Friday, September 30, 2011

Savoring The Changing Seasons Of My Life . . .


Fall is certainly in the air!  The dog days of summer are almost gone, and we will soon see the snow start to fall in my neck of the woods.  We  have had a wonderful warm Autumn, and I will be sad to see it end - and end it must!  As I was poking around my yard today, I was noticing the subtle changing of the leaves - most are still beautiful and green . . . but fading fast.  Some trees have a few yellow and gold leaves peeking through every now and again, to remind me of the changing season.   I can remember when some of my grandchildren were smaller, they would rake the leaves into big piles and then throw the leaves into the air and watch them fall onto the freshly raked grass. I can still see the smiles on their sweet little red-cheeked faces,  as they jumped and twirled around as the yellow, orange and brown leaves fell around them. . . cherished moments.   The dog loved it though, he would make himself a nice little bed in the leaves after they were gone!

I am looking forward to cooler days!  It’s the nip in the air at this time of year that energizes and awakens my senses and renews my spirit!  I have had a wonderful summer, full of fun, quiet moments, busy times, changes that I knew would come, some good, and some not so good.  For me, the change in seasons is the perfect time to reflect on those changes that have come, and make new changes in my life - good changes, simple changes that can make me feel better about who I am and who I want to be.


Here's a list of things I'm pondering on - feel free to ponder with me!

1. What is it I want right now?  How can I be even more true to myself?  What can I do to surround myself with more beauty?  What do I need to do to feel closer to the Savior?


2. What routines would I like to “fall back” into?  What are some old hobbies I would like to bring back into my life?  What is it that I really miss doing or participating in?


3. What is holding me back?  What keeps getting in my way or holding me back?  What clutter can be cleared from my home and life?


4. What am I ready to tackle this Fall?  What changes or fixes have I been putting off?  What steps can I take in order to get things done?  I want to be like a child and jump into the pile of leaves!  I need to bring back that wonderful childhood energy and start something new!


5. What things or activities do I need to start saying “no” to?  What is it that’s draining my energy? 

It's hard for me to make changes, but, I'm going to dive into Fall with a plan to energize myself, to live a more fulfilling life, and to celebrate the changing seasons in my life!  




Many Hugs,



13 comments:

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Beautiful post! I loved learning that about you.

Fall is really a beautiful time of the year.
It makes me want to "nest" and get things all snuggled in.

Deb from WhatsInMyAttic said...

Figure out #3 and the rest...all will fall where it needs to be! ;o)

Abi's Blog said...

If you find how to get that childhood energy back...let me know! Smiles!
Blessings,
Ava
PS. The leaves in Texas are not even starting to turn - I'm afraid they'll just turn brown! Even my red maple hasn't started turning! It is so dry!

Tauna said...

Your grandmother lived in Ririe? That's just a hop and skip from me. My dear ER nurse friend lives there now. I would love to live there. It's beautiful.

Julie Harward said...

Hi there, I think Fall and all it's calmness and peace makes me feel more reflective too...I started reading the Book of Mormon again and it is so awesome! Love this time of year! ;D

Julie Harward said...

Hi there, I think Fall and all it's calmness and peace makes me feel more reflective too...I started reading the Book of Mormon again and it is so awesome! Love this time of year! ;D

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Hi Barb! It's so good to see you posting! Are you my lost lost twin? LOL No, I'm older than you. I say that because I've been pondering much of the same things as you've listed. Thanks for making that list so I won't have to! Ha! Seriously now, it's a good list and I think the fall season sets me to pondering more than any other time of year. Deb is so right about #3. Those are the very first things I need to tackle.

Loved your post. Have a great weekend!

The WIlloughby Family said...

Hmmmmm....ponder I must!!! I love talking to you my beautiful mother!!!!! You are so insightful and can always make me see things in a different light! It is far past bedtime and I am pondering your blog and searching Kohls.com to find a rug or bedding set for my home. Talk about pondering. :) Love you Mom!! Enjoy conference.

Vee said...

Deep thoughts, Barb. I think that such thoughts will help aim you toward your goal for sure. I am so not a deep thought person, but I should try it just for exercise. ☺ Don't be rushing autumn along now...it'll be here well into December. Let's enjoy the crisp, the warmth of home, the grands, the joys of preparing a delicious meal, the love of God, and on and on. Lovely to see a post here!

Just Ramblin' said...

I love your list and am going to borrow it to ponder on, especially #3. Sometimes I wonder why it is that I can't do things and like you said, "What is it that is holding me back" besides myself. I, too, have been thinking about ways I can draw closer to the Savior. Perhaps it is conference time that makes me step back and take a look at my life and what things I need to change and improve on. I love fall and seem to become energized with the cooler temperatures. It seems like I have accomplished more in the last few days than I have all summer in regard to projects around the house. Loved your comments about the grandchildren playing in the leaves. That brought back such cherished memories. Wonder if they will play in my leaves this fall? Surely Kohler and Ty will, I hope. I love raking up the leaves and running through them myself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and giving me/all of us some great insights and thoughts to ponder on. Nola

Linda said...

I'm finding if I have a good book to read and a project to do I'm good. I guess everything is pretty good in my life right now, not perfect, but I'm content. Linda

LeAnn said...

Oh Barb it was such a blessing to find you had blogged again. Your thoughts were so sweet and I do think fall has that feeling that you want to begin again to looks at what you are doing with your life. This post was good and really good for me; thanks you!
You are such a good writer and I think should write a book of your musings.
I hope it is ok if I borrow a picture of Averi; I am doing a guest post in Mormon Women about our Averi.
We have had two wonderful days of conference and then I am blessed to have a friend like you.Love to you!!
LeAnn

Gina said...

Barb,

I love your post. So inspiring! Thank you for sharing and encouraging us to reflect during this change in seasons.

Gina

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