The Test
I feel that the test is coming.
The past couple of weeks in yoga, our instructor has been reminding us that fall is a season of change that we might feel in our bodies, our hearts, our minds, our souls. We may be experiencing a sense of disequilibrium as the days shorten, temperatures fall, and we can see through the trees to branches rapidly becoming bare.
Right now in the upper Midwest, fall color is peaking. Earlier sunsets are often sky filled blazes of wide swatches of pinks, purples, oranges. In that respect, it makes it easier for me to accept the falling temperatures, the constant chill in the air that both intuitively and intellectually I know will only grow deeper and more intense over the coming months.
You all know that I am a warm weather girl, truly the warmer, the better. I park my car in the sunshine year round, never in the shade (I mean, come on, why?). My gravity chair has a place of honor in the sunniest spot in the backyard, always beckoning me to come sit, come read. It is a difficult day when I bid farewell to the chair and put it to its late autumn, winter and spring rest in the storage garage.
The Twin Cities experienced what was, for us, a mild winter last year. Temperatures predominantly remained in the twenties and we had very little snow, which I personally measure by how many times the spousal unit shovels the driveway, a task he claims to enjoy. I do not shovel. Under duress I will but I don't enjoy it because in short order, even bundled up in a down coat, gloves tucked into mittens hat, fur lined boots, two pairs of socks, I get cold. Down to the tips of my fingers and toes. I have been like this for as long as I can remember. I never enjoyed the skating rink at the park because I was freezing before we finished walking the 6 blocks to the park. (Back then we wore multiple pairs of socks and covered out feet with plastic bread bags for waterproof protection.) Sledding, same thing. As soon as we arrived at the park, I wanted to go home. Too cold.
So when I retired, I managed to make it through what remained of winter, buoyed by the carrot of spending April in Florida. Which was when my summer basically began. Granted, May wasn't very warm but when the temperatures dipped, you could rest assured it was temporary. Trees budded, flowers poked their heads through the warming soil, grass turned green. Life was good.
Now it's going in the opposite direction and I have a feeling this is going to test me.
While the weather was nice, I organized my day to be outside. Walk. Garden. Read. Vacation. Play. Take the grands to the park or the lake or to any of the myriad outdoor activities here in the Twin Cities. Repeat.
As autumn settles in, these are dropping off--slowly, because we are having a blessedly mild fall. But even on sunny days, it's less appealing to sit in the gravity chair because the wind has made significant shifts from warm to chilly to cool going on cold. I've added a blanket to the bed. The furnace is on. The fireplace crackles. Spicy scents waft from the candles. The fall decorations replaced the flip flops. Appealing? Yes if only the inevitable didn't follow.
I don't think I have SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder) but I feel SO MUCH BETTER when I'm sitting in the sunshine without multiple layers that you better not take off if you don't want to get frostbitten, that I'm beginning to wonder.
So this will be the test. When the weather dives, will I dive with it?
I'm thinking not because I am taking pretty good care of myself, physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally but it remains to be seen.
Cooking: Let's be honest. I haven't dipped into the recipe box for something new in a while. Yesterday I put a pot roast in the crock pot with carrots from the garden, served it up with mashed potatoes and green beans. I told you I was taking care of myself--comfort food.
The past couple of weeks in yoga, our instructor has been reminding us that fall is a season of change that we might feel in our bodies, our hearts, our minds, our souls. We may be experiencing a sense of disequilibrium as the days shorten, temperatures fall, and we can see through the trees to branches rapidly becoming bare.
Right now in the upper Midwest, fall color is peaking. Earlier sunsets are often sky filled blazes of wide swatches of pinks, purples, oranges. In that respect, it makes it easier for me to accept the falling temperatures, the constant chill in the air that both intuitively and intellectually I know will only grow deeper and more intense over the coming months.
You all know that I am a warm weather girl, truly the warmer, the better. I park my car in the sunshine year round, never in the shade (I mean, come on, why?). My gravity chair has a place of honor in the sunniest spot in the backyard, always beckoning me to come sit, come read. It is a difficult day when I bid farewell to the chair and put it to its late autumn, winter and spring rest in the storage garage.
The Twin Cities experienced what was, for us, a mild winter last year. Temperatures predominantly remained in the twenties and we had very little snow, which I personally measure by how many times the spousal unit shovels the driveway, a task he claims to enjoy. I do not shovel. Under duress I will but I don't enjoy it because in short order, even bundled up in a down coat, gloves tucked into mittens hat, fur lined boots, two pairs of socks, I get cold. Down to the tips of my fingers and toes. I have been like this for as long as I can remember. I never enjoyed the skating rink at the park because I was freezing before we finished walking the 6 blocks to the park. (Back then we wore multiple pairs of socks and covered out feet with plastic bread bags for waterproof protection.) Sledding, same thing. As soon as we arrived at the park, I wanted to go home. Too cold.
So when I retired, I managed to make it through what remained of winter, buoyed by the carrot of spending April in Florida. Which was when my summer basically began. Granted, May wasn't very warm but when the temperatures dipped, you could rest assured it was temporary. Trees budded, flowers poked their heads through the warming soil, grass turned green. Life was good.
Now it's going in the opposite direction and I have a feeling this is going to test me.
While the weather was nice, I organized my day to be outside. Walk. Garden. Read. Vacation. Play. Take the grands to the park or the lake or to any of the myriad outdoor activities here in the Twin Cities. Repeat.
As autumn settles in, these are dropping off--slowly, because we are having a blessedly mild fall. But even on sunny days, it's less appealing to sit in the gravity chair because the wind has made significant shifts from warm to chilly to cool going on cold. I've added a blanket to the bed. The furnace is on. The fireplace crackles. Spicy scents waft from the candles. The fall decorations replaced the flip flops. Appealing? Yes if only the inevitable didn't follow.
I don't think I have SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder) but I feel SO MUCH BETTER when I'm sitting in the sunshine without multiple layers that you better not take off if you don't want to get frostbitten, that I'm beginning to wonder.
So this will be the test. When the weather dives, will I dive with it?
I'm thinking not because I am taking pretty good care of myself, physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally but it remains to be seen.
Cooking: Let's be honest. I haven't dipped into the recipe box for something new in a while. Yesterday I put a pot roast in the crock pot with carrots from the garden, served it up with mashed potatoes and green beans. I told you I was taking care of myself--comfort food.
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