10 On...Whatever Day I Get This Published

I won't normally be joining the 10 on Tuesday blog posting (although I do enjoy reading them around blogland) but the one she posted this week struck me as an exercise I should maybe participate in.

I'm in that in between mode right now which is hard for me.  Our field season, what there was of it, is now over.  The technicians have left, all the vegetation dried and weighed, and I'm almost done entering all the data.  John left for Ontario to start building a new facility to hold our animals...  But I'm still at least 3 weeks, but more than likely 4 weeks, away from heading home.  That in itself is a struggle for me...that pull south just gets stronger each and every day.  And I find myself so focused on that date that I can go home, that I'm forgetting to make the most of the time I still have left.  In addition, Monday I went to get another x-ray hoping for good news.   Instead I was told that my arm fracture is healing but it's still not completely healed yet.  I had a bad day where I let that news take me down the dark path...

So let's focus on the positive with this week's 10 on Tuesday -- or Thursday in my case.

5 things I enjoyed about this summer:

First, I'll note that you'll see a theme in these.  While this summer was still hard in its own way, I had some breathing room for the first time in...well, since 2010 which was the last summer I wasn't in the field full time for 6 months.  I desperately needed that breathing room -- and until right this instant, typing out those sentences, I'm not sure that I knew just how much my mental sanity benefited from having a lower stress field season and the flexibility to bring back in some things I need -- even while still in the field and away from home.

1.  Having the time/flexibility/motivation to learn something new with my camera and to spend time enjoying some creative/artistic endeavors (picking up a pencil to draw again).  

2.  Picking berries and turning some of them into an AMAZING syrup for pancakes.  Seriously, I'm not a pancake fan but pancakes with syrup made from high-bush cranberries?  Incredible.  I'm thankful I have another bag of those berries waiting on me in the freezer at home from past years! (ignore the crappy photo but it's the best I could do)

3.  Crossing off some pretty big 'to-do' items from my work list (that chapter is done and I'm almost done 2 more manuscripts and I'm completely up to date with data entry which is a huge relief!) and from my personal list (particularly with getting some WIPs off the needles!).

4.  Finally, after much hit and miss the past few years, finding a daily routine that seems doable with my job demands and gives me what I need to maintain mental sanity.

5.  Spending a lot of quality time with the 'bou...just me and them when I wasn't stressed to the gills (the picture above is one of our kids from this year -- how fast they grow!).
 

5 things I'm looking forward to this fall: 

 1.  The first is a given:  being back home.  The things at home that I keep thinking of: my elk girls, my bed, being able to take a long hot bath, my kitchen and the luxury to cook foods that aren't just 'field-friendly', spinning, my friends, and fall in the Blues...

2.  Learning more.  I took advantage of Crafty's 50% off classes deal a few weeks ago and bought some classes that I had been eyeing for awhile.  After what feels like a long time being stagnant and having no energy to learn beyond what is needed for my job, I feel excited to try new things now.  I bought classes ranging from a night photography one, to a couple spinning/knitting ones, to a couple dealing with some art techniques I've dabbled in (or floundered around in!) that I want to learn more.

3.   Going to the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival -- I'm finally going to be home at the time of this event and more importantly, I'm stuffing my introvert fears of going to a large gathering like that away for a few days.  Not only am I excited about the festival but I also get to visit a good friend at the same time.

4.  Being healed.  Hopefully in a few weeks I'll be completely healed and can start biking again, strength training again to build my upper body strength back up, and just generally being pain free.  Can't wait!

 
5.  Mushroom picking.  I'm not sure that it'll be a good year for it but I'm going to go all the same.  I've said the past few years that I was going to go and I've just been too exhausted when I get home to do much of anything for a few weeks.  That shouldn't be as big of a problem this year so into the woods I'm going to go!

What about you?  What did you enjoy most about this summer or what are you looking forward to the most this fall?
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Now playing:  The Wild Hurt by The Tallest Man on Earth


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