Tag: nature

Embrace the Fall: Make Lasting Memories – The Thankful Challenge

There is something wonderful about the expectation and anticipation that comes with each new season. I am always ready for the changing temperatures, the landscape’s natural redecoration, and the gathering of friends and family that go along with each season. Sometimes nature gets a little tricky, teasing and taunting us with glimpses of the next season before reminding us it’s not quite time yet. Even if it is just a glimpse, I know the new season is right around the corner. I bask in those warmer temperatures after a cold winter or find relief in the cooler temperatures after the dog days of summer.

Winter delivers the cold crisp air and the snowy (or mostly icy in NC) landscapes. Spring brings with it all the beautiful flowers and more moderate temperature (also pollen for which I am not so thankful, achoo!). Summer brings with it perfect beach weather. I really love the beach. Each season has its own unique character but there is something special about the Fall. The family gatherings are sweeter (Pumpkin pie? S’mores? Yes please!) and the warm tones of the season seem to wrap you like the snuggliest blanket. Everything about fall gives me feelings and memories of home, family, and good food.

In the busyness of life, the Fall season urges me to slow down, to take it all in. Go for a walk and watch the landscape as it transitions from brilliant green to vibrant red, orange, yellow, and purple. Fireplaces billow for the first time shaking off the dust that has settled since their last fire of winter. Scents of pumpkin spice and apple spice waft from every corner coffee shop. All of these scenes and scents together bring back so many memories from my childhood.

My friends and I loved going on hayrides under the backdrop of the beautiful fall trees before spending nights by the campfire. Who can forget the sticky s’mores, followed by the debate of who roasted the best marshmallow. (The slow roast to golden brown marshmallow is definitely the best.) Warm apple cider warmed our hands as we sat by the fire in the chill of the fall evening. Of course, someone had to tell a scary ghost story while their accomplice friend jumped out of the woods. But that was all part of the fun. I always expected that jump scare but somehow was never prepared for it. Some of my best memories were made spending time with friends by the glow of the campfire.

I am so thankful for all the memories of Fall from my youth. I am even more thankful for every chance I get to make new memories with my children. Now that my children are growing up and moving out of the house, I feel a new sense of urgency to make the most of every moment I have with them. It makes me think of the leaves falling off the trees urging me to make the most of fall memories before the winter arrives. Realizing time was growing short, we built a fire pit in our yard so friends can come over and create lifelong memories around their own “campfire.” The colorful leaves provide the perfect backdrop for the campfire as the sun begins to set. We’ve lost a few marshmallows to the fire pit but overall it’s been a great success. Graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars are always on hand to make sure we are ready at a moment’s notice.

When you have a moment, I encourage you to take some time to build your own campfire. Make your own fall memories. Even if they are not memories that last a lifetime, you will have a wonderful time making the most of time with friends and family. Enjoy Fall! Enjoy the sights and smells of the season. Make the most of the beautiful landscape before it disappears. How many memories have you made so far this fall? How many more can you make before the leaves are gone and winter is here? What is your favorite fall memory?

Please leave a comment with your favorite fall memory or ideas to make new memories.

The Thankful Challenge – The Storm

A 365 day challenge to focus on being thankful. – Week 2, Day 3…and 4

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels.com

Do you ever have those moments when you know the proverbial storm is coming and you think you are prepared but it turns out you just kinda weren’t? Well on Tuesday there was no proverbial about the storm that hit our area and I was definitely not prepared. Yes, the local weather stations had been predicting the impact of the storm would be rough but I didn’t expect it to be quite so bad. I thought there might be some sensationalizing about the storm. (It happens sometimes.) Turns out there was no sensationalizing. The meteorologists were spot on this time.

It was drizzling all morning and the winds were steadily picking up as the day meandered on. Eventually the rain decided to show itself in a big way and was coming down in sheets (and sideways) but it seemed the heavy rain moved on pretty quickly. Then the winds blustered and gusted their way into the evening hours. The wind was blowing so it was changing the pressure in the house. Doors were closing on their own and the windows were shifting in their casings. It was unsettling.

We have A LOT of trees in our yard which is always cause for concern when we hear “high winds” in the forecast. The trees were creaking and the wind was howling. If you’ve never heard a tree creak, the sound is very eery. It’s like the creak of the floors before a jump scare in the movies. You hear the creaking and hold your breath until you hear the crack of a limb or the thump of a giant branch on the roof. If you are fortunate, you hear nothing. The dread is there in the back of your mind, cautiously waiting for a limb to come crashing through the window (which has happened before on an otherwise calm day). Wind gusts were up to 55 mph and the trees were moaning and straining with every gust.

Night fell and the lights were still on. I thought we were going to be lucky this time, escaping this storm with only a tiny little leak in the roof and some branches to clean up in the yard. Then it happened, the lights flickered, on, off, on, off, on, then blackness. SERIOUSLY!?! I thought the storm was on its way out and we were home free. My daughter and I stood in blackness on the stairs waiting and hoping it was just a little blip and the power would be back on momentarily. No such luck. Time to find the flashlights.

We looked at the power outage maps and the number of people without power kept growing and growing into the thousands. There were people without power all around us. People, just like us, going to their lantern and flashlight stashes so they could find their way around in the night. Understandably, the power company was not sending anyone out to work on the lines until the storm had passed. Thankfully, it was approaching bedtime so we decided to turn in early. Surely the power would be back on when the sun came up.

The wind was blustery through the night and eventually the storm passed a few hours before the sun decided to show its face. The bright, still a little breezy, morning was a welcome sight but no power. This was going to present some challenges for the moring. We are beholden to our well and our well pump to supply water to our house. When the power goes out…so does our water. Take a moment to think about all the things we do with water every day. Yeah…if you know you know. There was no flushing, hand washing, or showering. We usually fill the tubs with water so we can at least take care of the essentials but this time I was scoffing at the storm and did not have any back up water supplies other than a few water bottles. It was turning into a bit of a mess. I did have baby wipes though. I ALWAYS have baby wipes. They can be useful in many different ways, this time more than most.

We took another gander at the outage maps and it looked like the number of people without power was dwindling all around us. Surely we were next. We all took our shower things and a change of clothes to school or to the gym to take advantage of water elsewhere just in case. I was at the gym when one of the neighbors told me the power had returned. Thank goodness!

I know this doesn’t sound much like a thankful post so far but I am very thankful. First, I know we were fortunate only to lose power in the storm. The other inconveniences turned out to be just that, inconveniences. Once the power was back on those problems were in the rear view mirror. That was not the case for others. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those that had more damage and injury.

I am thankful for the people from the power company that worked tirelessly to bring the power back to the thousands of people. I think we were some of the last in our area to get our power back and we were still only without power for about 17 hours. Truly incredible that everyone’s lights were back on so quickly. The lineman have skills beyond skills to do what they do with high voltage wires while high off the ground!

I am thankful for my husband bringing my daughter and I dinner because we had not eaten yet when the power went out. I’m also thankful he arrived home safely from his work meeting. The neighbor that checked on us to make sure we were warm enough and had what we needed is amazing and the best neighbor! I am so thankful for her! 

Sometimes it is hard to see the silver lining or to look for the bright spots in our days when they are not going the way we planned. My goal for this year and for this “Thankful Challenge” is to do just that. Look for the happy coincidences. Find the sunny side when things aren’t going my way. Cherish the moments when things are going my way. Find as many ways to be thankful as possible. What are you thankful for today?

The Thankful Challenge – Day 5

A 365 day challenge to focus on being thankful.

Ok, I made it to day 5. Woohoo! I know it seems silly to celebrate such a tiny milestone but we have to celebrate the little victories along with the big. Some baby steps that will hopefully lead to leaps and bounds.

Yesterday I wrote about Mom. Today I think it is only fitting to follow it up with a thankful post about Dad. I’m so thankful I had two wonderful parents who loved me and always wanted the best for me. I know that is not always the case for everyone. Dad is no longer with us but there was never a dull moment when he was around.

There are so many anecdotes and stories about Dad, it’s hard to narrow it down. I will say that he provided for us and worked insanely hard to make sure we had everything we ever needed as well as some things we didn’t necessarily need. He loved to travel and wanted to make sure we had experiences that would last a lifetime. We had some really entertaining and adventurous family trips, all in our Econoline high top van. Dad loved loading up and jumping in that van for an outing. I can still see him sitting up in the drivers seat, whistling along, as we headed down the highway. We listened to the Kingston Trio A LOT. It was one of his favorite bands. I still listen to the Kingston Trio because of Dad. Listening to his music also helps me remember some of the very vivid memories I have of my Dad.

When I was a kid Dad loved playing in the ocean with us. I don’t know how many hours he spent holding onto me while I floated on rafts in the ocean. I was a little nervous about the fish and, in full disclosure, the seaweed. I would lose my mind when the seaweed brushed across my legs and would go running for the raft. I spent hours on those blue and red rafts (if you are a 70’s/80’s baby you know the ones I’m talking about). Dad held onto that raft and never made me feel silly for being a little afraid of the ocean critters and things drifting in the water. My brothers and I always had the best time in the ocean with Dad. He transferred his love of the ocean to me and to my kids as well. It is my happy place and I always feel a little closer to Dad on the beach.

On a side note, I was looking for a picture of the blue and red rafts to add to this post. I saw one of the rafts marked “vintage” and now I feel old. It was also for sale for $59.99. What in the world!? I don’t even know how someone owns a raft from that long ago that survived this long. We went through those rafts like fish went through the water and they were only about $5 each. The new $59.99 price…must be a victim of “inflation”.

Even though Dad has gone on to Heaven, his memory is still very much alive here on Earth. When we get together as a family, there is always some fun story of Dad that finds its way into the conversation. The Dad stories are the best and always get us laughing. I think about him every day and miss him terribly, but more than that, I am so thankful that he was my Dad!