Good Sleepin' Weather

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

~George Eliot

Right now my coffee pot gurgles it's grand finale. Soon I will move from my comfy spot and pour myself a hearty cup of warm goodness. My biggest debate is that of the creamer to use: flavored hazelnut or classic and original. I'll ponder that.

I just returned from the most relaxing shower. There's something about scalding hot water, steam, and vanilla soap to soothe the soul. I must have stood there for thirty peaceful minutes, allowing the hot water to lull me into a serene calm, a place of reflection, a quiet gratitude.

I thought of the last two weeks and my return to my classroom. I'll be honest, saying good-bye to summer 2010 was very difficult for me. Other than 2005, this summer went down as the best one of my entire life. I enjoyed every second. Not a moment was wasted. I knit, planted, biked and played. I read, blogged, photographed, and laughed. I ate good food, skipped down the street, indulged in lunches with friends, and had coffee with my mama. I shopped, vacationed, napped, and ran. Oh the fun, fun days of summer.

But, alas, I'm back to my job and back into a routine. It's good, though. Really. I suppose we wouldn't savor those blissful times, or realize quite how wonderful they were, if we didn't also see the other side of the equation, right? Balance. There must be balance.

However, as much as I love summer vacation, I'd much rather have off August, September, and October. These, you see, are my most favorite. I can only imagine the adventures and fun and good times I'd have. Summer Vacation multiplied by ten... I can't hardly stand the thought.

The evenings in early autumn relax me, yet at the same time, they stir in me a desire to savor every minute, to drink in the beauty, to inhale the aromas. I want nothing more than to appreciate each second, to capture the essence of nature's gradual change, and to burn the ambiance into my mind....forever.

Perhaps I love autumn for the way it reminds me of childhood. The neighborhood kids would shovel away their early dinners and dash outside to ride bikes and play a quick round of hide-and-seek before being called away for baths, "mid-night snacks", and bedtime stories. The bathwater was always green... I'll never forget that. Shoes- who needed them?

Maybe it's the way the sun sets in the sky or the way the crickets and locusts sing their dusk-time songs, or perhaps it's the ever present memories of book-bag packing and peanut butter sandwich making that take my soul to a happy place.

These days are good, my friends. They are full of the good stuff of life.