weekly gratitude

thank you little London shoes for making this rainy weather feel nostalgic 

Somehow, between September 30th and October 1st the weather decided to kick in. Friday it was gorgeous and bright - sunny even - and come yesterday morning... Cold, damp air tinged with the hint of fireplaces lit for the first time this season, and the need to wear boots (style and warmth!) takes precedence over the simple flats of warm, rainless days.

All that aside, it's been a rough week to be honest. I can say that rough as it was however, it wasn't all bad. Some real good came out of this week, it was just a little rough getting there is all.

Eh, such is life right?

The good, the bad, the ugly... It's all part of the beauty of this whole thing as far as I can tell. I think if I'd gotten more than 4 hours of sleep last night though I'd probably be more apt to elucidate but alas (alack!)... Anyway...

1. Thank you October 1st! Yesterday marked many things: what I hope is the final shift into autumn weather, a reason to decorate my apartment in a manner that makes Robin ask, "Did the Great Pumpkin throw up in here?" (photos to follow), the 26th annual celebration of my little wombat Brigette and the first of many, many, many listenings of It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. 


2. Thank you friends who listen. Details aside (don't you just love it when I'm cryptic?), the roughness of this week has stirred up a little more than anyone saw coming and I'm the first person to admit that some instances could have been tweaked ever-so-slightly in order to procure a different outcome. Still, it's a wonderful comfort to know that when those damn walls seem to be inching closer and closer, there are people who will stand around you and hold them up when you no longer can. And sometimes they'll give you a glass of wine, and that helps too.

3. Thank you for good things finally happening to good people. One of my coworkers has had a hell of a year and now he is finally seeing that light at the end of the tunnel (and boy is it bright!) Through it all, he has kept a smile on his face and remained focused on the prize and this past week he finally got the big one: the keys to his own home! Our buddy Don is officially a homeowner and the villagers are rejoicing (and by villagers I mean all of us at the winery and beyond).

4. Thank you unconditional love. Just the existence of this force makes life worth living. I can look at my life and see it so profoundly coming from all directions but I know that not everyone can say the same. Not because unconditional love doesn't exist in their lives, but because not everyone can see it... Believe it. If there is one thing in this world that everyone deserves, it is knowing that someone loves you wholly, absolutely, without question, no terms, no conditions and completely unendingly. You can't force someone to believe that you feel that for them, but if you do nothing else with your life, show them. Even if it takes a lifetime.

5. Thank you for this:

These are three of the people that make my life. I took this picture last night and I must have looked at it  at least a dozen times throughout the day today. This photo is just pure happiness for me. This is what home looks like.

As always, thank you to anyone who reads this. I appreciate you more than I can say and love hearing from you!

Happy October Autumn Children!