Hello November, Hello.... Winter??

I do love me a gorgeous Autumn. My favorite color is October.

 November rolls around and we think we are just getting into the depths of fall.

The colors have exploded during the month of October and by November have all but exhausted themselves.

 The piles of leaves lining the roadsides and yards proved a thick carpet of colors while the trees are almost bare.

 The sun, while not as hot as it was in August, shines brilliantly. You soak up every minute, relishing these halcyon days of Autumn.  

And just when you think Indian Summer will last forever, it snows. 

It snows?? Yes. It snows. Probably one of the earliest I can recall. It sure looks pretty. But I will miss those perfect Autumn days.

It's Brand New And I'm Tired Of It Already.

Day 3 of a brand new year and I'm already grumpy. I guess it's not the new year that has me grumbling, but rather the season. Winter has only just begun according to the calendar but the cold wet weather has me down, down, down!

I started compiling a list in my head about all the things that complicate this time of year for me.

1. It's cold. 
Cold means finding ways to keep warm.

Our house tends to be drafty and we heat with a wood burning stove.

Bringing in fire wood daily means wood chips sprinkled on the carpet, which means vacuuming WAAAAAY more often than I want. My back does not appreciate this, nor do my shoulders. (Of course the obvious option is to not vacuum again till spring but ignoring the trail of wood fibers just goes against my nature)

Dust is an ongoing issue and it collects in my nasal passage as well as on the furniture. My sinus's do not appreciate this anymore than my back or shoulders do. I should buy stock in Allegra.

2. It's cold
Cold means finding ways to keep warm.

I have to dress in layers this time of year, whether I am staying inside or venturing out.

I have a nice collection of fleece lined leggings that do a great job of keeping me cozy. But... if you wear your leggings under jeans like I do, we are faced with another little issue...known as the Force of Gravity. Ever since the invention of stretch denim this conundrum has existed. Because you know as the day goes on that the stretch part of stretch denim means gravity will eventually win.

I can feel my jeans sliding down my hips ever so slightly, rubbing against the fleece which causes the leggings to begin to slide downward as well. You know what that means right?  Yes....the undies travel with them. Seems I'm stopping every 5 minutes or so to gently tug all things upward... one layer at a time. Not so easy to do in a lady-like fashion when you are out in public. Who am I kidding? There is no lady-like fashion in which to do this.  I found myself waddling precariously through Fred Meyer's the other day, as the crotch of my leggings somehow snaked past the crotch of my jeans and no matter how tight I cinched my belt I could not keep them upright where they belonged. (Try wrestling your panties out of that mess on aisle 9 and see what kinds of looks you get!) (on second thought, DON'T --I'm not sure I can ever shop at the store again)

The other issue with dressing in layers is a word most women shy awake from in the fashion world.

Bulk. 

No, sorry. Not THAT kind of BULK!!

You know what I mean, right? You may have starved yourself through the holidays only to look in the mirror and see a much wider silhouette than you prefer once dressed and while you can blame in on the layers, you just know everyone else is thinking "she packed away a lotta truffles this Christmas."

Or, if you did indulge in every cookie, pie and chocolate goody and are now paying the price by squeezing into your jeans, you find that the added layer of fleecy means the stretchy part of your denim will indeed be getting a work out and when you look in the mirror at that wider silhouette, you know it's not just the layers talking.

Sigh. It's depressing no matter which way you look at it.
But. At least you're warm, right?

3. It's cold.
Cold means finding ways to keep warm.

And what better way to keep warm than to exercise! And what a perfect way to shed those unwanted holiday pounds!

Unfortunately, because it's so dang cold or wet (or both) you need to dress appropriately for the weather. I add extra-extra layers when I am going for a walk. (Of course the sound of the coat zipper triggers something in my brain to send a signal to another part of my body that necessitates some disrobing in order to 'take care of my business' before heading out the door. Dang it!)

And walking, (or waddling in the case of the slippery legging syndrome) does manage to work up a little bit of a sweat so that halfway through my routine, I find myself desperate to shed a layer somewhere. Of course, this isn't likely to happen because when I turn around to head back to home I face a wind that whips through me and the dried on sweat bringing chills. It's hilarious.

4. It's cold.
Cold means finding ways to keep warm

Toddy has it figured out.

Some days, the only logical solution is to make something hot to sip, grab a book and a blanket and pull your chair as close to the fire as possible.

Veg there all day long, ignoring the dust on the furniture and the wood chips sprinkled across the carpet. Get lost in that book, and occasionally gaze into the flames and dream about tropical vacations --or, central heating, take your pick. I'll take central heating... because it's only the 3rd day of the new year and we are barely 3 weeks into winter, and as you can probably tell...I'm tired of it already.

Windsday

Windsday.

Yes, I know I just misspelled it but with the amount of wind swirling around out there, the spelling actually fits quite well.

It's one of those perfect pre-fall days. Sunny, high 60's, warm enough to get away with capris and a t-shirt, but the sun has moved just far enough from us to warrant a sweater for back up. Leaves have begun to depart from the trees, the golden hues of Autumn are starting to appear. The kids are back in school, the Halloween decor is showing up in stores (who am I kidding-- Christmas decor is showing up in stores!!) and Pumpkin Spiced everything is being pushed upon us.

But you know me... it's still summer as far as I'm concerned. Technically it IS summer until September 23rd. And while Autumn is my favorite season I am just not willing to let go of the notion of summer quite yet.

Even if the winds of change are a'blowing.

it's still summer!!!

my calendar still says it's summer.

I know the kids are all back in school and harvest is either over or almost over, and I know the nights are getting chilly and arriving sooner each evening, and morning dawns later and later and I know there are other signs that the next season is slowly coming... but folks, on my calendar? It's still summer!

It's still summer until the first day of fall in my book. And in my book, that day is officially September 22nd. So when I hear people comment about ohmygosh today is so warm and why did i already put the window ac back in storage and we must be having 'indian summer' and this is amazing weather we're having for fall... I just shake my head and sigh. Because it's still summer!!

I don't mean to sound all cranky and anal about things but it's this overall prematurity about a lot of life that irks me. We see it in the media and stores-- christmas stuff is already beginning to creep across the merchandise aisles for pete's sake! I love my seasons and I love the holidays, every last one of 'em but lets not rush things. Can't we enjoy each one until it's done, focusing on the matter at hand and relishing the blessings of it?

I hear this confusion about seasons not just in September but in February when people start lamenting what a cold wet spring we're having, forgetting that it's still officially winter. Spring hasn't sprung till Mid March but every year around the end of February when we get hit with some snow and ice, I hear it. The puzzlement in peoples voices as they exclaim over the strange cold snap we're having when it's supposed to be getting warm. It cracks me up!  I hear it in the early stages of June, when gardeners are itching to get out there in the soil, and the rain wont stop, asking why this summer is so slow in arriving. u-hum..... it's not summer till June 21st.

Lest you think I really am being cranky and anal about this, let me tell you that I think I understand it. At least the spring and summer part. here in the pacific northwest, we, who see so much rain, get a little crazy after months of endless non-sunny days, so we are clamoring for a change. I get it. I'm with ya.  We are a restless people. Impatient for the next thing.

Ah, this brings to mind this verse in the bible:
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37.7

I know all about struggling with patience and wanting the next thing but there are some things we just don't need to rush. Can we just cherish the moment, enjoy what we have, right here, right now? Be in the moment?

So, I'm not packing up my capris or my sleeveless tops just yet. I'm not gonna get out my autumn leaf tablecloth and I'm not buying any candy corn.  I'm not gonna order a pumpkin spice latte either. Nope. Not till the first day of fall. and you know why....

yup. because it's STILL SUMMER!!!