Not so much ranting today

My, I do go off in tangents at times. I'm feeling better today, a little more optimistic about life in general, very happy that the world is turning towards cooler days, cooler nights, colorful trees and the crispy sounds of dried leaves scuttling across the driveway in the wind.

I love autumn here in TN. Whereas fall was a time for sadness in NY (kids going back to school, winter looming), here it is a joyful relief from the heat and bugs of summer. And it lasts and lasts! Not a quick, 6-week burst of a season, but a full three months of glorious and comfortable walking in the woods, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the forest.

Echo is back to being her complete, normal dog-self. Whatever precipitated her terrible illness (Bill suspects snakebite), she is over it now, as if it never happened. Cesar Millan says, "Dogs live in the 'now,' never in the past like humans." Ain't it the truth.

I need more of that "living in the now" myself. It's easy to dwell on the frustrations and losses of the past year, but it's not very productive. The one thing this illness did give me is an appreciation for every little pleasure in each day. A mental note to stop and experience the small moments of joy and contentment as they occur, and to pay attention, before moving on to the next mundane thing.

Speaking of which, I finished Alex's hat!

I am SO tickled by how this turned out! The lining is super-soft and fuzzy (my fingers are sore from dealing with the slipperiness of the fine, soft yarn on the bamboo needles), it's warm and it's drop-dead cute. I'm so enchanted with this pattern, I immediately started another two, one for each of the bald-headed men in my life, husband and brother. That should keep me busy and happy for a few weeks!