Well, goodness. Life has been a lot lately.
I feel like I'm forever trying to find the right balance between homeschooling, running a business, keeping up with the house, and all the other things that seem to need my attention. The problem is, I want to do ALL the things. Preferably in one day. I start the morning with a list of things I'm absolutely convinced I can accomplish, and by the end of the day, I've somehow added more things to the list than I've crossed off. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this.
I'm finally learning that sometimes you just have to let things go. The house isn't always going to be clean, the laundry isn't always going to be caught up, and there will probably always be a project waiting to be finished. I'm trying to get better at accepting that instead of feeling like I'm constantly behind. Easier said than done!
One of the bigger changes happening around here is that we've decided to leave our homeschool co-op and take a different direction with schooling. It's a bittersweet decision, but I think it's the right one for our family right now. I'm hoping it frees up some time for me to work, get out and source more vintage treasures, and maybe even give the house a little attention. There are approximately 4,000 things I'd like to do around here, so we'll see how that goes.
Last week was a particularly hard one. Bear had a follow-up appointment with his neurosurgeon, and I went into it completely expecting good news. Dave didn't even come along because we were both so sure everything was going to be fine. I was hoping we'd hear that things looked great and that we could finally start putting more time between appointments. Unfortunately, that wasn't the news we received. I won't get into all the details, but it was disappointing, and there's some uncertainty about what comes next. After everything Bear has already been through, it was hard to hear, especially when I wasn't at all prepared for anything other than good news.
And as if that wasn't enough for one day, before we'd even made it out of the parking garage, Grace called. Something was terribly wrong with one of our little foster kittens. She couldn't stand, her breathing was labored, her gums were white, and she couldn't maintain her body temperature. It happened so quickly! She'd been perfectly fine the night before. I rushed home, and we hurried her to the vet, but she passed away just minutes after we arrived.
We'd only had her for three days. We've fostered well over 100 animals over the years, and this was only the third one we've lost. I know fostering comes with the possibility of heartbreak, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier. There were lots of tears that day. It was just one of those days when you wish you could crawl back into bed and start over.
On a completely different note, we've officially entered what I call second fall here in Spokane. You know, the ugly one. The pretty leaves are gone, the trees are bare, and everything is cold, wet, and gray. All those beautiful autumn colors have been replaced with various shades of brown. It's not exactly inspiring. I'm not quite ready for winter, but I'm also ready for something prettier to look at out the window. A little snow might help. Just a little, though.
Despite the harder things, there have been plenty of good things happening around here, too. I've been making more trips to the library lately, and I forgot how much I love it. There's just something about wandering through the shelves with no particular book in mind and leaving with a stack that makes me happy. I've also been trying to make more time to read for pleasure. Not because I need to learn something or accomplish something, but just because I enjoy it. Imagine that! I'm currently reading The Secret Book of Flora Lea.
Beautiful watercolor painting by Emilie Weaver @artby.emilie on Instagram
Our surviving foster kitten has also been getting plenty of extra snuggles. There's really not much that a tiny, purring kitten can't make a little better.
And then there are the holiday open houses! I look forward to these every year. I love seeing how everyone decorates their shops for Christmas, visiting with people, and, of course, hunting for treasures. It's one of my favorite parts of the season. Meanwhile, behind the scenes at Marigold Vintage, I've been photographing Christmas goodies, packing orders, and making plans for approximately a hundred things I'd like to do with the business. Again with the lists.
Iām looking forward to Thanksgiving it is my favorite holiday. I know that might sound a little strange coming from someone who spends a good portion of November surrounded by vintage Christmas decorations, but I really do love Thanksgiving. The food, the family, the smells coming from the kitchen. All of it. I love that there's no pressure to find the perfect gifts or make everything magical. Just a day to gather around the table, eat entirely too much food, and enjoy being together. And the leftovers! Let's not forget those.
I'm really looking forward to it this year.
I suppose that's about all the catching up I have for now. Life has been a mix of hard things, good things, ordinary things, and a whole lot of things left undone. I'm hoping the next few weeks bring a little more time at home, a few good books, and maybe even some progress on that never-ending to-do list.
Thanks for being here, for taking the time to catch up with me, and for supporting my little business. It means more than you know.
And, as always, thank you for loving old things.
xo,
Ness
