It's that time of year . . . (part 2)

I love fall. There are so many things I love about it (as listed in my previous post). There also is a downside to it, too, though.


It's also that time of year when . . .

-allergies to some unknown something cause me MAJOR congestion. (I've had this for a month or so now.)

-the temperature changes (fluctuating wildly at times) and we often have a period of rain. This also causes changes in sinus pressure, and usually results in some period of throbbing ear pain and sore throat for me. Thus, I typically get sick for a period in the fall as my body adjusts to the temperature fluctuations and rain.


For as much discomfort (and sometimes illness) that fall causes me, I still love it! It will always be my favorite season.

It's that time of year . . . (part 1)

I LOVE Fall. It's one of the most gorgeous times of the year. There are so many wonderful things about it.

It's that time of year when . . .

- you can really ENJOY curling up under the covers, snuggled up in your bed. In spring/summer, you don't really need covers, and in winter, you stay under the covers out of necessity. But in the fall, you can just lie there and enjoy it!

-leaves change color, litter the ground, make delightful crunchy and swishy noises as you whisk your feet through them.

-you start to wear sweaters. The weather is milder (maybe) and a good comfy sweater is all you need. (Plus pants of course!)

-the sky is just more gorgeous. The contrast between the clouds and the sky just seem more vivid and delightful. The sunrises and sunsets are also mesmerizing.

From Seeing Red to Green

I use my Outlook calendar at work to stay organized. If there is a report or request due, I place it on my calendar and label it in red. Once I've submitted the report, I change it to white. In this manner, if I see a lot of red, I know there are reports to be run, compiled, and forwarded up the chain. The first of the month is particularly busy, with between 7-9 reports due (at least) every first workday of the month. This week, I saw an awful lot of red, every single day.

What a nice blessing to come home, see my beautiful yard, and right now I'm sitting on the deck, looking over our lush green lawn, scanning the maple tree (that recently littered her helicopters all over the lawn and deck) and enjoying the sound of the birds.

I saw a lot of red this week at work, and I did my best not to stress over it. I knew it would all get done in time, and it did. I know from experience that I didn't need to fret about it. So I didn't. I just got one report done, and then another. And now I'm home and enjoy seeing green, rather than red.

The Link between Action and Trust

When it came time to think about choosing my word for the year, the first word that resonated with me was TRUST. There were a lot of unknowns in my life at the time. My spouse's job was in the air, financial worry crept in, and I wanted to TRUST that everything would work out OK.


I ultimately decided on a different word though. My historical experiences/connotations with TRUST were often more anxiety-ridden, feeling that "I need to TRUST that Heavenly Father will take care of me and things will work out." But that sort of mentality about TRUST was not one of genuine TRUST. It was fear masquerading as bravado and trust that an outside source would take care of me. It was not the peaceful, deeply rooted, knowing in my being that things really would work out. (At least that is not how I typically experienced it, though my lip service may have lead others to believe otherwise.)


Instead, I chose the word ACTION, because I wanted to focus on what I can do, and what I can control. Oddly enough, it's taught me a lot about TRUST.


For example, Tuesday I felt the urge to start delving into Kundalini yoga, which is the type that my yoga studio is really big on. I had a strong desire to attend the Tuesday night class, which was early enough after work that I wouldn't have time for dinner, and I worried that by the time it was over I might be ravenous.


But I went! I put aside my fears and TRUSTED my gut and my inner desires. And that TRUST lead to my ACTION. I attended the class and it was great! I felt energized, I felt great, and I slept extremely well that night.


I'm glad I chose the word I did. And I'm glad I'm learning how intricately connected ACTION is to TRUST. As I learn to TRUST myself, my desires, this will lead to ACTIONS that I will be proud of and pleased with.

Hope Springs Spring!

All winter long I've carried the hope in my heart that the crocus bulbs I planted last fall would bloom this spring. The major effects of winter (huge snow piles) melted away, and I never saw my flowers :( I thought crocuses were supposed to be the first spring flowers that peek up through the snow. Well. We had a random bout of 2 more inches of snow this weekend, and today I saw purple blossoms springing out of the terrain where I planted them! Hooray! Of course, I proudly took photos of them. When I came inside I happened to look at my Vision Board. I squealed as I noticed that I now have the purple crocuses that I had cut out and put on my vision board. p.s. I've also already seen mosquitoes, so Spring really is on its way!

Action

I picked a word for the year: Action.

If you know me, I'm not the kind of mad, driven, always moving, always working on something kind of person. I actually like to take time to think, rest, reflect, and notice the beauty in nature and around me (AND, get things done).

So why the word Action?

My vision of the word is to help me take the SMALL, day-to-day, simple actions that lead to larger results. I don't have to be driven to accomplish. If I do small daily actions, I will accomplish big things.

Wee, whee, wii, I want to go home!

(Title from "This little piggy went to market")

We always seem to buy toys much earlier than Christmas. I'm ok with that. Over a month ago we bought a Nintendo Wii (the special Red edition that includes a copy of Mario Bros.) and a Wii Fitness Plus balance board and program. And of coures the extra doohickies that you need to make it all work, and some games.

Boy, is this thing fun. I'm wishing for snow days to stay home and play. The Wii Fitness Plus program is pretty great. It tracks the different exercises you do, how long you spend on it, it can measure your BMI and weight (if you choose to do that daily test). It really does make 'working out' fun.

Also, I am starting to get hooked on Mario Kart. I'm not very good at it, but it IS fun. I even think Santa might have gotten us some Mario Kart Wii Steering Wheels, but I'm not sure. I can't quite see any presents that look that shape. Maybe it's hidden in one of those larger packages . . .