Today is a new moon, and Saturday is the first of October. The world keeps turning. My passport arrived in the mail. Hopefully, I will hear from my caseworker for my visa appeal sooner than the 14th. Wish me luck! I’d really like to see my husband.
My final post-op doctor’s appointment went well. I’m all healed up! Life can completely return to normal.
October marks the opening of the holiday season in my mother’s house. Halloween decorations go up. It will shift to Christmas on November. Yep, she’s one of those people. Haha! I celebrate October less visually and more aurally. I have an October playlist! Check it out. There are classical pieces, opera, move soundtracks, and a smattering of videos that get me into the spirit of the season. Shadows lengthen, nights grow longer, and I crave good music. Now I’m just waiting for the New Orleans weather to catch up with the time of year.
Here are this month’s suggestions for little ways to enrich your life:
- Reading for Fun: The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. You can find it free (albeit imperfect) online or on Amazon*, and here is a reading on YouTube.
- For a Challenge: Metamorphoses by Ovid. You can find it free online or on Amazon*, and here is a reading on YouTube.
- Artist: John Collier (1850-1934)
- Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov. Here is a sampling of his work.
- Movement: Aerobics. Here is an instructional video on aerobics for beginners by the NHS.
- Game: The Secret of Monkey Island, a point-and-click adventure game by Lucasfilm. You can find it on GOG. A new installment in the franchise just came out this year called Return to Monkey Island. Here is the teaser trailer.
- Snacks: Pomegranate. Here are some nutritional facts about pomegranates. I like the fruit dismantled and unadorned. The taste is similar to grapes, and the bits feel like corn between the teeth.
- Scent: Cinnamon. I love sprinkling it into baked items, on oatmeal, and in my coffee. You can buy it at your local grocery store or find it on Amazon*.
- Meditation: Headspace. Here is a 10-minute mental reset video. I find these videos incredibly relaxing.
- Journaling Theme: Keep a journal, and doodle pumpkins. Wobbly circles with curvy vertical stripes aren’t too touch to draw. This can liven up a journal for people (like me) who find the practice tough to maintain.
Try to incorporate as many of these into your day as possible over the course of October. Keep what you like. Nix what you don’t. By experimenting with these little samples, you just might discover something you love!
*These are Amazon Affiliate links.
Do you decorate or do anything special in October?
Magical Musings 