Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly. — Pablo Neruda
Well, that was an odd May, wasn’t it? But it’s over and this morning June greeted me with a chill in the air, a brilliant sunrise, and a riot of Weigela blooms!
I reveled in #MeMadeMay all month long. And I have not stopped! This morning I emptied out my closet with the intention of downsizing to just me-made clothes. May also had a wide variety of weather, so I could wear flannels, wool, and yes, even sleeveless tops!
I made note of things that I “need” (okay…I am pretty sure I don’t really need anything, but I noted some items are well loved and often worn, so I have started a list of “makes” for the coming months.)
I tried to take a photo of “life” every day in May, but I was not successful every day and I have given up on 1 Second daily videos for the time being.
What is there to say… there was an awful lot of drinking in May and lots of staying home. However, we have gotten creative with Happy Hour – I am going to try and “take us out of Pittsburgh” with cocktail and food a couple times a month. Hopefully these “stay-cation” Happy Hours will feel different, since the surroundings sure as hell aren’t! Ha!
Also, when you can’t go anywhere you begin to notice other things, or at least I have. The greening of my neighborhood was truly a site to behold and May’s chillier temps made that greening up a gradual affair, rather than over and done with and for that I am profoundly grateful!
What did you notice about May? What was good? Bad? Better?
A gush of bird-song, a patter of dew, A cloud, and a rainbow’s warning, Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue –– An April day in the morning. — Harriet Prescott Spofford
These words from Harriet Prescott Spofford sum up my April perfectly. We had lots of rain, some incredible blue skies, and a cacophony of bird-song this month. It also felt like it moved by at warp speed – which I hope means that I am getting used to staying home because I think May will be more of the same.
The Best Part of the Month:
Although there is no photo documenting it, some of my best moments of the month were spent journaling. I started a Pandemic Journal this month and my morning writing helps me to “dump” my worries on a page so I don’t have to carry them with me during the day.
Something New:
A new 100 Day Project began for me on the seventh and I am trying my hand at crochet. While the motions of crochet are not entirely comfortable, I am enjoying the result! Each circle feels a little bit better than the one before, and I have memorized the pattern, which is helping tremendously! Maybe in a few more weeks I will feel confident enough to try Genevieve’s Poncho again, that is after I watch some more videos on how to change colors efficiently!
Most Hilarious Moment/s:
Sherman manages to win the prize again this month – if you look at the 14th and 15th you will see his normal routine while we are eating our dinner. He vacillates between intently staring down the dog food containers or staring at us as if to say, “ummm, my Pug-lepathic skills are not working, can you help me out here?!” While he gets no additional food, he does win points for making us laugh!
What I did well and What I can do better:
In the do well column:
Cocktails (although, this is probably not a good thing…lol)
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Best Part of the Month: Realizing that there was more sunshine than it felt like. January is long, and it felt so sunless and seeing that there were more pockets of sunshine than I remembered brought a smile to my face! Also, to celebrate the gradually lengthening days was something very worthwhile!
Something New: Finding a faith home after struggling and avoiding for far too long.
Best “Oh, Wow” Moment/s: Settling into feeling uncomfortable, unsettled, and out of place…and discovering peace there and all kinds of room for growth!
What I did Well and What I can do Better: I found joy in the small things. I nourished my body with healthy choices (most of the time) and I spent more time meditating. These were all the very best parts of the month. And, those things that I could do better? I need to spend more time stepping outside of my comfort zone and I need to push myself to do that more.
I have come to regard November as the older, harder man’s October. I appreciate the early darkness and cooler temperatures. It puts my mind in a different place than October. It is a month for a quieter, slightly more subdued celebration of summer’s death as winter tightens its grip. — Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins certainly has November pegged! This month saw the most dramatic changes, I think. From colored leaves to bare trees. From gently warming days to repeated frosts. And, rain… a colder wintry rain, no longer the warm rains of summer and early fall! There was one day (the 6th) that the photos were so spectacular, I could not pick just one! It was a month that in looking back upon, there was much to be full of gratitude for, which if you asked me before this post – I would have been was hard pressed to say there was much to find gratitude in at all! I am profoundly grateful for these images that have helped me refocus.
November in 58 seconds was not bad either!
There was moving my body – indoors and out! There was so much good food and even a bit of snow! I sadly missed one day of video – so you get a double dose of Steve in his Jerome Bettis super-special and amazing jersey… only in Pittsburgh is this such a big deal! (Also, please note that though Steve hates modeling knitwear, he is eager to show off his jersey… just sayin’ lol)
I hope your November was spectacular as well! See you all back here tomorrow for a bit of Unraveling!
September was an incredible month…there was baking, and the first day of school, and so many amazing skies (most of which were captured on my morning walks!) and there were good sips, Pilates, Sherman, and a new do! One thing struck me in looking back was this: even though the daylight hours were waning, the light itself was truly spectacular! Especially for taking pictures because it is softer and warmer and I definitely noticed that in this months photo images.
The video shares 1 minute of a September that felt like it began and ended about that fast!
And, that is a wrap for the week! I am heading off to Michigan bright and very early tomorrow morning. (Okay, really dark and insanely early as I will be on my way long before the sun rises!) I will see you all back here next week in time for Unraveled Wednesday!