Life, Lately - Entry No. 5

September recap: between summer and autumn, treating September 1st like a holiday, changing things up for the season, plus a personal update

Life, Lately.

Documenting big and little moments of my life in a monthly recap to look back on when I need joy and the reminder that I do actually do things and have things going on, because sometimes I get that BIG overwhelming feeling of “what am I doing with my life! I never do anything!” It also encourages me to try things and I hope it does so for you, too!

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1. Between summer and autumn

I grabbed an iced americano with pumpkin cream cold foam from Starbucks after my grocery run, and it started raining as I headed home. It felt stuffy and humid outside, still pretty warm. I sat out on the balcony to do some bible study & enjoy the sight and sound of the rain. It is beautiful out there. Tall trees. A few maple leaf trees with leaves already turning. I heard some thunder and it made my heart happy.

2. Treating September 1st like a holiday

In my mind, September 1st is the unofficial start of Autumn. It’s become a habit to treat this day sort of like a holiday filled with fun little things that I equate Fall with.

• Start the day off with a pumpkin spice drink or pumpkin waffles

• play a seasonal playlist while making breakfast

• bring out the Fall decor

• bake something with fall flavors

• light a vanilla pumpkin candle

• watch a cozy show or movie

3. Autumnal drinks & leaf peeping

Ah, September — the air gets cooler (at least in the morning), the leaves are falling, the flood of autumnal flavored coffee begins. Is there anything better?!

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall.

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

4. Fall aesthetics

I love changing things up with the seasons, especially Fall. I got the cutie pillows at Target, as well as the little squirrel and sleeping fox. They’re just so cute and add warmth & autumnal coziness to my place.

I will usually change up the look of my electronics as well. It might be a little silly but I really enjoy it. For my birthday my brother gifted me a real leather skin I really wanted for my iPad’s Magic Keyboard (pictured above). I just love the look and feel of it, and of course that authentic leather smell! It will protect the Magic Keyboard and keep it from getting dirty.

5. Baking & oeufs en cocotte (french baked eggs)

For better or worse, it isn’t Fall until I’ve baked something with pumpkin in it. Though I love baking, I don’t do it very often now because I have to really watch myself with baked goods 🫣 But I wasn’t going to NOT bake at all, so I made a high-protein keto version of some pumpkin spice muffins. They came out so good and made my place smell divine.

I got this cute little “cocotte” from Target to bake eggs in. Oeufs en cocotte (French for “eggs in a casserole”) is a dish you can throw together and bake Bain-Marie style in just a few minutes. You can add ham, sausage, or whatever you want to the dish, crack your eggs in, a splash of heavy cream, cheese, seasonings, and bake in a water bath. The egg whites should firm up but the yolks will be a bit runny. For some reason it feels like a very “Fall” breakfast to me.

6. Oktoberfest at McMenamins

Bratwurst with sauerkraut and live music at a beautiful, tree-filled former farmstead built in the mid-1850s.

7. Update

I received my new protheses and brought them home September 30th. It took a while but the wait was worth it because I got a fancy 😂microprocessor knee, which makes the walking experience so much smoother and safer than with the old prostheses I used to have years ago. Praise the Lord for that! I’m grateful for the people who made that possible for me.

Anyway, now begins the arduous task of wearing them and actually standing/walking with them. It takes a lot out of me and I’m already so sore, but ultimately this is necessary and the alternative is worse long term. I have not started physical therapy yet, but I’m working on getting an appointment.

I am also very grateful for the people in my church community who have been checking in with me and offering encouragement & accountability. Such a blessing!

And finallllyyy…

I already shared this playlist I put together on Spotify in my All The Fall Things post, but I’m sharing it again because it’s just so good. I suggest you shuffle through it while baking, making breakfast, or painting, etc. 🤎 🍂

Keep reading:

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