October Favorites

I woke up this morning absolutely positive that it was Halloween, excited to cozy up this evening to gory horror films and tea. 

Alas, it appears that I am a day ahead of everyone. For that reason, I am writing my October favorites just a few days early this month. I'm practically bed-bound anyway so not sure what else could really happen within the next 48 hours to make the cut. 

I have severely injured my lower back and have been going to regular appointments with a physiotherapist to get some out of place joints sorted out. 

The therapist is concerned that I may have a slipped disc too due to some signs such as how I find more relief lying on my stomach that I do flat on my back and also the pain I feel every time I laugh, cough or sneeze. 

It has been about a week since I got hurt and slowly I'm weening myself off of the pain killers and can nearly walk without a limp. 

I really have been in the wars this month actually... not only have I started walking like an 80 year old, I have also experienced what it feels like to have a hillbilly's mouth thanks for getting my front tooth chipped. I got knocked in the mouth earlier this month and after a substantial amount of pain, I got it all repaired.

I guess I've been on a bit of a bender lately... stumbling home at about 4-5am on most nights. It's all innocent fun at the end of the day and I am just acting my age. I had taken on the life of a thirty year old far before my time and it has felt good to just let loose and experience my lost youth; and of course I can't deny I have been drinking away a lot of pain from my battered heart, but I'm not getting into that.

There aren't too many pictures at all this month. 

In all honesty, I'm not too sure what has happened to me. I used to be the creative enthusiast with a camera constantly slung around her neck. I was the snap-happy tourist in even my own town... yet the other night I decided to take a walk along the shoreline, the moon was bright and full and the stars polka-dotted the sky with their incandescent glow. 

A good friend of mine, Brendon, accompanied me on my walk and he piped up that it was disappointing that you could not capture that eerie appeal of the moonlights reflection blanketed across the silky, ever-moving waves. 

In response, I whispered that 'some things just aren't meant to be captured, only experienced,' and he gave me a smile of complete gratitude for my answer.

Perhaps that is why I have stopped grabbing my camera at every new scene in my life. Perhaps I was so busy trying to entrap that moment into a frame that I never had a chance to really live in that moment. 

Another thing I have noticed is that when someone takes a picture of me, I suddenly couldn't care less about the outcome. To this day, if someone has their photo taken (guy or girl), as soon as the flash erupts, the person goes flying towards the photographer in order to see if it was good enough, of their appearance, of the angle... of everything. People get so caught up in capturing the perfect moment that they forget to live in the perfect moment! So much so that so many perfectly imperfect moments are lost to us. 

That being said, here are the few that I just could not resist:

 

 

My brother and I enjoyed a nice family feast of spaghetti bolognaise along with my sister-in-law. 

 

Finally hunted down the perfect cross to wear around my neck. 

 

I'm not going to lie, September / October have been extremely stressful months for the likes of my heart... A hot stone massage was definitely a great help.  

I decided to go back to being a brunette. The upkeep was just too much for me. As a surfer, my hair just couldn't handle it. It was insanely pricey to keep doing my roots and lets face it, this looks far more natural. I do really miss the blonde already, but what the heck.. it's just hair at the end of the day.

Taking regular strolls along the shoreline, one of my favorite past times. 

 I found Prince Charming in a local clothing store! Hahahaha....

 This was a good day. Started with Eggs Benedict at East Heads Cafe, then went on to explore an old abandoned mansion and ended with an hour at Coney Glenn, taking in the beautiful town that we are lucky enough to reside in.

And last but not least, my favorite song of the month or probably more like the year. Not only is the melody absolutely stunning, the lyrics are also just so raw and real and true - I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons, enjoy it ya'll:

And I came home
Like a stone
And I fell heavy into your arms
These days of darkness
Which we've known
Will blow away with this new sun

And I'll kneel down
Wait for now
And I'll kneel down
Know my ground

And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

So break my step
And relent
You forgave and I won't forget
Know what we've seen
And him with less
Now in some way
Shake the excess

But I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

So I'll be bold
As well as strong
And use my head alongside my heart
So tame my flesh
And fix my eyes
That tethered mind free from the lies

But I'll kneel down
Wait for now
I'll kneel down
Know my ground

Raise my hands
Paint my spirit gold
And bow my head
Keep my heart slow

Cause I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

xxxx