In The Pipeline: September

This time of year always feels more like New Year’s to me than January 1st.

I think it has to do with how many new beginnings happen around the end of August and beginning of September.

We’ve had a lot of those in the last month.

I dropped Cole off at a camp in the Highlands where he is spending a Gap Year.

Mary Polly turned 16.

(We made chicken pot pie and my Grandmother’s chocolate cake. And I made her a special sweet sixteen playlist that we’ve been listening to all month.)

We soaked up the last of the long summer days at the beach.

Taido is back from a month in Germany doing language study.

The school year has started.

We will wave goodbye to the last of our summer visitors this weekend.

I’m turning my heart towards a new year, a new season and a return to daily writing.

Every time I wonder where we will be a year from now, I remind myself that I could never have envisioned our move to Scotland the year before it occurred.

My theme verse at the minute is Ephesians 3:20:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

I’m praying this verse for our family.

And for our world.

Which brings me to…

A Few Links

I cannot stop reading/watching the coverage of the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Anne’s letter to Ayran is the most beautiful thing I’ve read on the internet this week. But also her post on ways to help is helpful. There are so many sad stories, but I love the ones full of hope. And light.

Also, Sarabeth reminded me that from pain comes great beauty, but the process is rough.

And a few slightly less heavy links…

A precious friend of mine has started a podcast for mamas + creatives, and I was super honored to be one of her first guests. She’s got a good thing going. Check it: Hear Motherhood podcast.

Also I’ve started listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Magic Lessons (Thanks Sarabeth for the rec!) and I love, love, loved reading her “secrets to success” in this Good Housekeeping article.

I wandered into The Red Door Gallery this month with my friend, Kelly and was delighted to discover they have a website, because we wanted to take everything in the store home with us. Especially this print. And my boys need this one!

I’ve loved reading Satu’s adventures in the Faroe Islands. (I didn’t even know where that was!)

I can’t stop listening to this pop song. The line “It’s been two years and I miss my home…” Gets me every time.

If you pre-order Andrew Peterson’s new album, you get downloads of the first three songs, two of which made me cry.

Currently reading: Brene Brown’s Rising Strong, Frances Thompsons’s novella The Wait and Rachel Joyce’s haunting novel, Perfect.

That’s it for now friends. I am sharing a fun story on Monday about a day that turned out not at all as I had planned (big surprise there!).

Until then, I hope you have a weekend full of lovely!

XO

Alison

PS. I spent most of August writing about the Camino de Santiago on this blog, a journey I’m still super grateful for!