So, I’m one of the crazy people who likes Daylight Savings Time. All politics aside (and I can’t believe there is any politics to Daylight Savings Time of all things), I like changing the clocks. Not only is it one of those traditions we grew up doing, but for someone who likes to live by the seasons, it helps to create a more definitive seasonal shift. The start of Daylight Savings when our evenings are suddenly more light and bright? It feels like summer is just around the corner. The end of Daylight Savings Time when we can fall back and get an extra hour of sleep? It ushers in candle season.
Now, for those of us with serious allergy and asthma issues, the idea of candle season had lost its appeal for a long time. That was until some fabulous person invented flameless candles. For my inhaler-dependent self, it was a game changer. Candle season was back! These days, I look forward to candle season every year as an integral part of my fall/holiday season.
Honestly, I love that early, dark part of fall when I can set the flameless candles to turn on each evening around sunset. I also get my home planetarium set up for a little fake star gazing each night. And you know what? Life feels calm, quiet and cozy all over again. There is something about those few evening hours when its dark outside, warm and cozy inside and the only thing left for us to do is to relax and be. A part of us unwinds in a way that we often didn’t know we needed. It’s a little bit of what makes fall so special for me.
This year, I am ready for calm, quiet and cozy.
So very ready.
I enjoyed every season this year from when spring arrived and I became an active participant in the garden to summer and its blow-your-doors off outdoor time. With no major renovations to do, this year felt like a year when we got caught up and stayed (mostly) caught up. The boys learned to go outside this summer and made some serious – and gradual – progress to enjoying their own backyard independently. We made great use of our garden space and our new back deck. We had excellent harvests, partly because we were able to spend the time maintaining the garden, and great conversations over a cocktail in the setting sun. In truth, we basically managed life to a better degree than we are used to.
Now that it’s fall? Well, we will downshift even more as Mother Nature turns off the outdoor lights earlier. The result? More quiet, cozy evenings – sometimes by the fire, sometimes having a conversation around the dinner table and sometimes watching the stars go by in our little planetarium.
After a spring and summer well-lived, candle season just feels good. Again, this will be our first time experiencing a season without a renovation project and there is just so much to look forward to. I am ready to read books, do jigsaw puzzles, make cozy fall meals, watch a little football and do a little hiking. I’m ready to celebrate the quiet that fall brings along with the steady hum of a slowed-down routine. Once we take this apple-pumpkin-cinnamon induced break, we can pivot to the holidays which also promise to be spectacular.
But right now? My head and heart are here in candle season. And for us, it starts tonight. My hubby got home last night from New Orleans and it’s one of those overcast, cool days that fall can be known for. Dinner is already planned (as our meals for the whole week) and I have one work call left for this afternoon and then I’m done for the week.
It’s time to focus on home. Batteries are being refreshed in my candles and timers are getting tested. The wine fridge has its fall stock of red wines. The apple-and-sausage stuffed acorn squash is on the menu. The lights are low and the mood is quiet. Even the furries got the memo. Everyone’s just a little bit mellow today.
It’s candle season. Light ‘em up, but do so quietly and slowly. There’s no need to rush.
