Share Four Somethings October 2021

In the whirl of moving back home to Michigan and simultaneously taking on a new role at work, I took a month off from Share Four Somethings (and from many other things, some for several months, as I just couldn’t keep all the balls in the air), but it feels good to be back, tapping away at the keyboard in the dark of an autumn predawn in the Midwest. We’ve had lots of sun as well as lots of gray and rain–you can’t escape days of weighty cloud cover during fall here–but I’vesoaked in every moment. Autumn is my favorite. Nothing gives me a burst of joy more than the sight of a red maple tree in full glory, the smell of a bonfire on the air, the biting chill of a crisp morning, the taste of hot apple cider or a bowl of spicy chili eaten in the kind of weather it was intended to counter. My word, it’s good to be home and know it’s for good.

Something Loved

We arrived home from Florida last weekend just in time for me and my nine-year-old daughter to participate in the West Michigan Yarn Quest, a local yarn store crawl. We spent the next week sojourning to six of the eight participating LYSs that were within a reasonable driving distance. It was such fun. We visited not only six wonderful yarn shops, each with its own unique personality and selection of gorgeous fiber, but also a couple of West Michigan towns we either had never been to or hadn’t been to in years, which also boasted charming local bookstores and other delights. It was an adventure that went on for days and filled our tanks.

Something Read

I’ve been debating over what to put here because the reading I’ve done lately has just felt so rich and enjoyable, it’s not easy to choose one book. If you’re a reader of my blog, you know I’m always reading multiple books at once. So far this year, in spite of all the chaos, I’ve surpassed my usual number of books read by almost 50 percent–and it’s only October. I’m only three books away from hitting my goal. So rather than giving you one book recommendation here, I’m going to give you a shortlist of favorites in various genres that I’ve finished since August: The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher (Christian culture), We Are What We Eat by Alice Waters (Slow Food Movement), A Woman’s Place by Katelyn Beaty (women and work), and The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment (homeschooling). I’m currently reading and loving Steeped in Stories by Mitali Perkins (why adults should read children’s classics) and The Power of Knitting by Loretta Napoleoni (the history and social/cultural/political impact of knitting). So many good books. I won’t confess to you how many more I picked up during the yarn crawl at the local bookstores we visited.

Something Treasured

Last May, long before I knew we would be moving, I booked a week on our favorite island during fall break in Memphis (most of the South takes a week off in October, midway between the start of the school year and Christmas–which is brilliant if you ask me). When I learned we were moving, the trip seemed like it was going to fall at the worst possible time, but changes in policy due to COVID-related lulls in tourism left me unable to reschedule our rental for a later date. So we sprung for airline tickets (we would have driven from Memphis, but had no desire to spend two days in the car each way to get there from Michigan), and enjoyed a week of slow rambles on the beach, simple meals, hours in the pool, and long naps. It ended up being more needed than I could have predicted.

Something Ahead

The best and most exciting Something Ahead of this year is that we are in the process of closing on a new home–a home that’s everything we ever wanted and checks all our boxes. It’s on 4.5 rolling acres, has a library for me and a pole barn for E, a sun porch with–wait for it–a working fountain, and a small apple orchard, as well as berry patches and perennial beds galore. The original house was built in 1905 and has the kind of built-ins and woodwork that have filled my dreams. It has a country feel but is mere minutes from conveniences and from E’s siblings, as well as his work. I almost can’t believe God’s goodness in bringing us home, not only to Michigan, but to our House of Dreams, as Anne Shirley would so name it. Our hope is to be settled there by the beginning of Advent.

So many blessings to you this month, friends. Praying you all have a glorious autumn filled with joy and contentment.