Taking Inventory

We enjoyed a balmy 80 degree day here in Texas on Monday. Tuesday we halved that temperature, today we’ve barely made it to 40 degrees, not counting windchill. It’s all on account of that much touted, rather feared . . . POLARRRRR VORRRRRTEX! (Cue the screaming banshee).

It’s autumn. My favorite season. One that shows up fashionably late every year in the south. But that doesn’t stop me from having a “Welcome Fall” Party on the autumnal equinox. It doesn’t matter that its still in the mid-80’s (if we’re lucky), by golly, I’m making soup and bread and hot cider. It’s on! I’m pulling out scarves and jackets and boots and checking the 10 day forecast every 12 hours. This is Texas, after all, where we claim, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” Waiting 12 hours sounds a little more realistic now, doesn’t it?

Seasons are a wonderful, faithful, (and in August . . . dreadful) part of the rhythm of our lives.

This fall, in particular, feels like I’ve come into a new season as a wife, as a parent, and as a writer. My husband bought the company he’s worked for the last 18 years, while I had the privilege of signing a publishing contract for my first novel. In October we celebrated 25 years of marital bliss, topped off with the fabulous news that we will be grandparents! 

We have a bucket full of blessings to be thankful for as Thanksgiving approaches. Looking at all that’s happening in our family makes me feel like I might pop for the joy of it.

I hope it doesn’t come off like I’m flashing my shiny, impressive life around the blogosphere. I don’t deserve any of this. I know that every good and perfect gift comes from above, an expression of grace from my heavenly Father, due to His wisdom and care. I also know it’s important to take an inventory of our blessings and that’s what I’m attempting to do.

This blog is another new component this year. It’s like a new toy, that I didn’t know I needed, and am not entirely sure what to do with it, now that I have it. But I like it. So, I’ll keep it 🙂

I hope you guys will continue to stick around as I figure out how the rhythm of blogging fits in with the rest of life. It’s been a pleasure meeting new bloggers, making new friends, reading comments, and following your blogs where I find wisdom, creativity, and laughter (along with blog hops and book reviews, of course!).

I am thankful for each of you, and look forward to getting to know you better as we all share our inspiration, our frustrations, and our cyber-lives together! For now, let’s bravely face the POLARRRRR VORRRRRTEX arm-in-arm, or byte-to-byte, and get ready for “The Most wonderful Time of the Year!”

Soups on!