New Day

The little shift over the last couple of days feels like it's making a difference.

I feel more like myself again. 

When this happens, I wonder if it's hormonal or circumstantial or stress. Something goes sideways and I have to fight to want to do anything. Fight the feeling of burying in the bed and ignoring the world. 

I pushed past that feeling, got a few things worked out, feel more myself again. I hope THIS feeling stays for a bit. 

I'm hiking mid-morning. Weather is cooler so I don't have to get out at the crack of dawn. If my foot stays happy, I'll hike 10 miles. If not, I'll go as long as I can. Trying to build up for the higher level hikes coming up.

I'll leave for Asheville early morning tomorrow and come home Friday afternoon. There's a big storm front again over the weekend and I don't want to drive over the mountain in this rental car durning a storm.  Fast turnaround. 

Get in.

Clean.

Sheets.

Setup. 

Maybe a mountain walk and coffee Friday morning. 

Things we do for our kids. 

This little one was on the porch pillar. Gave him a toss into the woods -- not good for the garden. 

P.S. I donated another 4 pounds of peppers yesterday. That never gets old, always a delight. The food bank was excited to get a midweek donation and that's such a good feeling.

P.P.S. Made a big eggplant stew with the final 7 eggplants -- that plant went crazy late summer. 

I haven't been taking as many pictures lately.

This is part of the off-kilter. 

Forgetting the basics.

I'm not staying present enough to notice. 

I can feel the difference. 

I saw this account on IG that takes pictures and uses imagination to describe them. 

There was a picture of an orange cone up against a stretched out hose -- "watched a cone cross the finish line and win the race."

The pictures are so endearing with the whimsy caption. 

I might give this a try -- one a day. I'll see what I find. 

I've neglected all-things-creative lately. I haven't painted a rock in MONTHS and MONTHS (in part because of my neck). My fall garden is dismal. Planted for the food bank, but MY planting is bonking. I need to clear out the rest of the summer garden next week and get busy. Might be a little late in the season.

I'm not sure I should "declare" anything for October given the summer declaration flop (hah), but I want a focus. 

I have space in the calendar -- filling, but still space. 

I want to use that space for getting back to MY basics. 

Rock painting.

Creative moments (need a Christmas project idea)

Visualization meditation.

Garden.

Spooky reading -- mood reading.

Hiking.

That energy is back today. 

*Please don't be too fleeting* 

On that note, I'm going to get moving for a meditation before the hike. Yesterday I couldn't muster one tiny bit of desire to hike, today I'm excited to get on the trail. 

What a difference a day makes. 

Fresh start. 

I hope you get the same if you need one.

Later gators.