There is something about this time of year that fosters an organic ability for me to relax. Relaxing does not typically come naturally for me. But the air is cooler in the morning, the spiders are huge, my spice garden is ready to harvest, and the days are getting noticeably shorter…change is in the air.
This year there seems to be an urgency about getting ready for fall and winter. The squirrels on my property are working at a dervish pace, there are wooly worms everywhere and trees seem to be turning pre-maturely. There was a time when I dreaded fall for what comes after it. I hated the shorter days and without a daily energy boost from the sun all winter I would slip in to some pretty deep winter blues. 
But I’m in a different season of life and now I look forward to burrowing in for the winter. My work load on the property slows down considerably and I can allow myself more time for art, play, cooking and spiritual pursuits…perhaps even a vacation this year. I can’t wait to have this time to slow down and re-charge. The older I get the more clarity I have into the relevance of the cycles and spirals of all life; the agricultural seasons, the cycle of birth and death and the constant sprials of evolving as an older woman. I find the this latest cycle to be one of the most empowering times in my life.
Each season inspires a specific basket of dominant feelings/emotions in me…in spring its hope…but in fall its gratitude. I love the colors, smells, sounds of fall..they make me feel grounded and quiet. I feel grateful for the income that my businesses have provided all summer. And I feel grateful knowing that an extended period of rest is near on the horizon.
I had not realized how much I resemble a squirrel until I started writing this post…perhaps they are my spirit animals. All summer I feel like a squirrel while I’m hard (but joyfully) at work squirreling away my nuts for the winter. And with the addition of Heloise to my family it seems like I sleep in a literal “nest” every night. She is terribly shy and still won’t stand for being picked up or carried around. Since I can’t convince her to go up to my bedroom at night I’ve been sleeping on an air bed in my den for over two months so she can be with the whole family at night. She, and the other 8 dogs, pile on the airbed with me.
Heloise loves being in the mix; some nights she sleeps right on my belly.
I know she appreciates that we all stay close to her. She tells me often that she “belongs”…that seems to be her word. She is a very happy and playful girl despite her strong boundaries with touching…I am patient and I feel incredibly grateful for the trust she has already shown in me. I posted a video of her playing with Snoopy at the bottom of this post. She is joy.
Me and my fur family live a life where we try for the most part to keep to
ourselves…that is not always possible and there have been some uncomfortable incidents and lingering negative energy on one side of my property at Misfit Manor. I’ve been pulling out my full arsenal of prayers, blessings and tricks to put a stop to it. Today I harvested a variety of sage, rosemary and lavender from my herb garden.
I am steeping them in charged rain water to make a protection spray to keep clear that corner of the property of any lingering nefarious energy and also work with in the house when I don’t want to burn my herbs. The smell of steeping fresh herbs is so earthy and comforting. I posted a cheat sheet on my banishing spray (though if you are interested I would encourage you to really craft your own with ingredients and intention that flows from your heart and intuition).
The Pawty business continues to grow for me. I appreciate everyone who supports my shop. Vet bills on 9 dogs and 2 cats are no joke and my shop is a big source of how I fund it. Petunia continues to get laser therapy several times a week for her back; as well as acupuncture treatments. Millie and Petunia just had dentals…it adds up fast.
Every time I realize that the “pet account” is running low I take a deep breath and trust that what I need will come….and it always does. Every time I hear the Etsy “register ring” sound on my phone I feel a profound sense of gratitude.
Blessings to you and yours as we enter the fall season… may you find gratitude, renewal and peace in this beautiful season.
Rescue On!
Nancy