" ...and all at once, summer collapsed into fall."
OSCAR WILDE
It's Monday morning and I'm up in the wee hours. I was still in bed when I heard a weird crash in the kitchen. Flying downstairs, I found nothing more than garden books from the kitchen shelf sprawled on the floor. A few days earlier, I'd taken out a small seasonal floral arrangement I'd been using as a bookend. Without its support, the books must have gradually slid off the shelf, causing the vitamin and pill bottles to add their quirky percussion.
Since I'm up, I'm putting the finishing touches to the September edition of The Simple Woman's Daybook. It will be sweet and simple today. I hope you all keep safe—there are so many things that are in turmoil these days—dear Lord, have mercy on us all.
TODAY
“To say it was a beautiful day would not begin to explain it.
It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with the start of fall.”
ANN PATCHETT
Looking out my window...
it was green, green, green one day, but when I went for my walk the next,
overnight autumn had arrived in the neighbourhood. It's overcast and windy today.
I am thinking...
about how comforting the brewing coffee smells this morning.
I am thankful...
that my sweet husband cheerfully makes coffee every morning and brings us
a cup in bed. We both start the day slowly and easily. It must be a family trait,
for I hear my brother-in-law does the same for his sweetheart.
One of my favorite things...
the scent of lemon zest baking in blueberry muffins.
I am creating...
not much with my hands these days. I used to love needlework,
scrapbooking, and painting with watercolours. But now, mostly, I love
to play with words, aiming to create lovely sentences to share with you here.
I am wearing...
a sleeveless turquoise top with black leggings, black flop sandals, silver bracelets.
I am reading...
just starting Ann Patchett's novel State of Wonder, in which research scientist
Dr Marina Singh is sent to the Amazon to find her former mentor,
who seems to have disappeared while working on a new drug. I'm reading it because
Elizabeth Gilbert in her engaging book Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear
tells a tale of how Patchett's novel came to be.
The real state of wonder around here is that I finally bent my pride to start
asking for the Large Print copies when borrowing from the library.
My reading pleasure has increased exponentially.
I am watching...
and enjoying—for the second time go around—Season one of New Tricks
on Prime. It's the 2003 British police procedural comedy-drama series,
where Superintendent Sandra Pullman and three retired (eccentric) police
officers try to clear up unsolved crime cases. Evenings grow dark early now.
I am hoping...
for the frost to hold off for a while yet. My roses are still budding like crazy.
I think they kinda like the cool mornings?? Or, they realize their season in nearly done.
In my kitchen...
in my thrift store ceramic bowl
"Food for the soul"
In my garden...
The white Alyssums outdid themselves this summer.
Not only did they spill from the pots in merry abandonment,
they filled the air with sweet scent and attracted many bees. Don't
ask me what the pink flowers are, because I don't recall at the moment.
PostScript...
I'm sharing the LINK again to my recent Guest Blogger post about
shadow mentors....in case you missed it the first go around.
I'd love for you to visit.
Shared Quote...
"...Each of us needed to find just the right way to take our mind off our problems,
and it did not matter what that was—a drive in the country, an expedition to a shoe shop,
a quiet cup of tea under a cloudless sky; each of us had something that made it easier
to continue in a world that sometimes, just sometimes, was not as we might wish it to be."
ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
* * *
Wishing you a beautiful day. Go.Be.Love. Keep safe.
Heart Hugs,
Brenda
xox
Joining The Simple Woman's Daybook this week
My husband does the same thing - he wakes me up with a hot cup of coffee in bed. Sometimes we go out on the patio, but with the smoke and ash, we haven't done that in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThose lovely men of ours - we want to adore them to bits. I'm sorry to hear you have to stay inside these days what with the smoke and ash from all the fires. So devastating. Stay safe, Debby.
DeleteThe September roses are glorious. I will hope with you that you'll have many more to enjoy before summer slips off. You always share the nicest quotes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vee. Quotes have always been a treasure trove of joy to me, since I was a girl. I used to collect lines of poetry that touched me. I remember sitting at the kitchen in our little farmhouse, gluing poems from church bulletins and magazines into my big blue scrapbook.The only one I can still remember is: "God sees you as perfect - it's because the Son gets in His eyes."
DeleteThis is a beautiful post! I can just imagine the disturbance made by those falling books in the middle of the night! Lovely flowers! Lovely quotes! I believe I’ll reread this every morning! It would certainly set a positive tone for the day!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nellie, for your lovely thoughts!
DeleteLovely pictures. That awakening must be somewhat startling.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruth. The sound of the pills thrashing in the bottles was what made the noise so unusual. I thought, what, is the plumbing exploding?? Thankfully it was nothing serious.
DeleteBrenda I can just imagine sitting at your desk and gazing at the beautiful tree with that golden colour. It is a lovely time of he year. Your flowers are stunning. Love the plate of roses. Stay safe friend. Thank you for your uplifting post. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you stopped by Debbie - thanks for your lovely comments. :)
DeleteYou are a lovely writer, focusing on helping us to see beauty. Your words are lovely, kind, and gentle.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Deanna!
DeleteYour do indeed write lovely sentences. A visit to your blog always is a beautiful time for me. I do love the smell of brewing coffee....or even freshly-roasted coffee. MY husband roasts his own beans, roasting only a week's worth at a time. Alas, though, I'm not a coffee drinker. The taste doesn't live up to the aroma for me, unless it's loaded up with milk. I'm a tea gal, preferably Yorkshire Gold.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, Patti. What fun that your husband roasts his own beans - I think that would be such a satisfying task. I love a good coffee, but I'm also a big fan of Yorkshire Gold tea. We have coffee in the mornings, tea in the afternoons.
DeleteSweet and simple is often the best. I see that we are blessed with such loving spouses. Enjoy your day and I hope the frost holds out. You must live further North than I. It is still warm and DRY here. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThe temperature is supposed to dip really low, but fingers crossed, we'll escape the killing frosts for a few more days. We're up in Alberta, Canada.
DeleteThank you dear Brenda for another lovely post. Have a wonderful day ~ FlowerLady
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you stopped by, FlowerLady!
DeleteA lovey post for me to enjoy with my coffee this morning. Coffee that my hubby brought to me. One of life's sweet blessings. Brenda, we used to see frost here toward the end of September, but now it arrives in October. Our days are so much cooler and I am enjoying it immensely. I hope your frost will hold out for your roses to make their last appearance. Enjoy them and these nice days.
ReplyDeleteYour hubby, Michael, is a real treasure, Sandra. I'm glad your days are finally cooler, so much more comfortable. I picked our tomatoes last night, because it was supposed to dip pretty low, but hopefully we'll escape the shenanigans of Jack Frost for a few more days. At this time of year, every day extra without the frosts is bonus.
DeleteI really like the blue and yellow floral combination. I've been working at a secondary school so my mornings are a bit rushed these days. I'm just going to start Elena Ferrante's new book. The Lying Lives of Adults. On Netflix, I'm watching Rita. Have you seen it?
ReplyDeleteI, too, really like colour combo of blue and yellow. I also love blue and white and blue and green. I have not seen Rita - thanks for the recommendation.
DeleteAhhhh . . . lovely post (as always). Well, maybe the thought of being awakened by a cacophony of falling cookbooks and pills is not so lovely, but at least it ended well. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the quote at the end of this post. During the long days of quarantine, my "right way" was inviting Bekah to come with me to get drive-through coffee and take a ride looking at houses. A simple pleasure, nothing spiritual, but a fun distraction.
I always enjoy a drive looking at houses and front yards. As you say, a simple pleasure, but a satisfying one. Lovely that you have Bekah to share the experience with.
DeleteI was sure it was going to be fairies in your kitchen, dancing on the counters and fighting over leftover pie. But toppling books were a close second.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
If they would have found pie on the counter, I would have been down there fighting with the fairies. Haha. Now you make me hungry.
DeleteYour posts are always so lovely. So gentle. Thanks for sharing this glimpse in to your day. :)
ReplyDeleteWe certainly can do with gentle these days....so glad you stopped by, Cassandra.
DeleteOnce again I am late to your post, but I'm so glad I got here. There is much loveliness as one season gives way to another and you've expressed it so well.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see your note here....and never late, Lorrie, we come visiting when we can, right?
DeleteI love all of the quotes and want to write some down in my journal...especially the one from A. M. Smith! Love seeing your beautiful flowers. Roses are finishing up here and we will be cutting them back. I mentioned you on my post this morning...I think you'll like it! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI do like that excerpt from Alexander McCall Smith's novel, Diane. I'm popping over to see your post, since you mentioned me there. Thank you!
DeleteComing by to visit via Lavender Dreamer. Beautiful post Brenda. I used to do the Simple Woman's Daybook weekly back in the early days of blogging. Enjoy the rest of the week :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Martha, and for leaving your lovely comment. I'm off to visit you now.
DeleteHi, I am visiting after reading about your blog on Lavender Dreamer. I like your blog, it makes me smile and is a reminder of all the good that is out in our world, and I too am a fan of Susan Branch.
ReplyDeletexx oo
Carla
Go.Be.Love.
So nice to 'meet' you, Carla. Thanks so much for letting me know you stopped by. I'm off to visit your blog now.
DeleteThank you for linking up with TSWD! I enjoy reading your edition.
ReplyDeleteTea is definitely helping me take my mind of all this.
ReplyDeleteI really miss thrifting (not that I need any more teawares. Heh)! I haven't stepped foot inside a thrift store for months. I did venture out to the dollar store for the first time since March this morning. But there was no leisurely browsing. I grabbed what I needed and left.
Hi Brenda! Enjoyed reading your daybook. It made my day. What a beautiful Fall tree you have in your view! Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope I answered your question. Have a blessed day :-)
ReplyDelete