An Otherwise Ordinary Day

Despite the relative silence in this space, life has been full and joyful here. I’ve found myself exactly where I always fall when I’m pregnant– so in the moment, so focused on the seconds as they pass, that I treasure them up in an almost jealous manner, not wanting to share them but rather savor them, knowing how precious and fleeting they are. I write less when I’m pregnant, take fewer photos. On the flip side, I knit like a fiend and find any little reason to celebrate and watch the delight on my kids’ faces.

Yesterday was one of those celebration days. It was the first day of fall, something John Mark especially has been waiting for with bated breath. Since my husband had a morning full of activities that took him (virtually) to the other side of the globe, I planned a small celebratory escape for the five kids and myself. There is nothing better than shocking children just as they are about to grab their books and settle into their morning school routine with a, “Ready? Ok, good. Go grab your shoes, nature journaling supplies and backpack, and let’s go!”

We started with pumpkin spice donuts (hello, fall!), which were eagerly received. I am personally a fan of anything pumpkin spice. I saved up my morning snack carb count to be able to have a quarter of a donut and yes, it was worth it. Gestational diabetes isn’t the end of the world by any means, but everyone has their weak spot that feels like a sacrifice. Mine is pumpkin spice. But it was a joy watching the kids nibble and laugh over donuts was worth getting just two bites.

From there we headed to a local living history museum. We bought a membership that will soon expire, and I’d like a couple more visits to make up for all the loss of Covid. We like to rotate memberships to educational sites, but I think we will sit out 2020-2021 because of the sheer potential for cancellations of events and limits placed on attendance to most spots. Disappointing, but realistic, I fear.

Now yes, we could have stayed home and done our normal nature study right under our own pole barn.

We could have found leaves and acorns and berries and half-eaten walnuts on our own property. We could have looked for the signs of our own familiar trees beginning to turn.

But a new location– and an audience of one very friendly and curious peacock– elevated this particular study of nature holding its breath just before the autumn veil fully drops to well, magical.

We sat on the picnic bench for nearly an hour and a half sketching and painting our finds.  My favorite part? I’ve never been that close to a peacock for that long! Did you realize the sheer variety of feathers they have? Not to mention the astounding palette of colors. While I’ve always had a passing thought of, “what a pretty bird,” I’m suddenly much more aware of the artistry God employed in creating these fascinating animals. That’s the true value of nature study, isn’t it? Not just drawing and labeling, but appreciating what you see.

We were back home in time for lunch, and the day fell easily into the normal rhythm of math, reading, writing, music. Our outing was only a piece of the whole, but it was a lovely one that brought an added touch of joy to an otherwise routine day in September.

How are you finding simple ways to celebrate in this season?