window into fall

Just ate lunch, a salad I grabbed from out in the world, while doing errands. Am feeling very virtuous, as a result, and hey, Chik Fil-A, in spite of their spelling, has a really decent grilled chicken garden salad.

I'm working on job applications and trying to get my teaching credential. It is an agonizing process that I can't seem to completely finish, so I give it a bit of time each day, all the while, measuring my ambivalence about working, when there's so much to do around here. Hoping a walking/biking distance part-time job will come as a result, but clearly, more elbow grease is needed. But my bank account ain't getting any fatter, so I keep pushing.

I planted hostas, ferns and coral bells (heuchera) in our backyard, and am awaiting the arrival of more shade perennials by the mail. In addition, my yard guy and I took out a whole bunch of young skinny baby trees; mostly beech and maple, thus opening up the backyard. Because it's so shady back there, I'm not really going to rake, but just let the leaves fall and mulch it. Right now, it's entirely covered in leaves and our trees still seem to have 75% of their leaves waiting yet to fall. I am thinking I'll have to rake some, or at least blow the leaves where I want 'em to go.

Knitting on Swallowtail, mostly, these days, but trying to touch Ariann occasionally. I'm thinking to put her on the back burner and knit the Central Park Hoodie from my stashed Cascade Ecological Wool; it's whining at me and I want a cozy brown hoodie more than I want a lacy pink sweater at the moment. But first, the holiday knitting has to be tamed somewhat. Being poor, I'm thinking if I can muster it, (ie, if I can get off damned Facebook long enough) I will give mostly knitted gifts for the yuletide. I've got some ideas and am feeling fairly motivated. But then... come Boxing Day, the hoodie commences!

Tonight is yoga. I have fallen quite in love with Iyengar yoga. I had always taken Ashtanga and Vinyasa classes, and loved the endless rounds of sweaty sun salutations. But I knew my form in my poses wasn't always the best, and felt like I needed a more disciplined practice. Hence the Iyengar, which is slow, precise, and sometimes grueling, but seems to be teaching me things about patience, adjustment, and opening up. I do need to work harder at having an at-home practice, though. The optimum location here seems not to be in any one place, though. My office is nice for standing poses, but doesn't have the clear wall space for some reclining poses I want to do. The living room has the wall, but is just kinda dark...I wasn't thinking "yoga room" when we bought this house, clearly! That's an excuse, now, isn't it?

The afternoon is being spent in cleaning house a bit, roasting some root veggies, and dog walking. Oh yeah, and putting the new flannel sheets on the bed.

We went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden to see the Henry Moore sculptures exhibit. Amazing. This one is my favorite, because of its pastoral setting, and the view of Atlanta's high rises through its window. It was such a beautiful day, right before Halloween. I am still in love with the fall, here, in its slow, stately march toward yellows and browns.