It’s lovely outside today, or that is, it looks like it. 52 degrees, mostly cloudy, high of 58. We are planning to go for a hike and perhaps do some yardwork (I think yes, but even though rain is not predicted I still wonder if it might rain.)

This week went by quickly. It had some good, some bad. I had to miss my Friday morning class because I wasn’t feeling well and had been up a lot the night before. I rarely miss last minute, so while I felt bad for it, I also knew I needed to stay home longer. I was feeling better by Friday evening, thankfully, as I had to perform on a concert at Wash U. It was just one piece with flute and piano, and we did well.

Yesterday was a busy day of gigs! Two weddings plus a church service (yes, on a Saturday.) I had been hoping to observe the partial eclipse but we had an overcast day and had no luck with that. It was fun to see pictures of the eclipse from friends and family in Arizona.

I have several students doing the Arch Cup today, so we’ve been working hard getting ready for that. They will be awesome I’m sure! (They have to play a piece from memory for a judge and receive a score based on their performance and get comments on what they did well and what they can improve upon.) Three weeks from today is our fall recital so that will be the focus going forward. I feel like my students are doing well this fall and so far I am doing well with pacing and making sure they are learning the skills they should be learning. Hopefully we can keep it up!

I’m making a casserole for a friend later (to drop off for her tomorrow) and doing laundry. This house is somehow easier to stay on top of, maybe it’s the fact that there is actually space for our things, or having a fresh start, or whatever, but I don’t have those feelings of constantly needing to declutter that I did in the old house.

Okay, truthfully it may also be because we did so much decluttering: we didn’t fill this house with a bunch of stuff we didn’t want! Also there is way more storage, which is great. But basically it stays clean and neat enough with much less effort, which is calming and makes me feel so lucky to live here.

I honestly sometimes just wake up and go, wow, I love my house, and start thinking of that song from the Sound of Music about how somewhere in my youth of childhood I must have done something good. I realize that’s not about a house, but is about love, but technically the two go hand in hand for me, and I want to remember how lucky I am. I think it’s easy to forget and start to take too much for granted, and I don’t want to do that.

This week is easier than some. It’s the end of the grading period at my school job, so we have off Friday and then the following Monday. So while I’ll have to do grades, I’ll have those two mornings off (well, the early morning). And then Friday is my niece’s birthday and also Louie’s mom’s birthday, so we are going out to dinner. Unfortunately my niece lives in Arizona, so I can’t celebrate with her, but I sent some books as a gift which she will hopefully enjoy.

What’s going on in your world? Are you getting fall weather finally as well?