September Days
Have a seat and enjoy a perfect September day in Virginia Beach! 2013
…September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather,
And autumn’s best of cheer.
Don’t you just love this time of year, when the weather begins to cool down just enough to be refreshing, and that crisp hint of autumn is in the air? Jeff and I were talking recently about how the fall weather arrives earlier in Virginia than it does in Georgia or Tennessee. It seems almost exactly timed to coincide with Labor Day each year. There may be a few hot days after that, but they are much easier to bear when they are tucked in between the milder days.
Jackson described it quite well; September often brings ideal weather made even more pleasant by the pending excitement of a new school year and upcoming holidays. I love every season, but spring and fall are especially appealing because they offer relief from more extreme temperatures, along with the beauty of colorful flowers or leaves to dazzle the eyes.
I hope today finds you enjoying glorious weather that will energize and inspire you.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: anticipation, Autumn, beauty, climate, excitement, fall, joy, nature, relief, seasons, September, weather
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia! Autumn is my favorite; I love the colors and the onset of “sweater weather!”
So yes, I will gladly have a seat and enjoy a perfect September day in Virginia Beach – if only for a moment before dashing off to work, under skies threatening rain ….
Suddenly an actual visit sounds MUCH more fun than a virtual visit. Eventually, I will have to explore out that way some fine September!
Susan, it’s a great time to come, and October isn’t bad either. There is so much in the Tidewater area that is charming in fall. Lighthouses, the boardwalk at the beach (where that photo was taken), gorgeous autumn leaves everywhere, and Colonial Williamsburg is especially appealing in autumn. Plus, if you come, we can go for a cuppa at the Belvedere, which is open year round! It’s the next best thing to a Verandah!
I’ll have to look at my October calendar! I did enjoy the Air bnb where I stayed last time that I came through …..
Susan, neither of our homes are Air bnbs, but many have crashed there and lived to tell the tale! Just make sure we coordinate the dates you’ll be in the right part of Virginia on the right days for us to let you in. 🙂
Good Thursday morning, Julia. It’s rainy, but good just the same. ☕️ There’s a storm causing a disturbance…. named Julia! 😂 Not OUR Julia! I so love Autumn, change of temps, fewer “visitors”, fall flowers, and upcoming holidays! I really enjoy cooking when the weather cools, and a simmering pot of chili is our favorite! That is a beautiful little park setting by the boardwalk and ocean in Virginia Beach. I’d love to take a nostalgia trip back there sometime! I hope all is well with y’all! 🙏
WOW, that’s the first I’ve heard of a storm named Julia– ever– in my whole life! I don’t know if I should feel so happy about it. Hope she doesn’t cause too much trouble. Hey, I just had chili tonight! It was from Wendy’s, but still…I love chili– it’s my favorite thing to cook. I put it into the crock pot in the morning with lots of fresh veggies liquidated in my Ninja, and enjoy it simmering all day. Please do come visit! We have to plan it for one of my school breaks so we will have plenty of time for getting up to all sorts of silliness. We are doing OK. Jeff is on a short chemo break so he feels a bit better than usual. His hair is slowly reappearing…
I too love the fall. I love the cooler days and nights. I am enjoying our cool days now. I pray all is well for you. God bless.
Amy, aren’t these cool days wonderful? HEY, NO WAY are you going to move to Omaha anytime soon??!!! (Anytime soon being in the next 10 years as far as I’m concerned.) That settles it, we simply MUST schedule a movie day in your home theater. You will not be allowed to move until we get in all the stuff we have always said we would do, which will take at least ten years by my estimate. I shall chain myself to the back of your car and dognap W and keep him in an undisclosed location. But back to the present…I have a couple of great ideas for movies this Friday and if you can manage it, I will find a way to get there…or maybe on another day, just let me know. Seriously, so glad you enjoyed your trip!
OH Phoey, So sorry I missed this. I sent you a message about Monday if you are free. Please please find another movie night. It’s a date. 10 years sounds about right. 🙂
Amy, I’m SO glad we got our movie day in before everything hit the fan again! Ten years will go by before we know it, so let’s make the most of every chance. Thanks for being here with us through everything.
Hey are you talking about this Friday? The 23rd? That would be great. I would love to watch a movie or two with you. Let me know. Love to Matt and Jeff
Hooray! Somehow we did it. 😀
I’m with you, Julia.
I’m so glad you are! I knew I was having a better-than-average day. ❤
Thinking of you, Julia.
Thank you, Alys. Your steadfast presence with us has given me strength.
(((Julia)))
❤ ❤ ❤
You (and Jackson) put into words what I always feel about the seasonal change.
Just when I am beginning to be weary of one season, the next one arrives … slowly though, so the season we are leaving behind gets a proper goodbye
Laurie, aren’t seasons wonderful that way? So far, autumn seems to be arriving slowly where we live. It was actually pretty hot today. But the plants are looking perkier (they seem to appreciate seasonal changes too) and the days are definitely getting shorter, so I think the summer is fading quickly and I’m happy for the fall.
Just how much do I see God in all things?
When I’m saying my prayer before breakfast each morning and I thank God for the variety of fruit, grains and animal products am I sometimes but not often enough more conscious of all of the processes which had to be in place for this delicious meal to be before me including all the workers and all the technology and the marketing and processing of everything and even going on back as far as the germinal seed which was planted in fertile ground etc.
I might drift on back as far as God.
September 19
Did You See That?
A fundamental perspective of St. Ignatius: In our spiritual life we ought to pray for greater awareness and attentiveness. Do we really experience the life around us, or does it blow by us at the fever pitch of progress? A simple starting point is to pay closer attention to our lives and the people and events that fill them. It is as if Ignatius is constantly prodding us saying, “Did you see that? Did you notice what you were feeling in that moment? Can you experience God in all of this? Ask God to show you.” —Patrick McGrath, SJ, “God, Dorothy Day, St. Ignatius, and the Examen of Conscience”
We must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. —Hebrews 2: 1
Lord, open my eyes that I may see you in the events of this day.
Manney, Jim. An Ignatian Book of Days (p. 262)..
The Internet and our amazing technology mystifies this old mind but I don’t have to look far to seek God’s hand in this because after all His intricate process of creation has enabled human beings to do what most would consider to be superhuman things in the wonderful world of inventiveness and creativity.
I looked into the concept of “Spiritual but Not Religious” this morning since I have an intense interest in spirituality and wonder how this may fit into our neo-traditional values in this day and age.
These different yet inseparable ideas captivate many today.
If any want to go a little deeper into this here is a website with a synopsis of a very popular book on this idea.
http://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/books/2002/07/spiritual-but-not-religious.aspx
Am I listening?
Am I seeing?
Am I touching, tasting, smelling and feeling?
I’m Harry.
Harry, thanks for sharing your insights, which are always thought-provoking (in a good way). 😀 As I read your first paragraph, I thought about how often we forget how much effort went into preparing the things we use and enjoy, right down to our plumbing and road and HVAC systems. And yes, “Did you see that?” is a very good question for us to keep in mind. It reminds me of a favorite quote from Alice Walker.
On the spiritual vs. religious question, I think it may revolve around a couple of pre-existing situations. One, what was our early experience of formal religion; was it primarily helpful, or hurtful? And two, how easy does an individual find it to coexist with others who may be different, annoying, imperfect or otherwise unpleasant? Does the trade off of sweet fellowship more than compensate for the need for patience and forbearance (us toward others, AND others toward us)? Those who had positive early experiences with formal religion AND who find it easy (or at least admirable) to commit to living and loving a motley crew of a family that makes up most church situations, will not feel the need to separate spirituality from religion; for us, the two are inseparable. But I can easily imagine how it might be otherwise for many people.
Glad that you are now enjoying the pleasant weather. Enjoy every moment of it before it begins to transform. Here we are waiting for the summer to be over. Our school reopened on 18th after the vacation but the weather is still very hostile and the temperatures unbearable.
Well, that simply means we MUST take another imaginary walk! I am sending you some virtual cool breezes along with gentle rains and a bit of chill after sundown and early in the morning. Just think how good the hot tea will be when the weather turns cool. It’s been warm again here this week, but less than before, and the days are getting shorter. It won’t be much longer now! 🙂
Julia it’s in the 80’s here. The first day of fall is when? This Thursday and 94 days till Christmas as I played Andy Williams” Its the most wonderful time of the year. I digress. My wife’s aunt Ella had some health challenges last month and my wife is still rehabing from her last car accident in May. Now in Oct the first week she will b e having facial surgery and I wll be taking sometime off work to take care of her aunt. But Ella will be having respice care coming to out house to assist me in taking care of her while my wife is recovering… We were able to take a Cannonball Run to my Dad’s house in Western PA. We has respice care for Ella in a local nursing home and a dog sitter for my boys Oliver and BJ.I’m planning to take another Cannonball Run in October either Bear Mountain or Niagra Fall both in Upstate NY.
Meant to write you earlier but caregiving has been tiring lately and weekends I feel like” Fred Flintstone running thru a room and ” it’s taken me awhile to get to the other side.. Hope you Jeff and Matt are well and man it’s almost time to set the clocks back.. Be blessed
Raynard, it’s great to hear from you. It sounds as if you and the family have been hit with lots of stuff just as we have. What happened to the idea of life slowing down as we get older? I am so sorry to hear about Ms. Ella’s health issues and your wife’s accident. If I knew about that I somehow forgot it in the rush of everything else. I hope things go well in her surgery, and that you get some good help for Ms. Ella. I used to commiserate with my brother (who took care of my Mama until her cancer diagnosis put her into long term care) that sometimes the respite care turns out to add more stress than it relieves, if the person who comes out is inexperienced or just clueless. I hope Ms. Ella gets a super efficient and kind attendant who will be an answer to prayer for all of you as your wife recuperates.
We have been OK but Jeff’s health continues to decline. Just yesterday we had to go to the ER because his breathing problems were getting much worse. They diagnosed double pneumonia but they also want to do more scans and see how much is the rapidly-spreading lung tumors, and how much is the pneumonia. So he is in the hospital for a few days. For the most part he keeps his spirits up but he was feeling so bad yesterday. Being on oxygen and nebulizer treatments is helping some.
Take care my friend and don’t worry about being too busy to write– I totally know how that goes as I’m farther behind with EVERYTHING than I can ever remember being in my entire life. I may not be online much anymore but every time I see a cake I think of you. 🙂 Happy autumn!