Friday, September 1, 2017

I Raise My Cup Of Pumpkin Spiced Coffee To The First Day Of September


It's September 1st. The Summer season is winding down. As with every year, right around this time, my social media streams are plastered with posts from die hard pumpkin spiced season fans and those who absolutely despise it. I'm always amused by this redundant debate. On one hand, you have those who jump right into it with gusto. On the other hand, there's the crowd of people who want to milk out last few weeks of Summer.

I used to be one of those people. I refused to have anything pumpkin spiced in the house or bake with pumpkin or decorate for the Fall season until the first official day of Fall.

Until this year. 

Now, my attitude is if it's okay to deem Memorial Day as the unofficial start of Summer, it's just as okay to view Labor Day as the unofficial start of Fall. I'm also done with the Summer season.

The weather for the past week has flirted with Fall temperatures. I haven't had to listen to the sound of the air conditioner. I opened the windows and put a fan in one of them. Summer vacation is over so I have my peace and quiet during the day. I've baked a little more. Made the last two loaves of fresh zucchini bread for the season. I found inspiration in 2 old pieces of barn wood. I've sipped a couple of pumpkin spiced coffees.

I'm. So. There. 

I've also drafted some recipes for new, homemade dog treats. I was going to rev that back up in July, but it was too hot. There were too many humid days when the outdoor temps reached over 85 degrees. Our kitchen is almost in the center part of our home. When the oven is baking at 375 degrees and it's hazy, hot, and humid outside, it's miserable indoors even with the air conditioners on.

I decided to hold off on creating new, homemade dog treat recipes until the fall, winter, and early spring months. I'm bursting at the seams because I've had the time to draft recipes that include experimenting with new ingredients and textures.

I'm actually looking forward to the chilly and cold weather months this year. That's a first for me. I usually dread November through April with every ounce of my being.

I'm trying to figure this out. Why? I've thought long and hard.

I haven't come up with a concrete reason, but I have a little insight that surfaced from personal reflection.

Last year we made quite a few changes on the Bodacious Biscuit Love end of things. This year was the first year of the dust settling after those changes. I got a clear picture of where we're at, how things are going to run after those changes, and the tiny tweaks we need to make here and there.

I focused a lot on creating new, homemade dog treat recipes and I made quite a few DIY Dog Mom Projects. I offered most of those projects for sale. Both areas did quite well.

I noticed that a lot of the bloggers I followed published their first book. Their second book. Their third book. My first thought was, "How in the hell did y'all have time to do that?" Moments later I answered my own question. They busted their asses. They worked day and night. They stayed focussed.

After answering my own question, I had to ask myself, "What the hell am I doing wrong?"

Again, I answered my own question. There were quite a few answers to that question, but that's a whole other blog post.

The insight that I did obtain wasn't too complex. I need to focus more on my personal and work goals. Have fewer distractions. Let go of the things I can't change. Stop banging my head against the wall with situations and circumstances that are beyond my control. Restore more balance. Put my other foot down.

And maybe, this year, the Fall and Winter season will mark the perfect opportunity to do just that. Bake more. Write more. Focus more. Paint more. Sew more. Tackle my list of goals.

I raise my cup of pumpkin spiced coffee to that.






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