falling

so i had some great pictures from our recent trip to the corn maze and pumpkin patch to include in this post. but blogger still hates me and won't load pictures. clearly, blogger and i are at odds. but the post will go on (but will slightly less great).

so instead i will just cut to the chase.

even though there are times during fall when i do not appreciate the rain (most notably when i have forgot my umbrella and get soaked) i pretty much love this season.

the leaves. getting to wear my boots. ordering up green teas (ok, let's be honest, i do that in every season). snuggling in under blankets. running and seeing my breath. pecan pie (i can barely wait to taste it at thanksgiving time). pumpkins. corn mazes. getting cozy with a good book (i finished reading big magic this weekend and it was ah-maz-in. wow. can't say enough about how inspired i am after reading that book. so, so good). the list goes on and on.

and since the list goes on and on, here is a great list that kelle hampton recently posted on her blog. 20 ways to celebrate fall. bring it on.

i also saw this really cute fall print from pen + paint (i pretty much think everything in their shop is great) which would be a great fall decorating addition and/or a great hostess gift for the fall season.

i am looking forward to this week that will include carving our pumpkins, a harvest party at malena's school, seeing her trick or treating as a koala bar -- and the best fall tradition of them all, celebrating my mom's birthday.

happy monday peeps, here we go.

ps) if you signed up to be a pen pal, and you didn't hear from me today, let me know. xo

good things

good things do happen in this world, and when they do, they can sometimes be pretty great.

yesterday there was $475,000 raised in 24 hours for amazing causes that you can read about here.

over 21,000 people coming together with an average of a $22 donation in 24 hours.

this world is full of magic.

if you want to add a little magic to someone's mailbox in the next three weeks, let me know if you want to be a pen pal.

i hope that you all have a great weekend. ours is going to include project runway, camp outs, picking out tile for our plumbing drama rebuild, swim lessons, lunch with one of my oldest friends, and if things go my way - a nap.

have a good one, i hope that it includes some fall goodness and gives you a chance to bring some magic to someone else. xoxo

ps) seems like the link i put in yesterday for the cam video for "burning house" didn't work if you were looking at the blog on your phone, so here is a better link.

a book + a video + happy mail

"the people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for circumstances they want and if they can't find them make them"

(george bernard shaw)

so the random number generator wizard picked kelly for the book giveaway. yay! kelly i will get the book sent your way soon my dear.

this is totally random, but this song by cam is on the radio every day and i can't seem to get the chorus out of my head. thought something about it might resonate with some of you too.

last (but definitely not least) i am thinking that sending some happy mail out into the world before the scans roll around would be good to ramp up some good vibes and love. if you are interested, let me know and i will match you up with a pen pal. the plan will be to send some happy mail out to your pen pal once a week for three weeks starting next week. it can be a postcard, a card, a post-it note with a message, it can be as easy as you make it. i just think that some extra mojo moving out around the world in the next couple of weeks can only bring good things. let me by friday night and i will match people up this weekend.

have a good one peeps. one more day. we've got this.

rising strong + a book giveaway

"regret is a tough but fair teacher.

to live without regret is to believe you have nothing to learn,

no amends to make,

and no opportunity to be braver with your life"

(brene brown)

i finished reading brene brown's book "rising strong" that i had first wrote about in this post.

the book was really good (which was exactly what i expected).

i basically dog-eared almost every page because it seemed like there were so many points throughout the book that were speaking directly to me.

one of the parts of the book that i really connected with is how she talks about how we write our own shitty first drafts (or SFD for short which might be my current favorite acronym). man, she has that right. there are so many times that i write SFDs about myself that i am pretty sure no one else would write about me (you aren't doing a good enough job as a mom, wife, friend, daughter -- you name it). but man those SFDs can own you if you don't take the time to rewrite your story. as she says, "owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we'll ever do."

so i am sending "rising strong" off to my dear friend in texas who will get to turn all of the dog-eared pages and see which words land on her heart.

but while thinking about how much i loved reading this book, i was reminded that i have an extra copy of another book that i love.

a long time ago i wrote a post about reading the happiness of pursuit.

this last summer i went to an event where the author gave out copies of the book. i have been holding on to that extra copy and decided now is a good time to send it out into the world.

so if you want to get inspired and read the book, leave a comment on the blog or text me, email me, send smoke signals, trip me when you walk past me, leave a trail of jelly beans -- however you know how to communicate with me (hint...jelly beans are probably the most effective method;)). let me know you want a chance to get the book by 8pm wednesday night. i will pick a random winner and let you know on the blog tomorrow night who is going to have some great reading to do and some happy mail coming soon to their mailbox.

happy wednesday peeps, half way there. i can see friday, and good news, it looks pretty awesome.

riser

yesterday when I was driving home i heard dierks bentley's new song "riser" for the first time.

as i listened to the lyrics, there were some tears.

you can check out the video here.

i think that i may have a new theme song for scan week.

thanks dierks.

golden light

"i hope that in the future they invent a small golden light that follows you everywhere and when something is about to end, it shines brightly so you know it's about to end. and if you're never going to see someone again, it'll shine brightly and both of you can be polite and say, "it was nice to have you in my life while i did, good luck with everything that happens after now." and maybe if you're never going to eat at the same restaurant again, it'll shine and you can order everything off the menu you've never tried. maybe, if someone's about to buy your car, the light will shine and you can take it for one last spin. maybe, if you're with a group of friends who'll never be together again, all your lights will shine at the same time and you'll know, and then you can hold each other and whisper, "this was so good. oh my god, this was so good."

(iain thomas)

enough said.

here we go again

i knew it was coming.

the dates for my next round of scans.

november 16th for scans.

november 18th for results.

barrett and malena's birthdays are that week. his lands on the day between my scans and the results.

even though i knew the dates were going to be coming, that doesn't make it any easier.

the marker is now clear.

as always knowing the exact dates and times turns things upside down for me and makes me automatically kick into all of the pre-scan triggers that i know so very well.

i am going to just keep breathing. and going.

reminding myself of all that the fun things i have planned.

and begging the fates to let me have some sleep between now and then.

i know those nightmares are coming, i can see them peeking in the windows from the dark outside.

they may take my nights, but i will be damned if i let them take my days.

here we go again peeps.

f&ck cancer.

maybe

"maybe you can afford to wait.

maybe for you there's a tomorrow.

maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around in it, let it slide like coins through your fingers.

so much time you can waste it.

but for some of us there's only today.

and the truth is, you never really know."

(lauren oliver)

you never really know.

so make the most of it.

right?

right.

count me in.

how about you?

big magic

tonight i got the opportunity to hear elizabeth gilbert talk about her new book.

big magic.

which is the next book in my cue and i am really excited to start turning the pages.

her talk, as i expected, was so good.

i wish that i could have videotaped it and shared it with all of you.

her words and stories were just that good.

there were many parts of her talk tonight that i wish i could play back word by word.

i want to hear the words again. and again. and again.

but more importantly than her words, was the inspiration.

to create.

to make some magic.

i plan to do just that.

how wonderful it would be if we all pursued our own kind of magic.

that kind of world is what sweet dreams are made of.

i for one, plan on having only those kind of dreams tonight.

the final quarter

how is it october?

i do not know either, but it has come in a flash.

it seems like it was just january 1st and barrett and i were doing a polar plunge and freezing our you-know-whats off in the beautiful seattle sunshine.

so as this year starts to wind down, i am looking forward to winding up some fun.

pumpkin patch visits.

a day trip to portland to hear some of my favorite bloggers talk and get inspired.

trick or treating (and sneaking some candy).

family birthdays.

malena turning 7.

my mom's turkey sandwiches.

watching the apple cup football game.

a trip to my alderbrook, my favorite place.

some black friday shopping to support my favorite artists.

taking a letterpress class.

running a 5k.

exchanging ornaments.

listening to elizabeth gilbert talk about her new book (that is going down tomorrow night and i am super excited).

checking out huge gingerbread houses in seattle.

making our own gingerbread house (and sneaking some candy).

riding a carousel.

finding the perfect gifts.

making some gifts.

three more monthly dinners with my friend chris.

making resolutions for the new year.

putting up a tree.

watching the twinkling lists.

waiting for santa and the reindeer to come.

drinking a cider or two.

reading some more good books.

taking a cooking class.

teaching art to malena's class.

downloading some good music.

lots of running.

making cards.

saying a lot of "i love you's"

giving a lot of hugs.

laughing. a lot.

baking.

trying new recipes.

making peppermint chocolate chex mix (aka the best food ever).

and this isn't even the complete list.

there is so much good to come.

the fun to come is what i am going to do my best to keep focused on as i roll through october.

all of the good.

i am so lucky to have so much, and so many people, to look forward to.

bring on the final quarter.

i believe it is going to be a good one.

grace

"you settle in. these kids, this husband, this little life you're building...you say amen.

you are slower to tell everyone how wrong they are and quicker to gather your folks and breathe gratitude.

this is your place. these are your people. this is your beautiful, precious life.

probably about halfway done here on earth, you lay down angst and pick up contentment.

so sure, your body and mind get whack, but i promise you this:

you wouldn't return to your twenties for all the unwrinkled skin on the planet.

you like it here. 

you love better, stand taller, laugh louder.

you'll pass out grace like candy.

real life will temper your arrogance and fear, you will adore the next version of yourself.

we all will."

(jen hatmaker)

hello october, good to meet you.

happy weekend peeps.

may it bring you the chance to pass out some grace.

to others and to yourself.

xo