According to the calendar, today is the Autumnal Equinox, which marks the first day of fall here in the Northern Hemisphere. Incredibly sophisticated, smartypants instruments tell us that the equinox isn’t exactly “equal” in all parts of the globe, but taking the idea as it is intended, today marks an equal time of daylight and nighttime, meaning that our days begin to get shorter from here until the winter solstice around Dec. 21. Basically, it’s a season marker – yesterday was summer, today is fall.
Now, I love fall. Love, love, love it. I adore drinking spiced apple cider, hearty soups and stews, scrunching through piles of raked leaves, looking at ideas for decorating my front porch with mums and pumpkins and straw bales, and yes, snuggling by a fire with pumpkin spiced coffee. So you can imagine my excitement today.
Alas, I live in North Carolina, where “fall” can’t be trusted to follow a calendar. My fall walk today took place in 90 degree heat (in Fahrenheit numbers; about 32 degrees Celsius) and I settled for a pumpkin spiced chilled chai afterward. Divas must be adaptable.
I have plans for fall, though. I have books about daring women to read, one waterfall hike my mother and I planned and never were able to take, two puzzles I hope to put together, several more fall-themed paintings to try, and a number of recipes to experiment with. Fortunately, fall lasts three months, so I have time.
Such a luxury.
The key is to not insist that everything get done at once. Parcel out your joys, making sure to include time to think and ponder as the seasons change. Fall is preparing us for the true slowdown of winter with her riot of color, scents, and riches.
The best way to enjoy fall is to make plans to do so, but to also be aware of changes in those plans. Go ahead and take out your calendar and plan at least two fun things for each month that fall gives us. That’s an excellent start, but also be willing to change those plans when you pass an apple festival you didn’t know was going on, or allow yourself the unhindered joy that is having a Dairy Queen Blizzard for dinner on that unseasonably-warm night. If you’re a flannel sheet person, be on the lookout for that weather change. Decorate your mantel with colorful fallen leaves that you spent fifteen minutes arranging. Listen to the “Autumn” section of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Take time to take time.
And, after hearing from a number of you, I was motivated to take a number of my fall-themed paintings and FINALLY update my Redbubble shop! If you’d like any of the originals, take a look at the River of Cream Artwork part of this site (click on the link at the top of the page or here) and if you’d like to order a bundle of cards (or any of the other products Redbubble sells, like stickers or coasters), click here for the fall collection of the shop. You’ll see the collection on sample products, just click “see all products” to get the full array.
Enjoy, Divas!
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