A glimpse of golden maple through the dining-room window this morning. All of a sudden, this week, the deciduous trees have decided to glow. You can't see them well in this photo, but the hollies are laden with berries, suddenly no longer green but gold as well, on their way to turning red for the winter. We'll have pretty holly to bring in at Christmas this year, and a good winter for the birds.
Morning light in the quiet sunroom:
I really should think to sit in there more often in the early part of the day --- it's one of my husband's spots, but I'm often up earlier than he is.
Yesterday was not a great writing day. I spent most of the afternoon in line at the DMV (license renewed: check!). That's done, and it's drained away a good bit of anxiety, but I still have plenty left to go around. Must get writing done today, especially on this presentation.
The good thing, though, is that I read Dilexit Nos, the new papal encyclical that has just dropped. The first section, particularly, has much that's both beautiful and relevant to my theme in that conference presentation, so it gives me a direction to move. I have about two more pages to fill, so I hope I can expand on some ideas in a way that's remotely interesting for people to listen to.
Anyway, that's the big push today. We're going to adoration in the parish tonight, but otherwise, I don't have to leave the house. The license renewal was the big thing hanging over my head, and now it's not hanging over my head anymore, so I can just hunker down this weekend and get stuff done. It's amazing how much less anxious I feel, having bitten the bullet and crossed that administrative item off my to-do list. I hadn't realized, until I came out of the DMV, just how much anxiety that one to-do was driving (so to speak).
I have also chatted a bit with the moderators for the closing panel I'm on at the conference about my presentation, which makes me a good bit less anxious about that as well. I have been lying awake in a cold sweat for the last couple of weeks, but I think, having broached it with them, I can relax a little and see a draft through without too much more nervous breakdown.
Meanwhile, it's looking like another very warm day, with a projected high near 80F. Whatever I wear will need to be pretty lightweight. The humidity has been high, for reasons I really don't understand --- we haven't had any rain to speak of in several weeks --- and although the mornings and evenings are very fresh and cool, the air feels heavy at the height of the day.
And I am feeling ease and simplicity.
Wearing:
(the house is mostly clean, but have I touched this mirror? I have not)
*Secondhand Not Perfect Linen Smock dress (S/M) in Dark Gray-Blue, bought December 2023, last worn October 16. Total wears this year to date: 24. A favorite. Tried and true. An absolute best dress, in the absolute best sense.
*Secondhand WoolX men's merino tee, bought fall 2021, cropped and sleeves and neckline cut by me sometime last year (?). I wanted not to be totally sleeveless when I take my cardigan off, so I opted for this tee, which fits pretty much like a half-tee, not like a whole underlayer covering my torso. Also, I just like the sky blue with this steelier blue-gray.
*Secondhand O'Connell's merino cardigan, bought fall 2023, worn a lot last fall and winter, coming back into circulation now. This cardigan is thin and lightweight enough not to be too hot even on a warm day (though I'm sure I'll shuck it off soon enough), and I like the layered blues in my outfit here.
*Secondhand Birkenstock Mayaris, bought in April, back again as a warm-day default. I could wear clogs or Mary Janes, but really . . . I love my Birks for knocking around.
And again, as always, onward.