For a belated Mother's Day present, I took the saint's mother to Molbak's a few days ago.  It was the perfect brisk, sunny Autumn day.

Molbak's is the most amazing nursery/home and garden store.  It's not only MASSIVE, but it has a garden cafe in the center that breaks up the day of shopping quite nicely with a great sandwich and glass of Sav Blanc...and is pretty much guaranteed that if you come to visit, we'll be headed to Woodinville for a day there.

In the four hours we spent wandering around looking at indoor and outdoor plants, I felt the most immensely euphoric peace.  Save the peak of tall mountains (which I can only imagine, since I am not a hiker), I do not think it's possible to breath so deeply than while at Molbak's.  Truly, I feel as though my soul escaped my bod so it could go dancing in the azaleas, climbing the Japanese maples, hiding in the bamboo, staring at the bonsai, drinking in the color of the wandering jews...

And that's just the INDOOR section!

Then we headed out...

I've so been enjoying this month of mail so far.  A few lovely ladies have joined our collective to write mail, and I am so glad for the company.  I cannot encourage snail mail enough.  The intentionality of it, the intimacy of it, the pleasure of writing and receiving...there is really nothing like it.

Grab a postcard,

Jot a thought.

Seal it with a kiss

(After you apply red lipstick, bien sur)

grab your scarf.

Walk out to your post box

and SEND.

I woke one morning this week and rather suddenly felt adjusted to this country life.  I no longer pine daily for Seattle or the pitter-patter of smoking pedestrians in skinny jeans.  I miss my old life, but graduatlly, I feel my colors changing.

Though my feet are cold and wet, my leaved face is brilliant from the nostalgic heat of summer.

You may be curious...what DOES Candace do all day?  Well, around here, we are reading, shooting photographs, cooking EVERY.SINGLE.MEAL (hell, I'm even making my own coffee...how bumpkin is that?! ), sleeping more, listeing to our thoughts, taking country drives, falling into occasional existential crisis, taking hot baths, playing games, seeing friends more, and stopping each other in the kitchen to steal a smooch.  I am writing, scouring craigslist, writing letters, planting succulents, seeing my family more,  and getting damn good at building my own fires.  It's not a bad life, not a bad life at all.

During the saint's lunch breaks, we've been trying to get out and stretch our legs.    Sadly, Missy Octavia cannot accompany us on these walks....

(just to add insult to injury, this trail is exactly 20 steps from our front door).

{I got a new lipstick, and I thought that instead of being disappointed that no one would actually see how fabulous it was, I would show it off to the trees instead.  They swooned.}

Oh my, it's a glorious Sunday here at Booklings Manor.  The saint is making all kinds of man-sounds out in the yard with various heavy machinery and I am peaking at him through the window above my writing desk.



We got an extra hour of sleep (which we needed in order to recover from our bourbon pumpkin pie eating, (with homemade crust by yours truly!!) pumpkin stein making, and late night viewing of Hitchcock's The Birds (what did YOU do?)) and decided to saunter into town for a breakfast bite.  Coffee, tea, two griddle cakes, bacon, and eggs later, we returned home just in time to catch the most brilliant sunshine.  Truly, I am wasting this remarkable light and should be outside with my camera capturing this fall set aflame...but there is more day to be had.  I think I'll ask the saint to take a fall drive with me on our way to his parent's house for our regular Sunday relaxationation.  Wanna come?!

Today marks the beginning of November's 12 month challenge, the month of mail.  I am happy to say that I have just finished writing my first postcard and will be placing it in the mail on my morning walk tomorrow.   There is still time to join up if you think you'd like to participate in the challenge.  Shoot me an email!

Well I am off to busy myself about the day with a glad heart.  I will be detailing my car, enjoying my family, paying my rent, making the menu for the week, and playing with my camera.  Happy Sunday!