My Fall Mood

Fall officially begins in two days!

Fall is my favorite season and one of my favorite things in general. There are so many things I love about it and once I start talking about it I literally get so excited and I could just go on and on.

So today I'm going to share with you (in no particular order) five things that put me in a fallish mood. And for me, "fallish mood" equals "writing/reading mood". I know, it might sound weird. But this time of year makes me the most sentimental and wakes up my creativity. 

COFFEE

Okay, this might be cliche, but I don't care. I drink coffee all year round, but in the fall when it's chilly, I thrive on those times when I can settle down, either at my desk, in my bed, or on the front porch swing, with a good cup of coffee and enjoy the weather.

One of my fall coffee mugs. Isn't it the cutest??

Also, I'm going to be honest, I don't know if I drink coffee while I write because it actually helps or just because I'll find any excuse to drink coffee.

RAIN

Obviously this also doesn't only happen in the fall. I love rain any time of year. But like I mentioned above, I love it so much more when it's cold and I can wear a sweater or a hoodie and just snuggle down under my tin roof and listen to the rain. There's nothing in the world quite like a good downpour. Add a few rumbles of thunder and it's even better. 

Sometimes when I'm home and it starts raining, I run to my room to read or write. xD It's really dorky, but rain is my favorite background noise and I always feel like I'll waste it if I don't use it to fuel my motivation.

RED BY TAYLOR SWIFT

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Maybe someday I'll share why, but for now just know that me and Red are really good friends. 

As for why it puts me in a fallish mood, there are a couple reasons. One very simple reason is that I first started really listening to it and falling (ha) in love with it last October. I often associate things with the time of year it was when I was really into them, and then it sets the mood for that thing after that, if that makes sense. Another very simple reason is some of the lyrics from the album, like in the song Red ("Like the colors in autumn so bright just before they lose it all"), or All Too Well ("Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place"). Just kind of gives the whole album a fallish vibe.

Just go listen to this album. It's amazing.

CANDLES

Honestly, fall and winter are pretty much the only times of year that I burn candles, because my favorite scents are things like pumpkin, cinnamon, caramel, etc. (I like food.)
I love cool nights when I can shut myself up in my room and light a candle. There's something so peaceful and cozy about writing or reading with a soft flame in the background and some kind of delicious scent floating through the air. 

WALKS
Walking is one of my favorite ways to exercise, and I do it the most in the fall. I don't really like being outside when it's hot, so when cooler temperatures hit I try to spend lots of time enjoying it. 

My driveway is really long and a good part of it is surrounded by trees. I love walking in cool weather (bonus if the trees are all ablaze with autumn colors), wearing a comfy jacket or hoodie, with some good music playing in my ears. (Let's be honest, it's probably Red.)

Enjoy this unrelated GIF of a puppy aggressively playing with a pumpkin.

I realized as I was writing this that it totally sounds like an advertisement for fall. Oh well. :P

So anyway, there you have it! I think fall truly is one of the most creative, productive times of year for me, and these are just a few things that help me to get in that mood. 

So what are your favorite things about fall? Or if you don't care for fall, what are some things that get you in a productive mood?

It's Like in the Great Stories

 I knew I wanted a really special blog title.

 From the time I decided I might want to start a blog, I knew I couldn't until I had a suitable name for it. Not just a good name, but a special one. One that spoke to me and would hopefully speak to others, too. One that-- well, one that mattered.

 If you know me well you know that I love Lord of the Rings. What you might not know is that Samwise Gamgee is not only my favorite character in the trilogy, but one of my favorite characters of all time. I won't elaborate on why because I might actually do a blog post about that someday. Instead I'll just talk about something that he said (this is the movie version of his speech, but the book version is just as beautiful):

 “It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something.” 

 In this quote from The Two Towers, Sam honestly speaks about the hardness of life-- the darkness, the danger that makes pressing toward victory so difficult. Yet he remains positive (bless his dear little hobbit heart), because he knows that light will overcome darkness. He challenges Frodo (and all of us) to keep fighting for the light.

 Why did the stories he spoke of really matter? Because they meant something. They were raw and honest and didn't sugarcoat the fight of life. Most importantly, they told of people who didn't give up, who pressed on and kept the faith even in their darkest hours.

 Why did I choose this as my blog title? It reminds us of strength, faith, victory, and hope. It reminds me that I want to make my stories, my work, my character, my life matter.

 What will I be posting on this blog? Well, its main purpose is writing and books, since I'm a writer and those were the kind of blogs that inspired me to start my own. But that's not the only thing I'll write about here. You might see me talk about music, movies, faith, or really random things sometimes. Long story short? The things that matter to me. The things that inspire or encourage me personally and hopefully will do the same for you. I chose today for my first post, but my regular posting day will be Thursdays.

 Thank you all for joining me on this journey. May the words you read here remind you of the wise words of Samwise Gamgee and encourage you to remember the things that really matter.