Seasons
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Summer hasn’t left yet …
“Summer nearly does me in every year. It’s too hot and the light is unforgiving and the days go on way too long.” ~Anne Lamott, humorist and author We tend to think of Labor Day as the end of summer — but the season isn’t officially over until the autumnal equinox, which falls this year on September 22. So let’s not rush things. Grab a cold beverage and head for your front porch or patio. Invite summer to stay a while longer. And while you’re at it, make plans to savor every fair-weather activity you can fit on your calendar for the next couple of weeks. An Oakland Press feature…
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September and transitions
“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” – William Bridges September is a month of transitions. A new school year begins; summer activities wind down. As the light changes and temperatures drop, we prepare our homes and gardens for winter. We begin to stock the pantry with everything we need for cool-weather comfort recipes. In one of my workshops, a woman remarked about the bittersweet aspects of autumn. She feels a little sad when fall comes, she said, despite the colorful beauty of the season. I knew exactly what she meant. A reminder of our own aging, late September prepares us for the changes…
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Welcome, April!
“It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.” ~Max Eastman Happy April Fool’s Day! Though I don’t have any pranks or jokes today, my mood always lifts as soon as I flip the wall calendar to April 1st. The sound of the word “April” works like an antidepressant. Mother Nature might have a few tricks up her sleeve, but no matter what the weather brings in the next couple of weeks, my sense of optimism tells me that winter is behind us. I’m thinking about my garden again, making plans, feeling hopeful. Happy weekend to all! ~CL
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Winter Solstice
“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.” ~Margaret Atwood Today, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice. The Farmer’s Almanac describes it as “the astronomical moment when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, and we have our shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.” No matter where you live, the solstice marks the official start of winter. While it seems counterintuitive, the longest night of the year also holds a glimmer of hope: Each day afterward will be…
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Savoring the last of summer
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ~John Lubbock My birthday is always a bittersweet day for me. By the time August rolls around, it feels as if summer is nearly over — and I’m reminded of how quickly our seasons change. Garden blooms are starting to fade. Back-to-school promotions and Halloween displays are haunting the stores again. And I’m already booked for fall writing workshops. (Watch for announcements here soon.) But not so fast, please. Let’s…
