Seasons
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Winter Solstice
“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.” ~Margaret Atwood Today, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice. The Farmer’s Almanac describes it as “the astronomical moment when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, and we have our shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.” No matter where you live, the solstice marks the official start of winter. While it seems counterintuitive, the longest night of the year also holds a glimmer of hope: Each day afterward will be…
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Transitions
“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” – William Bridges September is a month of transitions. A new school year begins; summer activities wind down. As the light changes and temperatures drop, we prepare our homes and gardens for winter. We stock the pantry with everything we need for winter-comfort recipes. A subtle reminder of our own aging, September prepares us for the changes ahead. If we fully embrace each season of our lives — from youth to seniority — we will be richer for it. ~CL REMINDER … This month at Clawson’s Blair Memorial Library, I’ll be leading a new personal journaling workshop…
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Labor Day weekend
“Summer nearly does me in every year. It’s too hot and the light is unforgiving and the days go on way too long.” ~Anne Lamott, humorist and author Sure, we complain about summer’s heat and humidity, but who really wants to see it end? We tend to think of Labor Day weekend as summer’s farewell — but the season isn’t officially over until the autumnal equinox on September 22. So let’s not rush things. For the next three weeks, I plan to savor every day of summer that’s left. I’ll spend more time outside, for starters, knowing it won’t be long before my garden is buried under fallen leaves. A…
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Savoring the last of summer
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ~John Lubbock My birthday is always a bittersweet day for me. By the time August rolls around, it feels as if summer is nearly over — and I’m reminded of how quickly our seasons change. Garden blooms are starting to fade. Back-to-school promotions and Halloween displays are haunting the stores again. And I’m already booked for fall writing workshops. (Watch for announcements here soon.) But not so fast, please. Let’s…
