Here we are, a week before Thanksgiving, and the pace is picking up. The holiday school concerts are on the calendar, there is a Dickens production at the Hangar Theatre my daughter and I might go to, we have concerts and parties planned. I’m thinking about what new recipes I’d like to try for dinners and desserts and have already begun decorating for the season. Advent begins two Sundays from now and I still need to make a wreath or centerpiece and find a new book to read to guide me through the four weeks. But I am continuing to be firm about scheduling white space.

What do I mean by that? Time to think, reflect, pray, write, read and simply be. Time for my inner life–my soul–time to breathe. As modern people, we feel the business crowding out our days and nights. We think we can fit just one more activity or responsibility into our lives and everything will be alright. But just as we need to make time to sleep, prepare and eat healthy food and exercise, we need time for soul care. Time to quiet ourselves, listen for the stirrings in our hearts, examine our lives to see if we are living the life we mean to live and make adjustments if necessary.

“Quietness is the beginning of virtue. To be silent is to be beautiful. Stars do not make a noise.”

–James Stephens

It’s hard to go deep if we are always going. It may seem like a waste of time in our results-driven culture, but it isn’t. Your entire life will benefit from regular reflection and stillness, from rest and quiet.

“I don’t think we spend enough time in reflection and introspection. We don’t know who we are as individuals in this culture anymore.”

–Naomi Judd

You might have to put earbuds in if you live in a noisy place or take a walk into the woods or down the road. Trade with your partner for quiet time if you have small children. Put the kids to bed early like my mom used to do. (There were four of us and we had to be in bed by 7 each night so she had time to herself.)

If you are an extrovert, the idea of regular times like this could seem frightening or at least boring. But I want to leave you with a quote from Henri Nouwen in which he said that deepening your inner life will enrich your relationships with others:

“Solitude is very different from a ‘time-out’ from our busy lives. Solitude is the very ground from which community grows. Whenever we pray alone, study, read, write, or simply spend quiet time away from the places where we interact with each other directly, we are potentially opened for a deeper intimacy with each other.”

–Henri Nouwen

I’m one of those oddballs that doesn’t mind gray weather. I enjoy the rain, fog, and clouds because the landscape is cocooned in mystery and is being nourished from the heavens. Cold weather is alright with me as well. It could be precipitating or all bright golden sun and clear blue sky, but if it is chilly enough to require a hat, coat and gloves, I breathe easy and my soul smiles.

Here in between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, the temperature fluctuates this time of year. We had a nearly 70 degree day last week–warm, humid, sunny and summery. Then on Saturday night, the wind started howling, it turned colder and we had rain and fog through Tuesday.

By Wednesday morning around 7, while waiting for the bus, one of Alan’s boys told me it was only twenty degrees and the mid-day temperature wouldn’t reach more than the lower 40s. It did feel rather chilly. In this drafty, old and large house we keep the space heaters on and the central heating low, especially at night. I pulled a knitted hat on and wore an extra sweater as I boiled water for my coffee and made my daughter a sandwich for her lunch. Because the clocks just went back, we weren’t completely in the dark; the sun was coming up to say hello as we prepared for our day. When my daughter went out to the car ahead of me, I heard a familiar sound: the scraper against the car windows. That’s right! The ground was coated with frost as was my vehicle.

But it’s November, so it’s time for darkness, rain, chill and bluster. It’s time to crunch through the leaves on a dry day and make a pot of soup and curl up by a heat source with a good book when it’s raining. Or even snowing! This is what November in the Finger Lakes is like. We very well could and probably will have a few more mild days. But today I’ll revel in the cool brilliance that the season brings us and not wish myself anywhere but here. I love where I live.

What are your thoughts on the rain, cold, darkness and occasional sunniness of November in the Finger Lake? Or what is it like this time of year where you live?

If you’ve ever tried to rest while at home, for a staycation or just a day off, you know how difficult it is not to get caught up in work of some kind. If the house is cluttered, or dishes or clothes need to be washed, or I think about when was the last time I mopped, it is hard to relax. You actually have to develop a practice of resting. It sounds crazy, but it takes work to rest well. Which is probably why in religious circles where Sabbath is observed, the day before is a time to clean and cook and prepare for the time off. Then when the day comes, it feels so good to spend the time doing nothing or doing what you enjoy.

Some of my favorite things to do:

• Reading
• Hiking 
• Listening to an audiobook (Yes, I know, it’s reading too)
• practice painting with watercolor or acrylics
• playing piano
• writing a song
• writing anything
• napping
• watching a movie       

Do you have a regular rest day? Do you struggle practicing this or do you have a habit of resting? What does a rest day look like to you?