This post was originally published on July 30, 2024.
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Way back in late December and early January, when I was thinking through how I wanted to approach 2024, I decided that what I wanted to do was embrace the seasons. Living in the northeast where there are the four distinct seasons makes it a very natural practice when you slow down enough to be intentional about it.
Rather than forcing a January 1st start date with all new habits and resolutions, I chose to postpone ‘beginning’ my year until the spring. To me, it felt like a more natural and intuitive rhythm to begin again when there’s new growth and new life, rather than when the world around us is sleeping and seems lifeless.
So, over the course of the winter, I rested and hibernated, taking work and life a little bit slower. I grieved the loss of my dad. I gave myself space to not jump right in and immediately declutter the house of decades of junk stuffed into every nook and cranny known and unknown. I practiced grace on myself for not unpacking and organizing my own belongings straight away. I wrapped my arms fully around the quiet, restful season.
Embracing winter means reveling in the warmth of home, breathing in the crisp air, nourishing our bodies with hot comfort meals and drinks and reading and bingeing tv under our coziest blankets!
As promised, with the spring came rejuvenated energy. Almost all of a sudden, I had an inspired will to get up and tackle these home organization projects that had also been in hibernation. The added anticipation of out-of-town guests and a special Passover celebration created even more inspiration and fresh energy to complete a huge push of the overall organization projects.
Open windows, fresh air, delighting in the way the breeze billows the curtains is just one way I embraced spring this year.
Earlier in the season, we did some clearing away of old brush from garden beds. We pruned a couple of our fruit trees. I even prepared some dead-headed Zinnias to plant. I sowed those seeds and watched them ever so closely! Preparing the earth for planting, choosing the produce, planting them and tending to a garden is probably the most ancient way of embracing spring. While this isn’t the right year to embark on the adventure of a full-blown, all-in vegetable garden, I’m certainly getting started with a few grow-boxes, a little “guac garden,” some pickling cucumbers and some experimentation with sprouted veggies we bought at the store.
Embracing spring means opening every window in the entire house to the fresh air of a beautiful New England spring day!
And now, in mid-summer, the days are hot and hazy and the grass grows fast. It's such a pleasure to watch my garden grow! It’s just so satisfying seeing fruit bloom and grow and ripen. It’s even more satisfying slicing and eating the produce. Or, when the plants aren’t thriving the way we hoped, it’s a different kind of challenge to overcome. I find the learning process of that to be satisfying, as well. Beyond the practical skills gardening teaches, it also forces you to be patient and wait for results. That’s invaluable in the kind of world we live in today.
Oh! I even mowed the lawn! I haven’t mowed a lawn since I was a pre-teen but here I am, in charge of stewarding my childhood home and mowing the lawn. Thankfully my Main Squeeze likes landscaping and pulls the weeds for me!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wildlife. Between thousands of chipmunks, a family of groundhogs, Momma, Baby AND Dad deer, life has been full around here.
Embracing mid-summer means suffering through the humidity, luxuriating on the dry, warm days and nights, enjoying the fresh produce of the season, getting a sunburn through the clouds at the beach and lots of gazing out at the yard!
And in every season, there’s always nesting! To be honest, that’s mostly the activity I’ve been occupying myself with so far this year. Settling in, organizing, finding places for everything and putting them there. Tidying rooms so they’re “just so.” Playing with decorative eye candy. There’s been such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment for a job done well. And when that job is in the place you call home, well, what can be better than that?
Tell me about you! How are you embracing the seasons this year? Doing anything different? Enjoying looked-forward-to rhythms, rituals or hobbies?
Until next time, I’ll keep the kettle warm and the cushions fluffed!
Happy homemaking friends!
