like there's so much noise and sound around me constantly, that whenever I can get a little quiet time, I am loving it

pondering over how I can make room for more fun and play in my life

considering new options, things I haven't tried yet, and alternatives that I know will take me outside my comfort zone

buying mostly groceries and not much else

thinking too much; spending too much time in my head and not being able to drop fully into my body and just be present in the moment

dreaming about a better future, always

celebrating 2 years since I quit my full-time job; things haven't turned out as I hoped and dreamed (yet), but I know that if I had to make that same choice again, I would - even if sometimes, on particularly hard days, I question it for a second

Thankfully, it's October now. A new day, a new week, a new month. It's the ultimate fresh start and I'm already feeling much better and more hopeful. I'm looking forward to the month ahead and feeling excited about all the possibilities - after all, there are always so many.

How about you, are you ready to say goodbye to September and hello to October?

*Disclaimer: The book link used in this post is an affiliate link.

Falling for Fall

Fall is definitely here and, while I'm not thrilled about the dropping temperatures, I've actually been really enjoying it. I love that, unlike the past few years when the whole season seemed to go by in a flash, the transition this year has been much slower and smoother. Granted, it was bittersweet to see the leaves on a few trees start turning red in the middle of August, but the colourful show is still going on now, almost two months later, and it feels like every day they're only getting prettier. It's really been an autumn more beautiful than I've ever seen before here in our corner of the world. Needless to say, it's been a treat to go for walks around the neighbourhood lately, and attempt to capture a fraction of the beauty that can be seen with the naked eye.

I'd love to know, what is the weather like where you are? Are you enjoying an equally beautiful fall season?

PS: A few of my favourite sights from past autumn seasons: 2014 and 2015.

Apple Goodness

A few weekends ago, we picked the apples from the tree in our backyard. We've been living in this house for a bit over 4 years now, but this is the first time we have been able to get some apples from our own tree. In previous years, they were completely compromised by some sort of insect that comes out in the spring in our area but, for the first time this year, plenty of them made it through and ripened. Sure, they are not the perfect-looking kind that we find in grocery stores - in fact, they're filled with bumps, bruises and imperfections - but it feels so great to be eating apples from our own garden.

All in all, we had enough to fill the box to the brim, which I thought was pretty good for a tree from which we hadn't picked a single apple before.

The boys - my dad, my brother, and Toby, who mainly helped with eating - were in charge of picking them from the tree, and my mom and I are now busy turning them into pie, sauce, and butter before they go bad.

Video proof of Toby "helping" with picking (read: eating) the apples. He polished off 3 of them, one by one, that he found on the ground underneath the apple tree. The video shows him enjoying his third apple, and I wish that my camera's battery hadn't died before he finished it, but I got such a kick out of seeing him turn and eat it so carefully, almost like a human.

I'd love to know, what are your favourite apple recipes?

Show of Beauty

By now, we are well into the fall season. Thankfully, it's still the beautiful part of the season, in which the trees are filled with the most gorgeous shades of yellow, orange and red, the leaves that have already fallen are crunching under every step, and there is a tolerable crispness in the air. I know this part won't last much longer though. As I look out the window, I can already see more leaves on the ground than there are left in the trees; yesterday, although mild, was one of the windiest days in a long time, and the weather lady keeps reminding us to go out and enjoy all this beauty and colour, because it will only be here for another weekend or two at most. In other words, the grey part will take over soon. But I'm doing my best not to think of it and instead just enjoy what is.

The other week, I took out my camera and photographed all the colours in our neighbourhood and I love how the pictures came out (though I can't decide if I like them equally as much or more than the ones from last autumn). In another few weeks' time, they'll serve as a great reminder that fall is really not all bad.

Spectacle of Colours

We're already at that point in the fall season where the leaves have almost completely fallen of the trees, the temperatures keep dropping and we keep bringing out the cold weather essentials one by one: thick scarves, fur collar jackets, and boots. On the weather channel, there's mention of the first snowfall getting to us any day.

It's not the greatest feeling knowing that another few months of even colder and darker weather awaits us, but I'm trying not to think of it too much yet. Instead, I'm just happy and thankful that the fall we had this year - the beautiful part, with colorful trees everywhere you look, fallen leaves crunching at your feet everywhere you go, and just a little crisp in the air - has been much longer than the quick two weeks we were consistently getting for the past few years.

For anyone interested, I loved the way this photo turned out so much that I have made it (along with a few other ones) available for sale as an art print!

I feel like this year, despite the crazy schedule I have had, I was able to really take in all those beautiful parts. I noticed all the shades of orange, yellow, red and brown, and I really enjoyed seeing the progression from week to week; for instance, the colorful branches from our backyard that I posted on Instagram a few weeks ago were practically empty just a week later!

Hasty Autumn

I saw the first fallen leaves on the ground today. It was a sad moment because this year, unlike any other year before, summer really got away from me. My favourite time of year that holds a really special place in my heart - the time that I look forward to during the other nine months of the year, the time that makes those nine long months bearable, the time when everything seems possible, when dreams get bigger yet they feel more within reach; yes, that time - got away from me and is now in its final days. If I even think about it for too long, I might cry.

But I have decided that I will allow myself to be sad the rest of this week and then, starting next week, I choose to look forward and enjoy the new season, because autumn too has its good moments. And so, I will be pleasantly surprised and absolutely ecstatic during the few occasions left of this year when the weather decides to hike up high enough to remind me of this beautiful but far too short time - summer.

Fall Closet Basics

Last year around this time, I wrote 'Autumn Basics', in which I rounded up clothes that I thought would contribute to a versatile eco-friendly fall wardrobe. This year, instead of combing through countless online shops to find the 'ideal' items, I was inspired by Vicky's post to look inside my own wardrobe. The premise is still the same as last year - to be more deliberate about my clothing choices - but I'm more realistic by not looking to buy anything new, which is neither a necessity nor a possibility for me right now, and rather focusing on getting the most wear out of - and in the process, falling back in love with - the clothes I already have. To me, this is just a different way of making my fashion choices greener: no new purchases means no added waste, and wearing my own clothes more means no wasted space for items that just gather dust. So, here are a few of my basics that are in constant rotation during these months when the weather gets ever colder in anticipation of winter.

1. Lightweight scarves Since I always seem to skip on adding just the right piece of jewelry to my outfit, scarves are generally my accessory of choice, and I'm happy to have these ones in rotation before I have to switch over to the thick, woollen ones.

2. Stripes and 3/4 sleeves To be honest, stripes are basics year round in my wardrobe, and in combination with a 3/4 sleeve, they work so well for the in-between weather of this season. Lucky me, it just so happens that many of my 3/4 sleeved tops are also striped (or maybe vice-versa?!?...the addiction goes deep :P).

3. Bright orange I just got this sweater in September, and even then I could already tell that it would be one of my fall staples. Most of my outfit ideas revolve around it these days, and I think it will be the cheerful bright spot in an array of clothes that keep getting darker as fabrics get thicker and warmer.

4. Brown shoes In all fairness, many of my shoes are brown - somehow, the black version just doesn't seem as appealing when I try it on - but I think they will bring a particularly 'autumn' feel to my outfits.

5. Blazers Over the years, I have amassed a good selection of them and they're just the right choice when I'm looking for a more dressed-up version to a cardigan or lightweight jacket. I like that they're primarily light-colored to balance out the darker tone of most of my cold-weather-appropriate wardrobe.

What are your fall basics this year? I'd love to know!

Happy Days: A New Season

• A little autumn spirit livens up our kitchen cupboards •

By now, the not-so-nice part of autumn has started: the part in which all the leaves have already fallen and the temperatures are dipping further and further down the thermometer scale, yet there is still some time left until the first snow, so that the daily scenery is an almost constant dark grayish/brownish shade. Yes, that not-so-nice part of autumn. So to cheer myself up, I'm choosing to direct my attention to brighter, happier things such as kitchen decorations and homemade projects.

• Our little lemon tree standing tall and proud on the windowsill, filled with ripening lemons •

• A new cozy accessory I knitted is ready just in time to help me face the upcoming frigid temperatures •