October 3, 2022 | Julie A. Wallace

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was September?

September’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and September’s card was Metamorphosis suggesting that there may be some loss. As a result of that loss, though, I will love who I become. The card said, “even with temporary discomfort, beauty is revealed.”

Sitting here the evening before this post goes live, I’m not sure what the loss or discomfort was in my September. There was finishing up the first draft of a novel, meditating with friends, a craniosacral massage, a book sale, and a good visit to the dentist, too.

One Friday afternoon there was a work party at a nearby park; it’s the first time we’ve all been in one place since before the pandemic nonsense.

I was also on Jury Duty in September; my main responsibility was calling into a phone to see if I needed to appear at the courthouse for anything. And the only thing I physically did have to do was show up for a training on how to be a good juror.

I got my hair cut and colored; it’s now the natural dark brown and sparkly white plus purple, blue, and green. Think a purple teal party and that’s what the top of my head looks like. I even thrifted a pretty fuchsia blazer from the 80’s that -when worn in combination with a blue scarf- got multiple compliments. All that color!

My HelloFresh deliveries continued as did the weekly CSA pickups. The CSA is ending for the season in a couple of weeks, so most likely I’ll increase the number of meals I get in HelloFresh. It’s become an indispensable part of my life now.

See, no loss? Only warm sunny days.

Still, September is the 9th month of the year. It’s the month people return to the school year routine, and the air is definitely crisper hear in central Michigan. I finished bringing in house plants for the winter; they’re always sad to have to come into the house – most would rather be outside, except they’d all die if left outside over the harsh winters. Loss of summer and warmth, perhaps?

The 9 of September has a finality to it, an ending before October. That’s 10th month, the 1 and the 0 combining to create a new level. So I suppose things did ‘close’ or come to an end in September. October is always when I start thinking about the next twelve months.

In fact, the Mission 2022 emerged last year about this time. So you’d better believe I’m already thinking about next year. And I believe I’m gonna need another mission: this was fun, and gave me a sense of purpose.

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

Definitely didn’t happen in the month of September. But it did other months because I finished the first draft of a novel!

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Welp, that didn’t happen in September. But at least there was September’s Mission post!

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In September I used my Linux machine most of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media.

Have Fun

You did read the summary of things I did in September, right? It was a good month for fun 🙂

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel.

I turned the first draft of my novel into The Write Practice over Labor Day weekend. As a reward, I’m going on a writing retreat in October.

Big Secret Goal #2: Backyard Landscaping

This goal is done and dusted! Check out the big secret goal reveal that goes into a lot more detail about what was completed in the back yard this year.

PSST: I added two Asian pear trees and one dwarf mulberry to the back yard.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve read:

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. Not her usual sci-fi, but darned good writing. Who knew stones were gods and could talk?
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Even though the main character was more of a Harry Potter (err, Simon Snow) fan, it gave me all the feels given the re-emergence of the BCR into my life.
Super Host by Kate Russo. I technically started this in September and finished it on October 1, but anyhow…close enough. Good character study of one man’s journey to finding his way in midlife.

I’m at 30 out of 50 books this year. That tells me working full time and putting hours into writing a novel every night seriously impacted my ability to read and read and read.

I have 20 more books to read to conquer this challenge… That’s 6-7 books a month in the next three months and (at least until snow flies and temps make it unbearable to be outside) I’m not sure I’m gonna make it. Thank goodness there was a library book sale and I bought all the books!

A Spell Is Broken

Going to the 45th Anniversary Celebration of Bay City Roller Day in Bay City, Michigan has me thinking of circles and cycles – endings and -by the same token- beginnings. By attending that event in August, I feel like a spell has been broken.

I feel like I spent forty-five years trying to be “cool” and forget that I ever liked that “uncool” band the Bay City Rollers. I was under a spell cast by society, cast by the pop culture that was unavoidable in my formative years.

Cool is now a state of mind for me, a way of being. If I want to bop to the Rollers I darn well can. In other places and times in this life that would have been (or would have felt) downright impossible.

Feel is everything to me. I feel like I’ve closed a loop and re-united a piece of myself that I tucked away in a dusty corner of a very deep closet in my soul. And now I can get on with what I want.

Which I’ve always done, of course. But knowledge gained from the experience guides my way. That, and spirit / god / the Universes as my co-pilot means it’s gonna keep getting more fun and interesting. October’s tarot card was “One Ring Circus” so whoa boy, what’s gonna happen?