Wednesday Wins: Fall is Coming
Slowly but surely, the winds are changing. While this calendar summer went by in a flash, we are just now entering the "indian summer" phase of San Francisco's weather patterns. Meaning 80 degree days (we hit our all time high of 108 degrees in downtown SF a couple of weeks ago), humidity and muggy air, and an increasing desire for popsicles.
(Also, am I still allowed to say indian summer? That feels... weird. Are weather terms un-PC?)
However, my attentions are forward looking - to sweater weather, new knitting patterns, and pumpkin everything. I foresee much baking this coming winter, and potentially some experimentation with a cinnamon hot chocolate recipe.
The past few weeks have been especially hectic, so taking a few moments here and there to celebrate the changing of the seasons has been a way for me to ground myself in the passage of time instead of panicking about it. I'm not perfect - I still let myself get caught up in stress and the everyday tasks I feel are most pressing and lose sight of the big picture. But it's a process, and I'm learning day by day, week by week, how to manage days and years at the same time.
A few specific things made this a winning week:
1. Winter flowers
Though I love all things peony and tulip, the changing of the seasons brings new foliage to enjoy. I am not the most learned of amateur florists but I know how to read packaging. I am loving the bronzed mums from Trader Joe's, along with these little blue thistle things. My ideal flower is the dahlia but I'm trying to shop more seasonally, and doing so tends to allow you to feel the shifting seasons even more. Doesn't it feel like we just need to get back to connecting to the Earth? (I'm mostly looking at you, GOP.)
2. PUMPKIN SPICE IS HERE
This cannot be understated or underestimated. I also gave the pumpkin spice chai latte a shot, and I have to say, it is amazing. I'm going to add an espresso shot next time and truly enjoy my $7 sip of Fall.
(I love when the barista spells my name right without my help!)
3. I finished a big trial at work
This relates to that whole "learning to manage days and years all together" thing. I had a big trial which ended today (!!!) and took up much of my mental energy for the past several weeks. That's not to say that I didn't work on other things, or pursue other projects (see the baby blanket started above) but most of my stress-capacity and anxiety went towards this one event. However, after completion of the trial, I feel so mentally drained that it has been hard to re-focus and figure out what the next steps are. I can't realistically take a one week mental vacation after every stressful work event, so I need to find some other way to deal. A pedicure, another sugary coffee, a nap maybe? And then back to it! What are your tips for refocusing after ending a big project?
