The days are passing so fast. Life is stressful. Our money doesn’t go very far at the grocery store or gas pump anymore. And our health suffers as we push, and stress, and try to get it all done. We don’t take time to stop and enjoy life anymore.

We went to the beach at the first of October with family. We walked on the beach. Examined shells and collected many. We played games, worked puzzles, went thrift shopping, cooked at the house we were staying in. And it was all so much fun. I wanted to bring some of that back with me. Why don’t we take the time to do these kind of things when we are not on vacation?

I found someone’s handmade pottery at a thrift store at the beach. It was perfect to store all the shells I picked up from the ocean. I set it on the coffee table so the grandchildren and myself can look at them and think about all that God has created in the seas.

I thrifted a pot at the same store and planted sweet basil in it today for winter seasonings for soups.

We played Trivial Pursuit Junior with two of our grandchildren this week. They were pretty good. The oldest, at almost ten, was good at using logic to figure out the answers when he wasn’t sure.

I’m going to keep this puzzle out for some indoor fun to draw the grandchildren in when they come.

I pulled out my yogurt maker. I haven’t used it in years, but decided to put it to good use and make healthy yogurt without all the sugar. I also used oat milk, so we’ll see how it sets.

Cold weather is coming. I had a huge volunteer tomato plant grow in my front flower bed. It came from a plant I planted year before last. That just shows how amazing God has made everything to stay dormant and then grow in its time.

You can see the small pot I had brought was no where near the size it needed to be to hold this huge tap root. I did find another bigger empty pot for it.

I’ll winter it over in this small hobby greenhouse, I’ve had for years.

And now, it’s time for reading. There is nothing better than enjoying your work and play and then resting in the evenings with a good book.

And if you want to learn to slow down, enjoy simple pleasures in God’s creation, eat good food you’ve cooked from scratch, there is no better people to learn from than the French.

I think my daughter and I read this book at least once a year… just to remind ourselves to slow down, enjoy life, and not take everything so seriously.

So— what are you enjoying these days? Have you found ways to slow down and enjoy life more? Please comment below. We would all enjoy hearing what you are doing. We may want to copy your ideas:)