So, I am not already singing Christmas carols. And no, I’m not a parent looking ahead on the calendar to the start of the school year. Instead, I’m late summer-into-fall’s biggest fan. Yep. This is just the most wonderful time of the year.
Normally around this time, I have a big cushion of hours so I’m just sliding into August with no work stress and I’ve already booked all of my hours for the remainder of the year. Not so, this time. Instead, I’m still searching a tiny bit for hours and I know it’s going to be a slog through the next four months if something doesn’t break soon/soon-ish. Still, a little work stress ain’t gonna get me down. It’s my time, baby!
So, I love a lot about late summer and early fall. First, the weather is fabulous. Gradually, the heat gets less intense and we settle into cool nights and warm, dry days. That’s stinking wonderful all on its own. Then, there is the produce… and I mean produce upon produce. I’m doing some canning this Friday with one of my friends. On the docket? Dilly beans, dill pickles, and salsa. We may also make some peach freezer jam. Outside of canning, every meal these days features fresh, locally grown produce. Last night’s fare included peaches and blueberries tossed in a mint-lime dressing. Tonight’s menu includes caprese with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Just yum!
The other joy of the season? Well, just as the heat seeps out of the atmosphere so does the craziness of summer. All of the distractions, events, outdoor projects and just general busy-ness of summer winds down. Weekend mornings become calm without evening events to plan around. Days end earlier without Ironman training interspersed throughout the day. “To do” items have been checked off the list and gradually, the feeling that there’s so much left to do starts to wane. Yes, life settles down.
And finally, I love late summer and early fall because of what follows: the real holiday season (which starts for me around October 15th and runs through January 2nd, when I celebrate ALL of the holidays from Halloween to New Year’s.)
So, today marks the start of the most wonderful time of the year for me. Unfittingly, it’s a gray, overcast day and I’m spending more time doing business development than I would normally be doing. But it doesn’t matter right now. I wait through January, February, and March to get here. I end up disappointed in April to get here. I have to be honest and say I whirl through May, June and July (which is no hardship) to get here. But now? This is THE time, baby! There are exactly 138 days left in the year and I hope to enjoy every one.
The Yuppie Homesteader 