appalachian grasshopper

every year, the stores bring out the holiday decor earlier and earlier. this year, the thanksgiving decor was in the corner by the door at my local dollar general, kind of shoved into the only space they had left.

ironically, that space is usually the clearance section, but it wasn’t even the first week of November yet.

how fast do they want us to move through the holidays? they’re already pushing us to be done with thanksgiving and it’s still quite literally 4 weeks away.

part of me thinks it’s heart breaking. the other part of me knows that it’s because of the buyer’s intent. very few people worry about thanksgiving decor, in favor of bringing out the christmas stuff.

I don’t blame them, I guess. today I bought some christmas ornaments too, but I didn’t come home and put up a tree.

regardless of how soon you decorate, what I want to share with you in this blog is the 3 ways I slow down and soak up the season

seasonal foods

soup and stew and bread, oh my!

I can’t wait to make a beef stew. tomorrow after work, I’m going directly to the grocery store for some baby carrots, and coming home to throw on a beef tip, potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic beef broth stew. that with a pawn of cornbread just warms you right on up!

another one of my favorite seasonal dishes is homemade chicken noodle soup. for dinner, I’ll fix a whole chicken in the oven. the next night, I’ll take the leftover chicken, and toss it in my stock pot with carrots, onions, celery salt, the leftover chicken broth, and soul food seasoning. when it’s about done, you add the large egg noodles and oh boy! that soup is gone lickedy split!

my kids are pretty picky, but I found the best chili bean recipe by accident this year. i went to make chili with some chicken I had in the fridge, and then i realized i didn’t have any chili powder, so I generously added taco seasoning. it became a taco soup, and we added cheese and sour cream. delicious!

last but not least, I sincerely cannot get enough bread – challah, southern homemade biscuits, texas toast, yeast rolls, you name it. bread and me – we go way back lol

unplugging from socials

sometimes you just have to draw that boundary line and let go of the constant screen time for a little while. it’s hard, but it’s worth practicing.

every winter – sometime between october and november I log out of social media and delete the apps from my phone. it gets quiet – almost too quiet. but then I realize just how much time I spend scrolling or checking in, or even posting.

so this practice gives me some of my time back – to read, to draw, to create, to become. this weekend, I’m going to sew my first ever pair of pants. (wish me luck lol)

taking time off from socials isn’t just a good way to soak up the season these days. it’s good for our mental health to just check out of the total drama going on at all times online, and be present with ourselves, our thoughts, our spirit, and those that love us.

there’s no better place to be.

taking time to just be

I know that sounds simple, but there really is a benefit to just sitting with a cup of tea, or a cup of coffee and enjoying the flavor and the warmth of it. most of the time we rush through everything. during the busiest part of the year, I try to find times to intentionally slow down.

another way I find time to just be is sitting outside on the porch and just looking at the sky. i know it’s getting colder out, but there’s no rule against bundling up and going out there for a few minutes. if your nose gets cold, get back in the house. but enjoy the crisp blue skies of autumn before they’re gone.

one additional way I enjoy taking time to just be is sitting or laying in my bed late into the morning, reading a novel. a paper and ink novel – the real one, not the digital kind. i love visiting the library, and i love getting absorbed by a good story.

recently I read “the curious inheritance of blakely house” and I was absolutely enthralled by it. it was written ever so beautifully – delicately even. there were automata, butlers, love letters, a mystery, and even a pirate. yes! a pirate.

here’s a simple and free “to be read” checklist you can print. no tricks or gimmicks. just simple and free!

which brings me to my very last point:

bonus: find a pastime hobby

last winter I spent many early mornings in bed, drinking coffee, and writing a novel – a pirate adventure to be precise.

I enjoyed every bit of it, and while I don’t have a complete manuscript yet, I’ve written well over 50K words, started editing, and have storyboarded the remainder of the novel. now that the weather is turning cool again, I have that writer’s itch creeping into my fingers once more and I can’t wait to enjoy that time spent thinking, dreaming, and writing.

to be present and soak up the seaon, find something you can enjoy in your freetime. find a hobby that will allocate some joy to your stillness. it’s very much worth the search.

some hobbies you might try: sewing, painting, coloring, writing, designing, baking, or even journaling

stillness through the season

as mentioned here, stillness and being present through the busy season is a practice, and it isn’t the same for everyone. but not matter what, you don’t have to do it alone.

you can join the friends chat on whatsapp at any time. no pressure, just vibing with friends.

for a long while I struggled with the winter blues. but getting a wood stove and making my author dreams come true have alleviated some of those sad cold feelings and replaced them with creativity and curiosity.

regardless of how you face the season ahead, stillness is a good practice. if you have a stillness practice, would you drop it in the comments and share it with us?

here’s to another year around the sun! until next time

x Jojo