“When you arise in the morning,
think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive–
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love —
then make the day count!”
Steve Maraboli
Is there a shift in the seasons where you are? I can feel fall easing toward its close. Autumn always seems too short for me, and I’m hoping winter waits until the last of the flowers have finished their show. For now I’m still savoring every moment in the garden.
Before fall slips away completely, I wanted to share a few end-of-season photos from my yard. I don’t always remember what I’ve shown here before, and I often plan to share more than I get around to. Does anyone else have that problem?
I’m smitten with the color of these hydrangeas right now. They start the season pure white, but by the end they shift to the most beautiful pink, coral, and soft orange tones — a fitting finale for autumn. I love catching that color framed by the white picket gate.
If you’d like to see these hydrangeas earlier in the season when they were white, I photographed them for a post about our deck in the summer.
The more seasons we spend in this house, the more I notice the small changes: subtle shifts in leaf color, blooms that fade differently from year to year, and new growth in familiar places. Paying attention to those quiet details has become one of my favorite parts of staying put.
Watching a garden evolve is calming and uplifting. The rhythm of the seasons, especially in autumn, brings a sense of comfort — the steady, gentle change that reminds you time is passing but beauty remains.
Those year-to-year changes are precisely what you miss when you move frequently or rush from one project to the next. There’s value in staying, observing, and letting small moments add up into a larger story.
I enjoy anticipating what’s coming next, but my favorite thing is slowing down and being present — appreciating the here and now in the garden and around the house.
Have you read my book Dwelling? Go here to order!
“We all want to feel that our home is our haven, but amid daily messes and the busy-ness of life it can be hard to get there. In Dwelling, Melissa Michaels offers practical, encouraging ways to create a haven for your home, body, and spirit. Her compassionate guidance and realistic steps make ideas you can use right away, and the book reads like a warm conversation you won’t want to put down.”
— Becky Rapinchuk, Clean Mama blog