ANTICIPATION | Winter

Autumn was a time of slow progress: the house renovations continued, with the new shape becoming more evident every day (I can’t wait to spend time on the new front porch!); the wind was constant with the cold temperatures ensuring spectacular sunsets; and, as part of two writing groups and NaNoWriMo many stories have gone out of my head and heart and onto the page.

I’m grateful for all of the gifts of this time of year when my attention turns toward mulled cider with cinnamon sticks, layers of sweaters and cashmere scarves, writing with fingerless gloves, comfort foods including freshly baked bread with soup or stew, cozy gatherings with friends, and reading the newest crop of brilliant books that are published this time of year.

As I look forward to winter, I hope to bring into my life a few things:

PROJECT REFLECT & MANIFEST, which was originally done ten years ago, is a prompt project I’m going to revisit. By using the same questions, I’m curious to know how things have changed - or stayed the same - over the course of the last decade. So much has happened, most good through constant challenge; I’m looking forward to see how those events affected me and my outlook on my world (and myself). The best part of winter, for me, is that it encourages reflection. It is becoming more important to me as time passes to live a life of intention, and projects like these keep me focused and curious.

CONNECTING WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE as long as they lead with kind, deep, and engaged. I want to be with people who are open and honest, curious and observant, supportive and fun. They don’t all have to be spiritual or writers or female or interested in the same things as me; they do have to have some commonalities that start with decency, tolerance, integrity, and likewise seeking how to better show up in the world for themselves and those they love. It would be tedious to be with people identical to me; I want to be pushed to be better and share in new activities, views, and ideas, becoming the absolute best version of myself, challenged to improve every day. In 2024, I plan to show up and be seen. Like that online meme about the weirdos: “Let your weird light shine so the other weirdos know how to find you.”

WRITE A STORY A DAY, whether it’s true or not. NaNoWriMo was such a different event for me this year. Rather than writing 50,000 words toward the telling of one story, I spent the exercise writing one true story a day. I knew I had to get all of the heavy and negative gunk out of my system in an effort to focus on the light elevated chick-lit that I want to put out into the world. I regularly turn shit into sunshine, one might call it my superpower, but I’m tired of having to work that hard reframing all of the events of my life. November was only 30 days, and I have well over 30 stories, so I want to continue the practice. My shortest story is 172 words, and the longest (so far) is 2,287 words. Nothing has yet been edited or polished, I simply need to get them out. What happens to them? Who knows? Right now, my focus is on getting them written.

MOVE MORE so that I can have the endurance to travel and explore the world. Last year, I had a heat pump installed in my utility room, which is freezing in the winter and roasting in the summer. Those extremes have been mitigated and now I’ve added a few pieces of equipment to the reformer Pilates machine and rebounder. Now I have a stand-up desk and treadmill, a Pulser 2, and a Peloton. I’m scheduled to travel to Italy in mid-April and Ireland in September, early October. The weight is the armour I needed when I needed it; I’m doing all I can by properly eating, drinking, sleeping, therapy, and all other modalities to have it take its leave, but it’s stubborn. The move more plan is simply to improve my flexibility and staying power to keep up with everyone!

TAKE MORE PHOTOS by dusting off my Canon dSLR and heading out of the house. I’m especially interested in improving my night photography. Given that dark arrives around dinner time, I have many hours each evening to head out and capture the sparkly night skies we are so blessed to enjoy. My current problem is locating all of my lenses now that I put them in a “safe place” so they wouldn’t be exposed to dust through the renovations! Maybe I’ll get myself a cheapie 50mm and give it to one of the kids once I find my own? At any rate, I feel the call to bundle up and head outside to capture my beautiful new hometown.

I’m entering a “Three Year”, which will prove to be a lot of fun as it is supposed to be a journey to happiness. I have to say, my “Two Year” gave me plenty of opportunity to tee up my next evolution. Combined with my second Saturn Return, plenty of lessons were held in 2023, and I know I’m making a better version of myself with confidence in what I bring to any table. The vibes are high, and I feel a wonderful sense of liberation and agency. It took a whole hell of a lot to get here, but I’m determined that this trip around the sun will find me in a profoundly authentic place by my 60th birthday in September.

THEME FOR 2024 has become more and more in focus over the last month or so. I’m no longer going to behave in a way that makes me uncomfortable for the comfort of others - I’m not going to wish or wait for it to be; I’m going to bring it into being. I want people to know the authentic me and choose to like or dislike me for who I am, not what they need to believe or are told. I allow others to be who they are and would appreciate the same consideration.

Now, the annual questions appear: What projects and practices will support how I want to show up in my life? How do I want to feel in 2024 and beyond? Will I continue writing here on my site or move everything over to SubStack? Will I continue to post “Hello Monday” and “TGIF” on Instagram? What creative projects will I keep? Which will I discover? What courses or teachers are inspiring me? How much longer will the renovations take? Will my home ever be pulled together 100% the way I want it to be? It’s time to put together a landscape plan for next summer and I need to find the energy and enthusiasm for yet another house project. How much writing can I get done if I dedicate 4-hours a day to writing and research? Will I continue to create Spotify playlists - where will the new music come from, and will I fall in love with it all? Will I figure out how to listen to Podcasts and Audiobooks without being distracted? How many books will I manage to read throughout the year - and will my favourite authors be creating more masterpieces? What are my priorities and how am I going to invest my time to reflect their importance?

Lesson from the autumn to take with me: I don’t need to know the answers; I need to follow my intuition and go where it leads while consistently working toward the life I want to live.