Seasonally Speaking
A large sun-craving, leg-shaving, short-donning, daylight-loving part of me wants to pretend this particular smell and flavor of the wind is not the precursor to Autumn.
A smaller, curious, anticipatory part of me in intrigued by a transition in the seasons I have yet to experience. We moved up here last September and within weeks it simply felt like winter had come. I know better now. My body and psyche have acclimated at least enough to know the chill of October is indeed mild when contrasted to the cold burn of January.
The thrill and long pent-up release of trees budding and flowers blooming that was the cold rainy Spring was new and delicious for me. This shift to shorter days and preparing for cold most definately harbors a heavy sadness and acknowledgement of the loss that is soon to come...yet it is delicious, too, in a way. The nourishing bounty of the harvest season, laden with fresh wild blackberries, brightly hued squash and crunchy plump apples is arousing to the senses. I envision scarves and tights under skirts and an excuse to adorn myself in new clothing and accessories.
This will be my first Fall that I truly recognize and embrace and record. Last year's Autumn was vague and foreign and, yes, too cold for me to see it for what it was: the necessary opportunity to gather the resources required for the very long, very cold, very very dark winter ahead. Every other Autumn in my life has been warm and welcoming, mild and sunny, merely the time of year for holidays: my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving. This year there will be a backdrop of colorful substance to enhance the normal seasonal activities.
A smaller, curious, anticipatory part of me in intrigued by a transition in the seasons I have yet to experience. We moved up here last September and within weeks it simply felt like winter had come. I know better now. My body and psyche have acclimated at least enough to know the chill of October is indeed mild when contrasted to the cold burn of January.
The thrill and long pent-up release of trees budding and flowers blooming that was the cold rainy Spring was new and delicious for me. This shift to shorter days and preparing for cold most definately harbors a heavy sadness and acknowledgement of the loss that is soon to come...yet it is delicious, too, in a way. The nourishing bounty of the harvest season, laden with fresh wild blackberries, brightly hued squash and crunchy plump apples is arousing to the senses. I envision scarves and tights under skirts and an excuse to adorn myself in new clothing and accessories.
This will be my first Fall that I truly recognize and embrace and record. Last year's Autumn was vague and foreign and, yes, too cold for me to see it for what it was: the necessary opportunity to gather the resources required for the very long, very cold, very very dark winter ahead. Every other Autumn in my life has been warm and welcoming, mild and sunny, merely the time of year for holidays: my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving. This year there will be a backdrop of colorful substance to enhance the normal seasonal activities.