[46:52]

While so many of my friends and family have seen snow and we’ve had snow in the mountains as well, but in my little town we are in the peak of fall.

Fall always comes late here, and usually peaks the week of Thanksgiving so it is right on schedule.

I’m sharing the last bits of fall with you today and although we don’t have snow it’s still chilly and fabulous and feels like all the things I love about fall,

holding a warm mug of something in my hands, sweaters, boots, snuggling under the blankets, watching holiday movies and for us rain, wonderful rain,

the cold brisk air reminding you to bundle up and prepare for winter… enjoy these simple pleasures and be grateful for the moments that present themselves to us,

whether in a hug from a friend or loved one, a card in the mail, a smile from a stranger, the leaves floating down in the wind or even a text or note from someone you’ve been missing

and wanting to hear from… there are so many beautiful blessings in our life we just need to open our eyes and our hearts to see them because they are there every day waiting to be discovered… xoxo

xo, shirina

🍁❄️🍁❄️🍁❄️🍁❄️🍁❄️🍁❄️🍁❄️

It is during this transition from early fall… with summer’s last hurrah and burst of color, to the first snowfall of the winter (which I am as of yet waiting for) that I find a calling to come back inside… back to all the things I have missed over the spring & summer months… that I have put off due to my yearning for adventure, exploring and the beauty of the great outdoors.  This time of year, I find myself back in the kitchen again… baking, experimenting with new recipes, savoring hot teas and filling my house with yummy scents of the season.

I am grateful for a lazy weekend afternoon with a fire in the fireplace, a good book, a hot cup of tea in a favorite mug and a cozy blanket… comforts of home.  The best of days.

And as we get closer to Thanksgiving, I start to get really excited about the holidays and all that they mean to me.  Family, tradition, heirloom decorations, finding my next Charlie Brown Christmas tree, gatherings, memories and a special love that really shines during this time of year.  The holidays can be stressful too… trying to find the perfect gifts for those we love, friends & loved ones who are dealing with health problems and people who are missing loved ones who are no longer here.  Lets try and spread as much love and kindness as we can… not only this time of year but especially at this time of year.  It is needed so very badly in this world of ours.

xo, michele

 

 

[45:52]

As a result of the U.S. Election, the days following 11/9 have been some of the hardest for our country, maybe since 9/11… for myself, for my family, for my friends and for people who are already being directly attacked based on their race, religion or sexual orientation. I have struggled all week, filled with so many emotions… sadness, anger, depression and fear.  It was hard to get up and go to work, let alone do anything else. I just haven’t been able to make sense in my mind how a person like Donald  Trump could be elected President of the United States. But it happened. It’s done. And so now, we need to each find a way to move forward. It does not mean we have to agree with or accept the results. But I also don’t think we want him to fail because we are all on the same boat… sink or float. We can’t let the hate and harassment of others continue, we ALL have to take a stand against that kind of behavior. Threats against humanity based on a different belief system than you have simply cannot be tolerated. 

All week long I have been seeking light. For me, Light holds hope. And knowledge. And peace. We have to be strong and continue to fight for what we believe in and hold to be true. Each of us has a voice and when we come together, that voice can be loud enough and strong enough to move mountains.  We have to be the force that prevents this from happening again 4 years from now.  

xoxo, michele 



Flag made by my great-grandma in 1920.

p. s. Does anyone else see an eye in the upper left corner of my flag picture?  Not sure what to make of that. 

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

xo, shirina 

[44:52]

For the last 3 years, I have gone on a Gratitude Journey over the month of November.  I found it to be a good time to slow down, take a step back, become more aware.  Every day, I shared a photo and some thoughts on what I was grateful for that day.  It was very eye opening and I came to realize that even on the hardest of days, there was something to be grateful for… a beautiful sunrise on a cool morning, a leaf stuck to my car window, our first snowfall of the season (always gets me excited for the holidays!).

For this month of November, Shirina and I have decided to take a Gratitude Journey together on the blog.  We will share, over the next four weeks, some of the things that we are grateful for.  In this crazy time we all live in, when life can very easily become overwhelming and world events, politics, relationships, work, health and so many others things can shake us to our core… we will try and remember that Life is full of BLESSINGS and we are GRATEFUL for all of it.

Today is Daylight Savings time here in the U.S. so for our first week, we wanted to focus on time and what that means to us.

shirina

Time is such a valuable thing, the thing we wish we had more of, time with family that we’ve lost or who live far away, time to do the everyday things that seem to slip through our hands, time to love more, to connect more, to take care of ourselves and in general just more time to do what we love and to be all that we aspire to be…  

which is why it’s so important in my opinion to let those we love and cherish know it, don’t wait to tell them because before you know the moment has slipped away. 

Be joyful when you feel it, be kind even when you don’t feel it, when the opportunities are there always strive to be your best human self, give to others and remember each day, each moment to make sure to breathe it all in this wonderful thing called life… Don’t waste those precious moments in time.

michele