Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Fall

Tags

Autumn, Cakes, Coffee, Cookies, Cool weather, Fall, Gentle Breezes, Halloween, Holidays, Leaves, Pies, Soup, Stew, Thanksgiving

Today, I’m grateful for the fall. The cooler temperatures, the wind, and the trees, with their multi-colored leaves falling to the ground and decorating our lawn and driveway. Wow!

I also enjoy the fall because it is heading toward my birthday, the Thanksgiving holiday, and Christmas and New Year’s! Let’s not forget Halloween. What a great time of year!

This is the season for chili, stew, and all kinds of great soups that warm the tummy. It’s the season of cookies, pies, and cakes. It’s the season of warm bread coming out of the oven. Let’s not forget the great times ahead when families get together and celebrate.

This year has been a strange one. We’ve got COVID, we’ve got the entire Western United States on fire, we’ve got a crazy Presidential election, and we’ve had some civil unrest in a few places. I just sit back and watch the show. What else can you do?

Another glorious thing about the fall is coffee!! I began a new habit of drinking cooler things during the summer months. But now that we are getting chillier, I’ll be back at the Raven, the Exquisite Corpse, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ Donuts for my favorite coffees. We still can’t go inside the coffee houses and enjoy some coffee with others, but they are serving and I’m buying.

Well, that’s all I got for today, folks. Here’s to the fall. May we all have many more!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Paying Attention

Tags

Color, Enjoying the Details, Fall, Getting out, Mindfulness, Paying attention, Smell, Sounds, Texture, Walking

I recently began a habit of getting out of the house away from my writing and other work to walk, go to the gym, get lunch somewhere, or run an errand. The purpose behind these excursions is to interact with people. We meet people all day. We meet with folks running a cash register. We meet people that are in the same place we are shopping or eating or getting their cup of coffee.

I smile at people or strike up a simple conversation about what they are eating or what they have in their cart. Simple conversations, but nice to smile and interact. I enjoy these little outings. It brings some variety to my day and allows me to serve others.

When I am out, I pay attention to things, like the hue of the store. I pay attention to the people that are walking about. I pay attention to the smells and sounds. When you really pay attention to what you are doing and where you are, the experience is dramatically different from walking through a store unconsciously merely to get our product and walk back out.

 

 

I started a regimen this week of walking after I eat a meal. I walk for about 10 minutes just to settle the stomach and think. Today, I saw the most beautiful colors in the trees. Two kids went by. One riding a bike; the other on a skateboard. I remembered when I was a kid in this neighborhood, playing hockey, baseball, hide and seek, all of it. There is something magical about growing up in a neighborhood like mine, particularly when the leaves start to turn.

Pay attention to the little things. The colors, sounds, smells, and textures. It makes a huge difference in all you do. I wish you a terrific Saturday.

Until next time…

Dave