7:: October. slowing down.

Slowing down.

That's just what I feel like doing now that we seem to have officially turned the corner into fall. Reading books (The Hobbit, again, to start). Knitting. Baking. Sleeping. After two months here, and one of school, we are feeling settled, more or less. I have mixed feelings about life here. I love my job, I love the natural beauty and the unpolluted landscape and long walks along the beach. Overall, I find it soothing and healing. On the other hand, I do not like the un-crunchy nature of such a place. I can't find a yoga studio anywhere (I am trying to start a co-op of interested yoginis). I have to travel an hour to get to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. There are tons of farms, but which grow conventional crops. There seems to be quite a bit of ignorance, and smoking :-(

However, there is no feeling of temptation to run to the shops. By nature of the distance, it does have to be premeditated. In that way, it helps the nesting feeling emerge. The more places I live, the more I realize I have a split personality, wanting to be alone with land around me, and wanting to be close by good culture and community. We do have some of that in Cape Charles. For now.

I've been struggling with still feeling wanderlust toward certain places. I've been dreaming about crunchy enclaves in New York, Vermont, North Carolina. Even Oregon, though the distance is frightening to me. I miss Louisville all. the. time. But part of me wants to just find that special place to settle for a good long time. It seems so like second nature to dare I say most people. Not to us, to John and I. We are also in a line of work that is very specific, and it's hard to find a good situation of in many places (there are lots of terrible Montessori schools out there). I still have faith that we'll get to the right place when the time is right.

As my thoughts turn toward soon starting a family, I feel the very urgent need to get even more serious about keeping my finances in check. I'm on a good road with that now, but it's still a bumpy one with some kinks still being ironed out. If I can find a great school, I'd like to still work and have my baby at school with me. And maybe take time off later to be a part- or full-time SAHMama once I have some money stockpiled up. I'm still thinking that yoga teacher training might be in my future, and then doing yoga as a side business. That's a big decision I don't feel ready to make yet.

I'm so happy to have my camera back. Here are a few pictures of our new humble abode just a block from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. For now, I'm trying my best to bloom where planted and enjoy the way.

things i'm looking forward to::

baking with pumpkin
crunching in fallen leaves
treating trick or treaters
eating yummy vegetarian meals (I've gone back to no meat eating after a nearly five month break from my nearly six years of vegetarianism/veganism, and I feel GREAT)
having friends over for supper
breaking out the sewing machine, at some point.
horseback riding with the elementary teacher at my school
finishing painting the bedroom (you can see the ugly pink reflected in the mirror), our new color is beachy blue and called "sprinkle"
fixing up two large end tables i found at a yard sale
taking my friend heather's fall online whole foods workshop
knitting more this fall and winter than in years past
planning our simple wedding for next fall
saving money, just a bit