Happy Halloween

The wind is blowing, leaves are falling, it has poured down rain all day and it's not supposed to stop.

POSITIVES: My grandbabies aren't upset not being able to trick or treating, because they are too young and don't understand it and my girls have aged out of trick or treating. Well, Brooke hasn't and we did have plans for her to dress up and perhaps stop by my brother's neighborhood, because it has more houses that participate than you can walk. She isn't pleased, but she does have a successful number of years participating in this.

MORE POSITIVES: The rain sounds wonderful and I got off work early. It is officially a perfect day to get into comfy clothes, put on a pot of coffee, enjoy some Hallmark Christmas movies, perhaps find a new favorite Netflix show and I have pasta leftovers and a yummy cake to enjoy.

For my Brooke:

A Hallmark Christmas

I am a day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) Christmas decorator. It's go time once my grateful heart at Thanksgiving is over, I welcome and embrace Christmas the very next day. Christmas music, decorations, hot chocolate, I love to lose myself in the wonder of Christmas.

This year is slightly different, the Hallmark Channel officially changed everything this year. October 25th began their two months till Christmas by starting Hallmark Christmas movies two months early. Thank goodness, because there is nothing on television that I am watching.

The DVR set to record and capture romantic and highly predictable Hallmark movies allows me to turn on television when I want to sit down and relax and watch something warm, wholesome and romantic. 

It's October 29th and I've already watched five movies. Fortunately, there are countless Hallmark Christmas movies that fills my soul when crap on television and the news does not. Scrolling through titles and descriptions I find I always choose mountain Christmas movies. 

I love the mountains. I remember the decades I used to hop in the car by myself and escape to the mountains at my grandmothers house. I would leave early enough in the morning so I would be in the mountains of West Virginia when the sun began to rise. Those mountains became a mighty wall that separated everything I wanted to leave behind. I'd stop at Tamarack for my last cup of coffee, before I crossed over the Virginia border to my grandmothers house. 

It was like stepping back in time in her country home with no internet, no television, where my grandmother would laugh with joy when she saw me. 

She was a mountain woman through and through. Her mind sharp, she had so much to say and share. We would ride in the mountains to Rich Patch, where she grew up in the country and she would tell stories of her life, a life so different so many decades ago. I would wake up in the morning to the smell of a country breakfast being made and we would drink Earl Grey tea together from water we collected from a fresh spring.  

I would make that trip 1-2 times per year for decades. She died several years ago and I really miss her. I also miss my trips to those magnificent mountains and the country. 

I'm a grandmother now and I know my joy when I see my grandbabies and pull them in my arms. I can only imagine my grandmothers anticipation of my arrival when I would come those couple of times a year. She was so proud of me and loved me so much. She would tell everyone about "my Dawn" and of our adventures together. We were grandmother and granddaughter, but we were also best of friends. 

Watching the mountain Christmas movies has an nostalgia of a simpler way of life. 

I know exactly where I want to go for my 1st vacation, I want to be in the mountains. A log cabin or lodge with a fireplace in majestic mountains with quaint towns decorated in anticipation of Christmas. 

Vacation

In all things in beautiful autumn, I was asked yesterday when am I using my vacation time?

Can I roll it over? No

Can I cash it in? No

I have over a couple of weeks of vacation to use before the end of the year. Nice problem to have, but I did have to scroll through my events schedule to see when on earth I am going to be able to slip away for days at a time or weeks at a time in the next two months. 

I will be in Florida in March, so I am entertaining a few different destinations before the end of the year. 

Hmmm... where do I want to go? What do I want to do? Who do I want to vacation with?

A New Destination

My snowbird parents left yesterday for Florida and Brooke & Alex left yesterday for their honeymoon, off to the beach they go. 

Everything is so quiet and this girl has the day off.

A gorgeous autumn day, sunny & 70's, rain not until tonight, I am heading north to check out a new beach today with some quaint shops I was told about. 

It sounds absolutely perfect. 

Today, I choose to not accomplish any tasks; rather, to slow down and refresh in today enjoying a new destination, which is one of my favorite things to do. 

1st Sunday

For years and years and years, I've often hoped and wished my brother would start his own church.

He was a co-pastor at a small church with an older congregation and I always felt he was far too talented a pastor within those confines. There is a season for everything and that is where he was meant to be.

I've also have been wanting to find a new home church and I haven't been settled on one specific church for a host of reasons for quite a long time.

But (That means, wait! There's more!), today.

Today was the 1st Sunday of my brother starting his own church!!!

We weren't sure if there would be 10 or 20 people there and were stunned as those who know my brother well continued to walk through the doors. His first Sunday and there were 70!

It was amazing and my brother is amazing. If he wasn't, I wouldn't say he was.

Coffee, pastries, and fellowship, not a stranger walked into the room. Some said, I will leave my church if he [my brother] ever starts his own church. Today arrived and those waiting to be a part of this walked through the doors committed.

There was excitement in the air and some pretty great preaching!

Put On Your Oxygen Mask

It was time to put the oxygen mask on and rejuvenate. I had an amazing day off.

On a plane, the stewardess always says in case of turbulence and the oxygen mask drops down, put the mask on your face first so you can help your children/others. Well, I needed the proverbial oxygen mask.

With always a productive list of things to do, on my way out the door this morning I grabbed a good book, just in case I found a quiet spot in nature where I could enjoy it. That's what I really wanted was nature, silence and a good book. 

It was a gorgeous autumn day. Sunny and 67 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. After a quick trip to Cleveland, it was a spur of the moment thought and suddenly I found myself at Headlands Beach.

A complement of the sun being hot on the skin, yet the cool autumn breeze off the water had me thankful I had a long sleeve shirt on. Walking in the sand barefoot, suddenly I knew it was exactly what I needed. Time to rest, read my book in this needed setting, walk on the beach, and I found I did this in cycles. 

I ended up spending hours there. When I finally left, I felt refreshed and happy. Almost like I had just had a full body massage, relaxed.

There is no white noise at the beach. It's simply the water, the sand, and the sunshine. I intentionally did not check my email today, because I needed a day of peace and quiet and zero needs and requests from other people. 

Me, I need alone time. I am super resilient with alone time outdoors in nature and I refresh quickly.

Know when you need a day or several hours together to really relax. This does not mean catching up on chores. Know what you enjoy that refreshes you. 

People are not mind-readers, they don't know what you need when you need it. Know when to put your own oxygen mask on. 

Wedding Day Photos

Wedding photos from the photographer are trickling in. We still have many more photos to come, but I want to show you.

My daughter, breathtaking and beautiful. Alex looks so handsome. 

Brooke wanted a princess wedding and she wanted the Belle rose included and so it sat on the gift table next to her card box.

My Sofia's pretty dress.

I am really hoping photos come in with all the candles lit and the uplighting in the background.

Getting my little girl ready her wedding day.

 

Proud Papa walking his granddaughter down the aisle. 

There is something magical in the air when the bride walks down the aisle that takes your breath away. 

My brother, the pastor.

My sister-in-law, Melissa, who created the wedding cake Brooke designed.

Their 1st dance as husband & wife. Dancing on a cloud, complements of my DJ. This is an iPhone captured moment. I can't wait to see the photographers photo.

There are so many photos and I will share them as they come in.