So I think it is high time for a new post. The weather has finally changed, we've had a little rain (our west-coast version of "Fall/Winter"), some days are still warm and others have a bit of nip to them. The ever changing sky is beautiful. I remember my drive out to California when I moved back from Tennessee. As I got further west the sky just kept getting bigger and bigger and I felt like it was pouring into my hungry eyes. I spent one day driving through Wyoming and it was one of the most vividly beautiful days of my life. I could see the weather changing as it moved across the horizon in front of me, rain, snow, sunshine, and the most amazing clouds. These days I have a 30-40 minute commute each way to work. Sometimes I am so caught up with what is going on right in front of me, or in my head, or in my car that I am almost home before I really look around me. Lately as I take the time to notice the light coming through the fog or the hint of green on the hills or the deep blue of a stormy sky, I get that same feeling like I am drinking it in. Beauty is so good for the soul.

The other thing I like about this season is how cosy it makes my house feel. Since it's dark outside so much earlier, my house feels like a warm little bubble of light. Since the windows are most often shut now and the cold inspires us to cook more the smell of the house is more inviting, more lived in, more delicious. A few candles, a cup of cider or some soft music add so much, even a small kindness or a hearty laugh seem to go further when we are hemmed in from the wind and dark outside.

I feel more myself than I have in a long time but I am still wondering what change might be on the horizon. For now I am pouring that motivation for change into working out. I have been doing spin classes about 3 mornings a week, doing "Groove" class twice a week (it's dancing for exercise), and doing other stuff here and there. While I am enjoying the weather change for the reasons listed above let me tell you the dark cold mornings are no motivation to get up at 5:20am. Even so, it has been so fun to have the time energy and motivation to exercise. Working out is always something I feel like I should be doing but at points in my life it hasn't been practical or I have just had physical or mental barriers that kept me from doing it very consistently. I feel free to enjoy it right now and I have. I am also really thankful that a friend of mine who lives down the street has been going with me lately. It helps me get up, that's for sure. On a random side note I am pretty stoked that I won a raffle for a free personal training session and a free fake tan as a part of member appreciation day at the gym! I'm a winner!

So I think this may be a boring post... sorry if it is. I do have some fun pictures from my busy Saturday to share, maybe next post, so stay tuned!