Autumn's Here

The weather folks tell us that fall is finally here.  Today's rain forecast is supposed to bring cooler temps.  I like that idea!  

Now let's just hope that the leaves will cooperate and provide pretty colors.  I'm not too sure though, since some of ours are already falling...in a dark, crispy brown shade.  


"Autumn is a time to let go and release things that have been a burden." --Unknown

"Just like the seasons, people change." --Unknown

 

Handy People

We fix things around this house. My husband is the most talented guy when it comes to repairing stuff, and I'm not too shabby myself. We both like the challenge of troubleshooting and figuring out what's wrong and how things work.

This weekend it was our ten year old dishwasher. It's been a little stinky, so the other day I ran it with vinegar, cleaned out the filters, and scrubbed the seals, but nothing worked. Sunday morning it leaked on the floor. Uh-oh.

We found two places that may have caused the leak and a whole lot of yukky gray and black gunk built up under a plastic flange.  How could you possibly keep that clean?  We had to remove and get inside the door panel to access it!   A new part is on order, and the air vent is cleaned and reinstalled.

I guess I'm lucky...we saved whatever service companies might have charged for a 2-3 hour repair visit. But if we weren't so darn handy I might have a brand new stainless steel dishwasher right now. Hmmm.

“He taught me that there is no shame in breaking something, only in not being able to fix it.” ~Hope Jahren

“She believed in getting as much use as possible from everything, and thought that as long as machinery, or anything else, could be cajoled into operation, it should be kept; to do otherwise, she thought, was wasteful.”  ~Alexander McCall Smith

Weekly Agenda

Yeah, I still use a paper planner. Even though I keep a digital calendar and reminder notes on my phone for convenience, I like having a notebook for weekly planning and organization. One place where I can write notes, make lists, draw, and document what's going on in my life. 

 

But, I can never find one that fits my retirement lifestyle. So, I've been playing with designs of my own, sort of a planner/journal combination. I'm fine tuning four weekly layouts, using different colors and fonts. I may select one style or use them all. 

It's been fun sharpening my creative design skills on paper instead of in fabric.

"In retirement you'd better keep lists of things to do, otherwise you'll find yourself still in your pajamas at lunchtime."  ~Unknown

September Thoughts

I always think of September as a time to reset, probably because that's when we started back to school in the 60's. Thoughts of new notebooks and paper have me working on fresh planner and journal designs.

I took advantage of last week's cool mornings to tackle some outside chores. I reworked my flower beds (pulled the weeds so I can actually see the flowers). Adding a few colorful mums will freshen up the bare spots.

September means transition: to cooler weather, new clothes, and fall décor. It's the best of both seasons, really. Warm enough but less humid. Porch sitting. Airing out the house. Walks in the woods. Grilling steaks. Enjoying the last days of summer.

My plan for one of my favorite months: reflect, renew, and re-energize.