Summer's Lingering Conclusion

"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Let them be your only diet drink and your botanical medicine." -- Henry David Thoreau

While taking a walk with Mom tonight, I couldn't deny the fact that the seasons are changing (and despite what the calendar says). In the Pacific Northwest, trees are slightly changing colors, there's a new cool in the air in the morning and evening, and there's that golden light that is cast over everything. Sounds tell me that the seasons are changing too -- just the same every year: I have been hearing sports practice, cheerleaders cheering and the band marching to its own tune. That's one of the joys of living right near a high school all your life; you know when school is out and when it is starting again soon. 

Maybe it's just due to the school year that this change of season is so prominent. There is so much emphasis on the introduction and conclusion of those 9 busy months. There's that sigh of relief and grasp of freedom when its all over and then the butterflies in your stomach when it is about to begin. Summer to Fall is a monumental change in that regard. The start of something new, different and potentially exciting. 

I don't think that the other seasonal changes are any less important. For me, I have a deep love of summer. I am always excited for its arrival. I love it simply for what it is (and what I hope for, being in the PNW doesn't guarantee an ideal summer anymore) -- sunshine, blue sky, fresh produce, farmer's markets, and various outdoor activities. Summer is a big hug and I can't get enough!

I'm trying to appreciate Summer's end and as one wise blogger mentioned last year, this in between period is almost a season to itself. There really is beauty in seeing the earth in a transformative state. Right now we are all on the edge...With that said, here are some pictures I took today:

Beautiful Double Delight roses - my favorite

My happy boy enjoying his catnip! He just loooooves the sunshine. I tell him to soak it up for the winter.

Some of the sounds we hear at home -- football games & practices

Wish the apples on our tree were edible but they sure are pretty to see

My mini pumpkins are quite prolific!

There are some changes in the land and sky as summer is nearing its end. Activities are changing and soon boys and girls will be gathering together in the hallways and classrooms.

Each season has its own joys and beauty but I'll always carry Summer in my heart. Truthfully, I am a bit sad about it ending this year. There was so much going on and lots of heavy emotional situations that I didn't get to appreciate summer as much. Perhaps its my own fault for not taking the time ;-) In any case, I will be more than happy to greet Summer again when she rolls around!

Here's to the seasons ahead -- let's drink them in as Thoreau tell us :)

Pretty April Day

I spent most of this lovely day at the library doing mounds of homework. Sadly, while I spent a good part of Spring Break trying to get ahead in one class, I got slightly behind in another. I pretty much did a week's worth of reading and responding all today. Ugh. Seriously, it is going to be a mad dash to the end of this semester. I probably won't be writing as much either... :( I'll try my best though.

So on the bright side of adding value to life, I think it is important to capture natural beauty in memory and pictures. I took these pictures on a short walk around the ponds (thanks to B for making me get some fresh air!).... I also had fun Instagramming them.

Happy April! Happy Spring!

What I Am Into, Summer 2011

As it is officially the first day of Fall tomorrow, I thought I better record some things about this summer. This season has gone by quickly and now we are about to transition. I am ready for the most part and hopeful that this Fall will be a peaceful cozy season.

So, with that said, here is what I have been into this Summer. I got this idea from my cousin at Simply Authentic, and she got it from Sorta Crunchy (who "stole it" from Adventures in Babywearing's post). I love blogging! Ideas circulate pretty darn fast on here. I always love it when I find fun posts like this.

What I Am Into ~ Summer 2011

On My Nightstand:
 Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews... been working on this for over 2 months. I love it but I have not had much time to read nor the focus.. haha Attempting to getting back in the reading routine!

Want to Read:
This list is incredibly long! I would love to read more books on living simply and eating healthy. Also, my favorites are biographies/autobiographies. However, after finishing Julie Andrews' book I have these on my nightstand as well, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (my friend Jennifer wants me to read this series, apparently it is much better quality than Twilight...not hard to believe!), God in the Alley by Greg Paul (a book from a cousin), and then Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda (he has another book out too- love this guy, I am a big fan of MASH).

TV Show Worth Watching:
Uh, honestly I didn't watch much TV this summer. My family and I tend to watch shows on DVD. If I had more time (or desire- I watch TV more in the Fall & Spring) I probably would have watched "So You Think You Can Dance" - it is a neat show to watch.

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater):
"One Day" starring Anne Hathaway. I loved this movie! It was a book made into a movie- it is more of a "dark chick flick." I will admit, it made me get a little choked up.... haha

In My Kitchen: Well, in our kitchen there are lots of tomatoes. Yay for a great tomato season!!!

In My Ears: Mostly country music but lately I have been listening to this new modern music radio station (basically pop culture type). I have decided though that I do like Adele. She has an interesting voice.

Newest Blog/Internet Reads:
Hmm.. Haven't really come across any new reads this summer . I always like finding different blogs to follow. I am sure I will in the next few months (especially when I am procrastinating on homework and browsing Blogger!). I already follow several blogs but I don't always keep up to date with every single one. Right now I am consistently reading Domestically Challenged, Flower Patch Farmgirl (she is so inspiring, funny and honest. Love her writing style), Going Home to Roost, Simple Frugalista, and a few fashion blogs.

What I Am Looking Forward to Next Month:
Beautiful fall colors (I hope! Let it be a good photography season!)
More subbing experience, have a few jobs lined up for the month. :)
Fall foods-- soups, stews, pumpkin foods, warm drinks
Fall scents-- love love love the smell of fall: cinnamon, pumpkin spice, cranberry... all great candle scents!
Seeing how my new cats adjust to the colder weather; should be amusing.

Hope you all have had a great Summer 2011! Here's to a Happy Fall 2011!

Substituting Season Begins

Note I got from a 3rd grader last year

Yesterday I started back into subbing for the school year! I subbed at a new school that is close to home (but for a teacher I know from last year- she got moved this school due to budget issues).

Last year this teacher had second grade and this year she has fourth. It is quite the switch but I am excited to know this age group of kids better.

I am thrilled to say it was a positive experience overall. The kids were good (thankfully!) and didn't test the boundaries too much. I had tricks in my bag (literally) but didn't need to pull them out. I think I will use one of them next time I sub, but we shall see. As a sub it is important to always have backup plans and well, bribery. haha

One thing I am always intrigued with is how fast time passes while I teach. Perhaps that is because I have learned to just look at one piece of the day at a time. Before I know it I am getting the students organized to go home!

(side note: I was going to finish this post hours ago and then had to pick my sis up... so pardon the disjoint)


My day was very kid involved since I had to tutor in the evening as well. For the past week I have been working two hours in both nights versus three. Of course, on the day that I sub I end up getting scheduled for three. I didn't mind too much because 1) I get to sit in a comfy chair, 2) time goes fast there as well and 3) the kids pretty good for the most part.

The second hour of tutoring was quite the handful, however. I had two middle school students, one of which is new to the center. Oh heavens, that new kid (a raging hormonal 7th grader) was a talker! I was thankful that only once the two kids got real chatty with each other. Most of the time the one student was trying to figure out "cinnamons" (synonyms) and antonyms. In between helping him, the new kid told me about how he won a contest with his friends. They competed to see who could drink the most Rockstar energy drinks in the summer. Apparently he had a total of 200... Um, summer break isn't that long... It wasn't a surprise to me when he mentioned getting into a fight earlier yesterday. Suppose withdrawal symptoms had anything to do with it?! Needless to say, I was quite amused.

Kids, kids, kids! I love working with them but am sure glad to come home at the end of the day. :)

The month that always surprises me with its arrival

"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

Hazy days are always a sign...

It is September 1st, 2011. Yes, not rocket science there but hear me out: 95% of the time throughout my life it has surprised me when this month rolls around. There was only one summer to fall transition that I eagerly waited waited for September (that is a story in itself, which I am considering telling one day). 

Of all those other times that I have been caught off guard or in just plain denial, I have grieved over summer departing. Some years it has been worse and others I have managed to go through the transition smoothly. This year, I do have a little ache but mainly because it really hasn't felt like summer. I was gone for two weeks, where oh yes, I did experience heat and sunshine. While I did thoroughly enjoy some of those experiences, it doesn't replace the feeling of summer at home.

Now the light is changing in the sky. Earth is tilting and turning away from that glorious sol...That part does make my heart ache, I have such separation anxiety with that golden delight. This year I am holding on to the fact that the calendar says summer lasts until the 23rd. So I have hope! (Side note- soon we will be having 90 degree weather for a few days so one last hurrah!)

While much of my denial of September is directed at the change of weather, there is much anxiety that comes with this new month. In Oregon and much of the nation, public schools start after Labor Day. There is that sense of the unknown and responsibility that can weigh heavy on one's heart. Newness can be a scary thing at first - like those good ol' elementary days. So many nerve-wracking first days of school!

These days September is a reminder that a long 9-month season is ahead. That means substituting, papers, practicums, college course reading, and various responsibilities. So some of that ache in my heart is just the feeling of losing a bit of freedom. Though ironically, I gain freedom in another way: financial. I wouldn't say that money wins in this case, but simply to say: everything comes with its own set of challenges...

On another note- this month is incredibly emotional for so many people in the United States and in the world. Hard to believe that on the 11th, it will be 10 years since those horrific terrorist attacks.

With all that said, those are my thoughts for the first day of September... Hope all of you are smoothly transitioning into this next part of the year. :)

P.S. I am sure that this blog title is my longest! haha

Welcoming Spring

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.  ~Anne Bradstreet

I feel like a cat on catnip. I have had the best two days. The rain may return tomorrow, but I am so thankful to have been able to enjoy two lovely Spring days. I've been able to be out and about and enjoy the sunshine. Ahh... so refreshing.


I forgot to mention two things about yesterday. One of the other reasons why yesterday was great was that I got to see one of my aunts. I delivered our birthday card to her before going to pick up Jennifer. It had been awhile since I had seen her so it felt great to catch up. So that was a great start to the day! I told my aunt I was going downtown in honor for her birthday-- she was thrilled. haha


The end of the day was very nice too. I had a good dinner in the evening and tried something new. A couple of days ago I got an Amy's frozen organic burrito. I keep finding myself tempted to eat the Reser burritos in the freezer, but stop myself every time I read the ingredients (0.5 grams of trans fat). So when Mom and I were at Fred Meyers last time, I decided to get an Amy's burrito-- the Southwestern flavor. I was quite happy with it too! I really enjoyed it and hope to get some more next time. :)

In case you want to try these here's a picture. Yum!

Today has been another uplifting day. Jennifer and I hung out again and did fun girly things. We decided to do one of our famous photo shoots. Taking pictures together has been a big part of our friendship over the years.


For our photo shoot today we dressed in blue jeans and black tops. To add some interest, we put on really dramatic eye make up, which ended up looking really neat. It took us a good 45 minutes or so to put on our make up. We had a lot of fun putting on the darkest eye shadow possible. I'm still surprised with how good it turned out! :) After putting on our make up we walked around the park near Jennifer's house to take some pictures. I'm sure people though we were kind of strange because I was carrying a tote, my tripod, and my peacock feathers (those were props-- yes we're silly!). It took us awhile to find a good spot but once we did we got some great shots. So much fun! I'll share a picture or two on here tomorrow. 


Now to work this weekend-- should be a good one though. Hope ya'll have a lovely weekend! Enjoy and savor the moments of Spring. :)