what purpose is less important than the attitude you have on a daily basis about the meaning of your existence. Getting the optimum out of life is a thought process more than a physical one. I actually look forward to each new season for what it may bring. It is the way I keep my life glued together sensibly. I am not sure that I would want to be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays swimming at the beach, although I have done it on occasion in Florida. I get a lot of strange looks from people who seem to think that a warmer climate is the answer to their woes. Well, it might work for them, and who am I to answer for someone else? Retirees begin to anticipate the first snowflake in September, and hightail it south faster than a jackrabbit on the run from a predator. There is a sacred flow of rhythm to a year. I find myself immersing in each cycle and embracing what my
body and soul receive. When I feel activity coming on, I go with it. Cooler temperatures make me more active, and I walk for miles at all times of the day, releasing thoughts cluttering my head. It never fails, though, that when I return to the house, I will have the beginning of an article written that will go directly to paper. I am excited getting an e-mail notice alerting me that my bulb order will be arriving early next week. It is fall planting time, and the garden soon will be chock full of new daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. From the dining room window I will be able to look out at them sleeping in the ground, and imagine the elegance of their show in the springtime. Their beauty will come up after a long winter’s dreariness, and I will be grateful that I got them started in the fall in an all-new area in the yard that pays tribute to my sister, a lover of colorful flowers and plants during her lifetime.
Pumpkins surround my entry way and they are sparkling with dew running off their faces in the early hours of the morning. Leaves upon leaves drift down, all to be blown away, and I wonder if their descent will ever end before my energy runs out. That’s when I remind myself that raking is a perfect fitness exercise, and worth accomplishing in fresh air. All things natural wither and die. The spectacular display of fall foliage and a celebration of the harvest is a finalizing of the season. There is one special dinner serving local produce on handmade pottery designed for the occasion that I attend every year. Two ceramic artists make it an event with the help of nearby restaurants. I am fortunate enough to live in a safe place, and I can take deep breathes in peace and contentment. For all my worldly travels, I am drawn back home not wanting to miss the orchestrated canvas of color in the fall.
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