: Ordinary Moments :

"Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior's world."

~Pema Chodron, The Places That Scare You

{Ordinary Moments} A single photo of an ordinary moment 

to appreciate from the week.

I'm linking these posts with This Moment at SouleMama. Leave your own link in the Comments if you'd like to share your moment here. 

Snow Shoeing

Like most of you, I'm guessing, one of my goals for the new year is to exercise regularly, or - let's be honest - exercise at all. Last year wasn't great for me in the exercise department. So over the weekend I dug out my snowshoes and set off into the woods.

I was surprised what a workout it was, tromping through the woods in a foot of snow. It was a great cardio workout, something that I know I need a lot more of, since I can get winded going up and down the stairs a few times. 

I picked a good day to start. It was relatively mild, about 35º as opposed to the much colder temperatures last week. I don't know how I'll do out there on colder days. One of the problems with living in Maine for me is that although I love the snow and winter, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to actually spending much time outside in those cold temps. 

Since moving to Maine over a year ago from Tennessee I have finally started to accumulate some real winter gear, which makes such a difference in being out there in the cold, and I loved the peacefulness of being out in the woods alone, with the sunlight and shadows falling across the snow. So I've got those things going for me in the quest to keep it up.

A Walk in the Woods

Fall is our favorite time for walks in the woods near our house. No bugs, beautiful colors, and crisp Fall air. Perfect!

Make a Cozy Fleece Blanket

Fall is on our doorstep, and around here we've been making some cozy things for the colder days ahead. My daughter made us a warm fleece blanket last week, and we've been snuggling with it every morning and evening as the nights get colder up here in the north. 

Here's a little guide to making one of these super easy blankets. (You can buy these as kits, with the 2 pieces of fleece already cut up for you, but we always pick out our own fleece and cut the edges ourselves.) 

What you need: 2 pieces of fleece, cut to the same size. We bought 1 3/4 yards of a pine cone print for one side, and a beige/tan swirl pattern for the other. The fleece is wide enough to make a nice size blanket at this length.

What to do: Lay your two pieces of fleece fabric out, 1 on top of the other with right sides facing outward, and line the 2 pieces up as closely as possible. Sometimes at this point if one piece is a little longer or crooked I have to do some trimming. Cut approximately 3/4" wide strips around all 4 sides of your fabric, cutting through both layers. The strips should be about 3-4 inches long. I always just eyeball this, and I'm not exact at all. Toward the end, as my hand starts to get tired, my strips always get wider and wider :)

Then tie all the strips together in knots. You take the strip from the bottom layer, and tie it to the strip on top of it. My daughter loves to do this part!

When the strips are all tied together you're done!

Have you ever made one of these blankets?

We have 2 now - this new Fall blanket with pine cones, and a cute Winter snowman blanket that Emma made last year. We're thinking we might make a Christmas blanket for December!

Fall Flowers: Mums

I love that time of year when mums of various sizes and colors start to appear outside the grocery store and the home improvement stores, when beautiful orange and red and purple mums pop up among pumpkins and hay bales on the porches that I drive by every day. It's one of my favorite signs that Fall is here.

And of course, every year I buy a few of my favorite colors - the oranges and deep reds - for my own front porch, to sit beside the pumpkins that are waiting to be carved.

Here are a few interesting facts about mums that you may not have known:

The name Chrysanthemum is derived from the Greek words Chrysos, meaning gold or golden, and anthemon, which means flower.

 Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as early as the 15th Century B.C.

Chrysanthemum tea, made from the flowers of certain species of Chrysanthemum, is a popular drink in parts of Asia, believed to be beneficial in treating eye problems and maintaining eye health, and in alleviating cold symptoms, among other things. 

 Mums are one of the most popular potted flowers in the U.S.

 They are also one of the longest lasting cut flowers.

Do you have a favorite color of mums that you like to use for your Fall decorating?