Well, I'm up before the sun now. At the time of writing this, the mornings were cooling down, but then we had a heat wave at the end of August into September. And well, I nearly scrapped this month’s theme.
But even so, the mornings were still cooler before the heat settled in. And there was still a quietness to them before the light broke through, the kind you can only feel this time of year regardless of the random heat. It hasn't stopped our garden from shifting either. We've moved from berries to beans and tomatoes, and now it's corn and pumpkins' turn. The pumpkins are still small, but already a clue of what's to come.
The time change signaling Fall is still a little bit away. But my body's already catching on.
Ahhh, we have corn!!
NOTICE THE SHIFT
I noticed it twice in one week, in two totally different places.
The first was at my Summer book club, hosted by The Nest atPages and Pours in De Pere. We'd all picked up The Buddha and the Badass for August, and, as it turned out, none of us had finished it (ha!).
Instead of the usual guilt spiral, we just laughed about it. One person didn't even buy the book, but her schedule changed so she came anyway, empty-handed. It ended up being the perfect end-of-summer book for exactly that reason: you could pick it up anywhere, put it down without worry, and there was no ending to miss or spoiler alerts to worry about.
That's a small thing...but it's also not. Somewhere in that conversation, we drifted from the book into the same topic everyone's been circling lately: fall activities starting up, school back in session, the sense that things are about to speed up whether we're ready for them to or not.
I promise I will finish this book!
A few days later I was on my monthly hike with Sole Sisters at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve. My hike leader and I were the first ones there, and she asked if I had a prompt idea for the group. I offered the same thing that had been sitting with me since book club:
What shift are you noticing right now, and what does it bring up for you?
It's what led me to name my own answer out loud, the early mornings, the cool light, the garden winding down.
That's really what "a circuit breaker from mental noise" is for, not just the big resets, but these smaller moments of noticing, whether it's a paintbrush, a hike, or a book you didn't finish...yet.
WHAT I'M INTO LATELY
Recently, my kiddo snuck into my office instead of getting ready for bed. "Don't come in, Mama! I'm making a 'prise for you!" A little while later she led me in, with my eyes closed. to my desk and laptop covered in Post-It notes with little smiley faces.
I moved these to a bigger sheet of paper to save.... I couldn't part with a single smiley face!
"They're for you! And you can put them up there," she said, pointing to my corkboard above my desk with kids' artwork.
For a second, before I saw what she'd made, I'd felt an “eee... what is she doing?" feeling creep in.
It was a mini lesson in trust and self-awareness. Trust that she wasn't up to mischief. Self-awareness of my own instinct to jump to conclusions.
A moment to ask myself, "What if the opposite were true?"
These stayed there for few days as I carefully worked around them with a smile on my face.
THIS MONTH'S RESET | NOTICE THE SHIFT : A FIVE-SENSES SPIN
Inspired by the prompt I gave my Sole Sisters hiking group: notice the shift, and what it brings up for you. Here's a version of it to try on your own. No paint required for this one either.
Wherever you are right now, pause and name:
One thing you can see that's changed with the season
One thing you can hear that feels like "right now" rather than summer
One thing you can smell or taste that says Fall is close
One thing you can touch: the cooler air, a warm mug, a sweater pulled back out
One thing you're feeling, physically or emotionally, in this exact moment
Then sit with it for a minute. The goal is to just notice what’s around you, like the way you'd notice small shift in the weather.
SOMETHING TO SIT WITH - THIS MONTH'S STILL POINT
“Step out of constant doing and step into simply being.”
- a line that's stuck with me from a recent meditation
I keep returning to this line as the rest of the year picks up speed. So much of September's pressure comes from the doing, the errands, the change in schedules, the sense of catching up or anticipating.
But being doesn't ask anything of the calendar. It's available any time you stop long enough to notice it.
The next time you feel the pull to speed up just because September says so, see if you can find one minute to simply be instead.
Talk soon!
Kate
MOMENTS FROM THE STUDIO
Watercolor Reset — Aug 18 at The Nest
This one leaned into texture: sea sponges and found objects alongside the usual supplies, with an invitation to just see what happens. By the end, one person who'd been hesitant all evening finally tried the sea sponge and loved it, and another noticed her neck didn't hurt anymore.
What happens when you hand someone paint and permission to play.
*Preview* The Holiday Reset — October 24
A one-day retreat for women to step out of the daily hustle and recharge before the busy season hits. This event is hosted by Katie Busch of The Recharge Suite, and I'll be bringing a watercolor segment on permission to play and explore. Reach out to me if you have any questions. And when you request your spot, I'd love it if you used my code KateT.
