Oh, what a difference a week makes!
My alarm went off at 6:20 this morning, and I excitedly leaped out of bed, threw on my L.L. Bean winter boots and my new J. Crew peacoat, and headed out to the street. The partial solar eclipse that was visible to us here in DC was my motivation, a decision that I spontaneously made last night when I realized that I am not taking advantage of enough opportunities to see special moments like this in the sky. So off we went, straining our necks to see the eclipse.
Despite being situated high on a hill, we still had a difficult time seeing the sun peek up over the horizon. The hubs and I walked all over the neighborhood, the only two people up and about at that hour, and I chattered on and on about how great it was going to be and how amazing the yellow and orange leaves looked in the morning light.
We eventually decided to try our luck from one of our upstairs windows. I sipped on my coffee and darted from window to window, calling out when I started to see something peeking through the treetops. I can't entirely describe just how wonderful it was to wait for the sun and devote time to marveling at how beautiful it was as it fought its way through the cloud cover. But it felt like an awakening of sorts, and as we oohed and ahhed over how powerfully bright the sun was in the early morning sky, I felt inspired.
Inspired to hit the gym and knock out 3.2 miles like it was no big deal. Inspired to smile and love the trees and their beautiful leaves. Inspired to walk another mile home from the farmer's market with my beloved brussel sprouts in tow.
There's something magical in those early morning moments, something Ray Bradbury-esque in those few minutes with the eclipse. I'm so happy that we were able to experience it.
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| No editing to this photo, just pure early morning beauty. |
reading : A back issue of Smithsonian Magazine. I always learn the neatest things from this magazine, and my fantasies of discovering dinosaur bones have definitely been rekindled. Quick trip over to Utah, anyone? I also picked up some fun books from the library yesterday, so I will probably be alternating between Kerouac and some YA mysteries for the next few weeks.
writing : Nothing at the moment, though I will be doing some more dissertation work today. It actually feels great to sit down and knock out a page, and I think I have a good flow going.
listening : To the wind rustling the leaves outside. Everything is peaceful today, and even though it's a bit chilly, I'm keeping the windows open so that I can hear the wind.
thinking : About potential dinner plans. I've been craving lentils lately, and I have been given the task of finding a good recipe for dinner tonight. I'm thinking something Indian since we have some garlic nan waiting to be nibbled on. Any suggestions?
smelling : My lavender lotion. I love this scent! It's fresh and warm at the same time.
wishing : For continued peace today. Life just feels so good right now.
hoping : That my mother caught my hint about a certain J. Crew sweater featuring a camel on it and how it would make the best Christmas present for a certain Sarah in her life... :D
wearing : Leggings, thick wool polka dot socks, and a striped nautical sweatshirt. I feel so comfortable and warm!
loving : The partial solar eclipse. Can you tell? :) Even though our view of the eclipse was blocked by beautiful yellow-tinged trees, it was exciting to track the sun rising in the sky. I really need to experience eclipses whenever they occur. And sunrises. There's magic there.
wanting : The cheese empanadas that I picked up at the Takoma Park Farmer's Market this morning. They've become a Sunday afternoon treat for me whenever I stop by the market, and I'm realizing that it's been a while since I was last there. It's neat to see the shift to autumn produce and other goodies, and I'll need to linger a bit longer next time when the hubs is with me.
needing : To pick some roses from our front yard before the cold gets them. The weather has been so odd here in DC that our two rose bushes have continued to bud beautiful, bright roses. I have never grown roses before, so I have no idea if this is normal or not, but either way, I should bring a few stems indoors to brighten up our kitchen table.
feeling : Grateful. I feel fortunate to be alive, healthy, and able to savor autumn in this beautiful city. This morning has given me one of those wonderful moments of realization that the world can be a truly beautiful place, if only we let ourselves see it.
clicking : On this hilarious video that the hubs found. It's a song about how it's difficult to speak Spanish because of all the differences between Spanish-speaking countries, and while that might not sound particularly interesting, I swear that it's really funny!! If you've ever misspoke because the vocab you learned in school doesn't quite match up with actual spoken Spanish, you'll be able to relate to this. :)
Last week on The Quixotic Chica:
