The Fall of Summer

Happy Fall Equinox! this marks the official fall of Summer but it really fell a couple of weeks ago when some of the Sumach leaves started turning red in the backyard. I took it as nature's way of giving me the heads up and heeded the advice by starting my fall cleaning. Cutting back all perennials, washing vents, walls and, ceilings in preparation for Falloween decorations.

With each passing day, more and more leaves are changing color.

The bursts of yellow, crimson red and orange leaves remind me of a Van Gough painting.

Which I predict within two weeks and one bad Fall wind storm will leave the trees bare once more. 

This was Abuela's favorite time of year and one of the selling features she used to get me to leave Venezuela. Telling me about the trees that change color in Canada and how beautiful it was, especially the yellow trees. Something I just had to see with my very own eyes.

Ironically enough there are more yellow trees on the property than any other color. Being surrounded by them feels comforting and serendipitous at the same time.

Greenacre is all ready for Falloween, been ready since mid-August, soon as I saw those Sumach leaves. Thought to myself, "yup, time to start the transition" and let go of Summer.

Now Summer 2020 will go down as the most epic Summer ever because of this little addition to the clan.

What started as a prank with a stuffed life-size husky, quickly turned into a real-life husky. When my reaction to "Mommy we got a dog" was the complete opposite of what was expected. The hunt began and by the next weekend, one of the twins came to tell me that Daddy messaged a person about a dog. Now the house is puppy proofed, the floors lined with pads and, littered with chew toys. 

Her arrival equaled my departure from the little sleep I got as Miss Luna loves long walks in the wee morning hours to smell the wind and every blade of grass until she finds the perfect one to pee on. A huge fan of three o'clock in the morning runs, soccer matches and long games of chase.

It's been the greatest learning opportunity for the girls, feeling under their own skin some of a parent's responsibility, unconditional love, and selflessness. Starting with the night we brought her home and she peed on us. Instead of getting upset, my girl told me it was okay because it was Luna's pee. Thank goodness because we were only half-hour into the 2 and a half-hour drive home. Took that moment to explain to her that is the unconditional love we feel for them. That no matter what they do, we love them no matter what. Hearing her say "now I get it", that's truly priceless.

Abuela always told me that everything has a price and for every credit, there will be a debit. Things have to die to make room for the new. Ironically, Luna was born on the 9th and Abuela died on the 9th. She would have adored her, especially when Luna jumped into the pool after the twins went underwater thinking she needed to save them. Never being in a pool before, she jumped in without hesitating and went underwater for the first time. Her expression says it all when she found out it was all in vain.

Her nocturnal schedule has me enjoying more of these breathtaking sunsets and

sunrises that remind me of how amazing Dios is. 

Blessing my home with such a sweet and brave puppy during such a strange time but it probably wouldn't have happened any other way. With the girls learning from home, it became the perfect time to get a puppy. It is easier just to flow with what is happening then fighting against it. Like wearing grey colored clothing to match her pet hair instead of trying to keep it off the clothing.

With age come acceptance and resignation. You get better at picking your battles because you realize that most things don't matter in the grand scheme of life.

 

Nothing stays the same anyhow so you savor and hold on to those moments that bring you joy while distancing yourself from that which does not.

 Here are some of mine.

Even though Autumn just has begun, it feels like it's falling too. The hail yesterday like the first red leaves on the Sumach is a sign of things to come. Winter is right around the corner so enjoy this bootiful time of the year and this compilation of the previous Falloweens because this year as you might know is a little different.

Keep moving and enjoy the view along the way.

Choosing Gratitude

It is the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning, I express my gratitude for another day to spend with my girls. Grateful for the opportunity to make more memories that will hopefully turn into epic stories, they tell their children, the same way I tell them the stories about mine with Abuela. Our Thelma and Lousie moments of being serenaded at a folk festival by a group of musicians from Spain, being seated at a reserved VIP table at a jazz club, driving to and from Florida with her husband that had Alzheimer's. Who thought he was being kidnapped and tried to jump out of the car in the middle of a busy highway.  No matter what was happening or had happened, they were all life lessons.

Lessons that taught me to look for the silver lining because each experience contains wisdom, sometimes its the most minuscule of wisdom dressed in stupidity but it could be life-changing. These lessons also taught me that life has a way of working itself out regardless of what you do because what is meant for you will never pass you by and what is not meant for you, will not stay either. Much like the flowers that decided to sprout in this tiny flower pot. Not caring about the flower pot's capacity to hold them, they grew trusting that it would.

It is all about perspective, if you look for the bad then that is what you will see because that is what you're looking for. That's why I choose gratitude because I don't want to take anything for granted. Even the 7 deer flies and 3 carpenter bees I had to kill the other day because, with each kill, my aim only got better.  

There is so much joy and beauty in the smallest of details, being grateful helps me see them.

Like finding the initial of my grandmother's first name sitting on top of a tray of fries, 

driving behind a truck with 2 sets of the number 66,

watching a glorious sunrise paint the clouds, 

noticing a rubber band shaped into a heart on the ground, 

hanging out with a dragonfly,  

finding this last bouquet of flowers in the store,

and watching the moon rise against an ombre night sky.

I am grateful for every single thing and especially the hard times because the toughest steel is forged in the hottest fire. 

That the energy I put out will always make it's way back to me one way or another, 

and choosing gratitude will only attract more things to be grateful for.

Serendipitous stroke of luck

It seems like every day blends into the other with no real definition of its parameters aside from the progress made in certain blocks of hours. The past couple of weeks turned into a painting marathon that was kicked off with my oldest requesting her pink room be repainted black. The custom pink colour that she insisted had to be the exact same pink as her Hello Kitty purse. This beloved colour had now been outgrown and it was time to say goodbye. So I painted over the colour that will forever be associated with the pre-teen years of her life. The love of Monster High, fancy headbands, Barbie, and nail stickers. With every stroke of the brush, these memories were covered to make space for new ones. 

Like Vans, skateboarding, simplicity, and a rather adult sarcasm that comes from watching alot of great 80's movies. Just like that my firstborn walked into her teenage years during a pandemic and it started a chain reaction. After seeing how good her room turned out, I decided to repaint almost every room in the house.  Three rooms short to be exact because one can not simply paint one ceiling, so this became my work station or makeshift hardware store.

That helped me get through those little moments when things don't go according to plan and you gotta improvise. Or when you get covered in paint, whatever comes first.

The painting filled the gap in between the courses I am taking and kept my mind on the future, away from the chaos of the present. Then halfway through this marathon, a serendipitous stroke of luck came my way. Photowall contacted me asking if I wanted to do a collaboration with them. Note to self, check for horseshoe later.

Photowall, incase y'all don't know is a Swedish company that has amazing wall murals, photos, and wallpapers. Check out Photowall's Instagram page or go to Photowall's wall murals to see the greatness in action. It is truly amazing how wallpaper can transform a room. Something I knew very well because I grew up with several wall murals in my home. The living room had a forest, my brother had a sunset beach and I had a river run right next to my bed. My father had the exact same forest mural back home in Venezuela in his living room and my parents had been divorced for quite some time. Guess they still had alot in common but apart. 

Will admit a forest scene was one of my first choices too but then when I came across the picture of the Aurora Borealis, it was love at first sight. Adding to the serendipity, was that is was a photo taken by one of my favorite vloggers, Jonna Jinton. Here is the picture from the box, sorry for the poor quality.

It arrived rather quickly considering it was coming from Sweden, within 3 days or so.

Photowall was not kidding around but it big should read HUGE improvement.

 Super easy and clear instructions, well packaged with nothing missing. I know, it's just too good to be true but really it is. So I prepped my walls and just as I let go of an era in my daughter's life, I let go of one in my own.

 Stripping the room down to nothing and started a new, only this time I was the one choosing what was going to happen instead of making the best of what had happened. I got to decide how it would turn out, fate was in my hands and not just figuratively. As there was no one available to help me, I hung the mural by myself. The panels were just the right size and were super easy to work with. The picture below was taken right after I was finished and you can still see the wet paste underneath but just look at those colours. Next best thing to actually being there, which is on my bucket list once this pandemic is in the rearview mirror.

No more boring and uninspiring walls. This is my new view, the first thing that greets me in the morning and the last thing I see before going to sleep.

It inspires me and reminds me of the power we have to control our reaction to external things because time waits for no one. That letting go is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and that wonderful things can happen when you least expect it. Things die because they need to make way for the new and that can be a very good thing, not something to be feared.

Thank you for my serendipitous stroke of good luck.

Your inspirational ripple had made a huge wave in my life. Kicking off a new era with the most incredible view and the irony is that I don't even have to leave my bed to enjoy it.

I do however have to leave my bed to seize the day and take the steps necessary to accomplish my goals. Some days there are giant leaps forwards and other days are spent enjoying the journey. 

However, you seize your day, carpe it up.  Life is not a dress rehearsal, if it doesn't bring you happiness, let it go. Don't like it, change it. Take that chance, let go of the past and let a serendipitous stroke of luck happen.  

Why not seize today by taking advantage of the 25% discount on all of the products at Photowall.com by using the code adventuresatgreenacre25  before June 23, 2020.  

Remember,  don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.