Welcome to Autumn, my friends. I know some of you are absolutely thrilled and more than happy to bid summer adieu. I get it. After weeks of 90+ degree temperatures I’m not sorry to start enjoying cooler temperatures, especially at night. I’ve been enjoying stargazing again now that the evenings are pleasant. But if you’ve been around here for awhile you likely know I approach fall with mixed feelings.
When the angle of light begins to noticeably change and the first dry leaves flutter from the trees I feel a bit of sadness deep in my soul. Winter isn’t kind to someone like me who needs a lot of sunlight. But try as I might, I’ve been utterly unable to stop the progression of seasons. Since I can’t change the seasons I must settle for changing my mindset. I’ve been making a list of what I’m calling “The Gifts of Autumn” and thought I’d share them with you.
The Gifts of Autumn
- Cooler weather: As I mentioned above, it’s much nicer to sit outside and enjoy the stars when temperatures are in the 70s rather than 90s. It will soon be cool enough for me to enjoy afternoon teatime on the porch, as well. I plan to make the most of these activities before it gets too cold.
- Soup and comfort foods: I’m not opposed to making soup in the summer but it especially hits the spot when it starts to get a bit chilly. I also enjoy a nice roast or big pot of chili during fall.
- Puzzles and games: My family thinks it’s amusing but I refer to autumn as “puzzle weather”. I purchased a nice, folding game table last year so we now have a perfect place to keep a puzzle going or play a game. One of my newly instituted Evening Leisure theme nights is game or puzzle night. On Thursday nights, if we don’t have to go anywhere, we’ll be playing a board game or cards, or working on a puzzle.
- Rainy days spent reading: Is there anything better than curling up with a cup of tea and a good book on a rainy afternoon?
- My cozy home: Honestly, while I do love and appreciate my home, it doesn’t have enough windows and natural light for my preference. I’d love to live in a house overlooking a beach with sunlight streaming in through lots of big windows. However, as summer wanes I am reminded of how perfect my house is for fall and winter. What seemed too dark in the summer feels very warm and cozy on a dark and chilly day.
- Scarves: I am not a fan of sweaters, layers and socks (I much prefer a maxi dress or skirt and sandals) but I DO love scarves.
- Fall leaves: We live in the midst of the woods and some years the fall color is breathtaking. One of my goals this fall is to see the Talimena Drive at peak fall color. I was looking at our calendar this morning trying to see when we might squeeze in a little day (or two) trip.
- New routines: Fall always feels like a new start, likely because of all those years of starting a new school year. It’s a good time to review goals set back in January and adjust daily routines to suit a new season.
- Slower pace: I know this isn’t true for everyone. If you’ve got kids in sports and other activities, this is likely a very busy time for you. But for us, our outdoor live music season is drawing to a close and that means more free time on nights and weekends. After a very busy several months, that is a welcome gift for an introvert like myself.
- Time to reflect: Finally, autumn seems the perfect time for some deep reflection. While summer’s mood is carefree and joyful, autumn brings us back to ourselves. If your journal has been neglected in favor of fun and frolic these past few months, pull it out and begin putting pen to paper again. You never know what you’ll discover when you slow down and listen to your soul.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you an unabashed autumn-lover or do you share my bittersweet feelings about the season? What are your favorite “gifts of Autumn”?
A Few Previous Autumn posts:
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice ~ 10 Ways to Embrace Autumn
Autumn Turns My Heart Toward Home
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More About Fall:
The Undeniable Significance of Fall
The first day of fall is here. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know.
That’s a great list of gifts, and I’d have to agree with most of them. Especially the rainy days reading, but also the cooler temperatures and slower pace ones… Both of those suit me better. The heat and faster pace that Summer usually means these days, with all the events happening, etc, are something I’m glad to see the end of. It’s not that I don’t like them; some of the events are fun, and I even go to some of them at times. But I love when Autumn comes, and the tourist season starts to wind down, so it’s mainly the locals out on the beach, and you have room to breathe and enjoy it, without crowds of people everywhere. In my opinion, though the beach is certainly a nice place to be all year round, Autumn and Spring are the best times to enjoy it, especially if you just want to be walking the dog there, because it’s not so crowded, and you can actually enjoy it best. It’s a bit cold to linger there too long in Winter as a rule, but Autumn and Spring is cool enough to be out there, but not too cold to be happy to linger, and take your time enjoying it.