Fall Habits

     

     We've got some coolish weather and you'll not hear me complain. It's still warm and sunny at the peak of the day (other than yesterday's needed rain off and on all day), perfect for getting a natural vitamin D dose and a play with the dogs. I find when true fall weather starts, I get in a certain set of actions, or habits, most of which are good...but a few might need some tweaking. 

• I'm back to the early afternoon walks again. The pavement is safe for the dog and I don't get drained from the fall sun like I do in hot weather. This will help me get a bonus 2,000 steps into my days.
• I'll make at least one pot of soup each week. Sunday was a soup using up odd vegetables, chicken, broth from the freezer, chicken and egg noodles. I guess it was a cross between chicken noodle and chicken vegetable. It was very good. I'm thinking chicken wild rice soon and I have the ham bone from Easter taking up room so maybe bean soup, though I need to get navy beans for that. 
  
  
  
• I'm pulling dead stuff around the yard. I've been lazy about this, but the raspberry bush needs cutting back, the rhubarb, lettuce, garden bed etc. all are looking mangy. I'll probably just do bits at a time when out with the dogs rather than designated this as a project. So putting it in the fall habit category. 
• I'm preplanning leading up to December and Christmas. However, I've decided to scale back much of what I've felt was needed in the past.  This will be the start to outlining my calendar, finding activities or events I'd like to do, and be better organized to cherry pick "deals" to help with affordability. I'll shop less for gifts as just doing perhaps a small fun and then a practical gift for my kids, some spending cash, and making a significant long term saving deposit for each. 
• I watch too much sports on TV, mainly football. Not just American football, but I'm getting vested in the Premiere League and European League as well. To be honest, there's probably Mexican league play as well that finds its way onto my screens.  I find I need to be more intentional about doing tasks while games are on like laundry, cooking, fitting in dusting, managing email boxes, etc. so I feel semi productive. 
• Putting on pajamas as early as possible, almost always by 9:00. Even if I take the dog for another outing with the head lamp, I'll just throw shoes and a sweatshirt on over the jams.
• Maybe its the school year start that makes me nostalgic and miss people I dont see very often, but I find I try and reach out to old friends in the fall, and if possible, get a meetup scheduled. 

     By December when it feels like we blink and the sunlight is gone, I'll start wistfully thinking of long days of summer. For now though, I embrace the changing season in all its coziness and freshness.