Farewell, My Friend

In three weeks fall will arrive, and that's the season I dislike most. Everything beautiful and green from summer begins to brown and wither. Pumpkin spice, which I don't care for at all, is everywhere. This is the worst stretch of the hurricane season, too. I saw Halloween decor being put out in stores back in July, and I was so not ready for it. Christmas decor will follow, probably well before Halloween. Fall ends four days before the winter holidays, which I really dread every year.

I am trying to change my attitude toward everything I dislike, so I'm going to enjoy these last three weeks of summer, and then find ways to appreciate fall rather than hate it. Be the observer instead of the prisoner, my spiritual teachings say. I can do that. I can also steer myself into happier directions.

For example, Halloween was wonderful last year because I really got into it. I made Halloween costumes for thrifted stuffed animals.

I had a Halloween party and made a Halloween quilt.

I crocheted a fall cardigan by cloning the design of one I saw in a store display window.

The key to shifting my attitude from negative to positive is to find things I like about something that overall I dislike. I do like the cooler temperatures of fall; my guy and I will be able to hike more often. Halloween is a fun for me holiday and I plan to get into it again through creative projects. I can try new recipes, go on new road trip adventures, and celebrate the season in happy ways. I might even manage the holidays better this year by making a winter quilt.

I'm sorry to see summer go, as always, but I can improve how I welcome fall and winter. After all, it's only nine months until summer starts again, right? Ha.

Image credit: boat and lake image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay

Comments

T-minus Day

This was our little Thanksgiving dinner last year, when it was just the three of us. Time keeps whittling down my favorite holiday; this year it will be just me and my guy, and we likely won't even have a turkey.* That will be a first in 35 years. I feel about Thanksgiving the way other people do about Christmas, and while it's a lot of work it's my favorite holiday. Of all the Thanksgivings I've had in the past sixty years, only three were truly terrible: one when I was a kid that I don't talk about (#1 most miserable); the time I roasted two turkeys together and hosted fifteen people whom I cooked for and served with zero help (the largest and #2 most miserable); and the one I spent in basic training (the #3 most miserable.) I have no pictures of any of those, thank heavens. In addition to doing all the cooking I'm the one who takes all the pictures, washes all the dishes and puts away all the leftovers. I suppose no one else cares because to them it...

Holiday Prep

For Thanksgiving this year we've invited some guests from Oliver's mom's side of the family, so I have to start prepping now to get the house in shape for the big day. The first major thing is having the carpets cleaned, which we've scheduled for next week. This weekend I'll be cleaning out four rooms to get them ready for that. I started with my front dining room, which I use as my sewing room. It was kind of a mess already, so it felt good to get everything cleared out. We'll be having ten people at dinner plus two babies, so this will give me a chance to figure out how to arrange two tables in this space. I think this will be my last time hosting a big Thanksgiving gathering. Mike has started his family with a lovely girl who has a huge, close-knit family of her own, while Katherine will likely be off at grad school out of state for the next several years. I'm also not getting any younger. My guy and I will always celebrate Thanksgiving, but ...

Fell Off the Wagon

I did cut up that plastic dollar tote to make into something stronger, but got caught up with work and set it aside. Then last night some hand-dyed silk and pretty threads called my name, and, well . . . Felt SO good to do some handwork, except my neck began hurting about an hour into it. I tried changing the way I sit and work, but it's pretty obvious that the doc is right.

Valerean

Search This Blog