My SW Daybook – September 2016 edition

It’s a new month! Time for a new entry for the Simple Woman’s Daybook.

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 Looking out my window …

I noticed a hawk, flying way up high overhead. I’ve been a little under the weather, so to speak, facing a stretch of low energy. Guess I’m glad it was a hawk, instead of a vulture.

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

I am thinking …

This may sound funny, but there’s a little garden gnome in our yard (dressed in Chicago Bears colors), who mysteriously moves from place to place on random occasions. Is there more to this story, if does this occur simply because someone in our home recently retired and finds the need to fidget with details?

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

I am thankful …

Sometimes computer glitches seem to resolve themselves. At least, I’m kind of counting on that, right about now. After all, this sort of message is never exactly welcome.

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One of my favorite things …

Flowers are favorites for me. Gerbera Daisies are one of the blooms I like the best. I have a pair of patio pots that still sport fresh blossoms, even as September slips by.

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

I am creating …

This week, another new Kindle eBook was added to my author list on Amazon. I wrote this short volume (10 courtesy tips for taking a pet to a host's home) to help animal lovers and those who may host them at some point (such as the upcoming holiday season) to deal with the potential complications of pet guests.

Having experienced some rather delicate situations in our own home, with extended family members and others bringing their animals for occasional visits and overnight stays, I understand the concerns. And I hope this book will help others in similar situations.

Book cover / fair use

I am wearing …

Right now, I am sporting a running race tee (from a past event) and a pair of jogging shorts. I have not laced on those sneakers yet, although I (groan!) know I will have to do so soon. (Actually, I was all revved up and ready to go … until I realized my phone needed charging first. Hey, I don’t want to miss the chance to keep track of those miles.)

I am watching …

My dog is doing laps around me, as I sit at my desk. Based on our regular routines, I am pretty sure she knows it’s almost run-time.

Most of the time, she and the cat practice their Couch Pet-Tater acts. But not at run-time. (You might say she’s got my number.)

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

I am reading …

At this point, I find myself partway through multiple books. These include The Cowboy and His Elephant: The Story of a Remarkable Friendship, by Malcolm MacPherson; Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer, by Priscilla Shirer; and Wounded Warrior, Wounded Home: Hope and Healing for Families Living with PTSD and TBI, by Marshele Carter Waddell and Kelly K. Orr.

Next up are Circling the Sun: A Novel, by Paula McLain, and Entrusted - Bible Study Book: A Study of 2 Timothy, by Beth Moore.

I am listening to …

YouTube is playing, and I’m hearing “Grace Wins,” by Matthew West.

Gotta love these lyrics:

“Words can't describe the way it feels
When mercy floods a thirsty soul
A broken side begins to heal
And grace returns what guilt has stole.”

Bless the Lord. How I need that every day! 

I am hoping …

One of these days, the professional crew will show up at the stables to fix an ongoing drainage problem that has allowed the many mid- and late-summer storms to flood the indoor riding arena at the stables. I feel sorry for the owners, who have pumped and shoveled and brainstormed, trying to fix this issue. It’s also a concern for the barn staff, who slog through mud daily to care for the horses, for the boarding customers (as an important part of the facility is out of commission), and a trainer (who has faced more than a few lesson cancellations). 

The covered arena has been flooded almost every day since late July. Fortunately, there is also an outdoor arena, which has been super for working horses on non-rainy days. For that, we are thankful.

Honestly, it feels a lot more like April than September at the farm. But the hay field looks lush and lovely, so the horses will have plenty of delicious hay all winter. (See? A silver lining!)

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

I am learning …

Have you heard the perennial warning about praying for patience? It’s sort of a source of ouch-y humor among people of faith. Why? Patience seems only to be learned through difficulties and disappointments and longer waits than we’d like.

But I’ve been in that school, so to speak, for a while. A couple of long-term heart-rending prayer requests are prime examples.

On another note, I’ve always chuckled that one of the most popular and colorful annual garden flowers is called impatiens. It’s easy to grow and simply satisfying. Don’t you wish patience came the same way?

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

In my kitchen …

I’m trying to eat healthier foods. But I’m still something of a carbo-holic. I crave crunchy, salty, starchy snacks too often. So I’m making it a point to shop a little smarter. Now I have a cupboard filled with low-calorie rice cakes and popcorn, instead of chips and crackers.

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

Hmm. I would so-o-o love some Wheat Thins, right about now. Whaddya mean, I have to have a Wasa wafer instead? (Yes, I am a gluten for punishment.)

In the school room …

It’s been fun to see friends and loved ones posting first-day-of-school photos on Facebook in the past week or so. I don’t have anyone heading to class this fall, but I love seeing all these dear ones’ youngsters growing up.

Despite having no students in the house anymore, I am as busy as a proverbial bee. So there we are.

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

In my garden …

Most of my plantings are growing end-of-season tired. Some fall colors are popping up. As the sun sets earlier and casts a more muted glow over nature, it’s neat to see the flowers changing as well. 

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

Last weekend, I transplanted several leggy-looking annuals from patio pots into the garden beds, filling in spots where I’ve already cut back some spent perennials. A few are just reaching their prime, like the Autumn Joy Sedum.

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

I also washed out several the pots, so I can pack them away for next spring. A few remain on the patio, as the geraniums and marigolds are still producing.

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson for PAH. All rights reserved.

Board room …

Here’s a pin from my Poetry Plus and Remarkable Reads board on Pinterest. The photo links to a rhymed post on my Nickers and Ink Poetry and Humor blog site. My poem starts with this couplet:

“I choose to be happy. I choose to be whole.

I give up the faraway place in my soul.”

I need that reminder (preaching to the mirror), again and again.

Vintage / public domain photo

Post Script …

Here we go, marching into September. What’s on the agenda for this month? I’m working on another book or two. (Multi-tasking keeps me going.) I’m looking forward to a couple of early fall running races. And I’m planning a cross-country visit next month. (Maybe I’ll tuck some trip photos into my October edition of the SW Daybook.)

Shared Quote …

Autumn doesn’t technically begin for a couple of weeks. Still, with Labor Day behind us, it feels sort of like unofficial autumn already. So here we are:

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
Albert Camus, French philosopher (1913-1960)

Closing Notes:

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers for a sweet September.

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