Fall Magic

Fall, like its beautiful colors, always seems to go so quickly. Fall is by far my favorite season. I enjoy all the seasons, to be sure. Winter wonderlands of snow are magical, especially when you have a hot mug of cocoa in hand while admiring them, or can enjoy one after a long walk in the snow. The new green and first warm rays of spring also have a magic to them, and an amazing sense of renewal. The colors of the first flowers are such a joy after the months of grays and whites. And then there is summer: the pleasure of wearing sandals and never needing to remember a coat. It’s lovely to sit outside and enjoy a meal or an iced coffee. And the long evenings are wonderful for after-the-heat-of-the-day hikes. So all the seasons have their great pleasures. But fall is, and always has been, my favorite. Though I enjoy many things about summer, I have never loved hot weather. It seems to drain my energy. I am definitely not a sun worshiper. So when the first cool air of autumn moves into my world, I feel more alert and energetic than I have for months. Maybe it’s all the years of going to school…it just seems like it’s time to get moving again when fall rolls around. And I’m ready after my summer lethargy.

The only problem with fall is that it is ALWAYS a very busy time of year for Mountain Hobbit and her husband. Since Husband is an academic, his job picks up considerably when the students return; work has been hopping for him since late August. Also, Husband and I return to our busy musical lives after a summer hiatus. I’m back to Ars Nova Singers, of course: two concerts are already under our belts, and four more are coming during the holiday season. Husband and I are both singing in two 400th anniversary performances of Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers next weekend (so exciting!!!). And rehearsals for the Boulder Bach Festival begin next month. It’s a very busy season! And the busy-ness makes it rush by every year. My favorite season seems to last for half the amount of time that any of the other seasons do. :-(

So what’s a Mountain Hobbit to do? I’ve been trying to savor as much fall as possible in the time that I have. Whenever I am walking somewhere, and I walk places quite a bit, happily, I make sure to crunch through the leaves, and I take time to stop and admire a particularly lovely tree (or several). The foliage is quite beautiful this year; nature creates so many variations on red, orange, yellow, and gold. I've been enjoying walking through the farmers market on Saturdays and noticing the shift from the tomatoes, peaches and corn of summer to the squashes, leafy greens, and apples of autumn. And I especially savor the return of hot beverages after a summer of ice-laden coffees and teas. There’s nothing like holding a warm cup of something yummy in your hands on a cool morning. I had a marvelous time over the weekend baking my first batch of pumpkin bread of the season. It made the whole house smell like fall, that wonderful, warm, cinnamony, nutmeggy, squashy smell. Mmmmm.

A final side note, with regard to hot drinks: I am writing today from my neighborhood coffee shop, where I’ve been practically keeping office hours lately as I work on career/job hunting stuff. I find I am much more productive if I get up and get out, as if I am going to work. At home, I just stare at all the housey stuff I could be doing, feel overwhelmed, and don't do anything. Sigh. Anyway, when I got to the counter to order my cup of coffee today, I discovered that the woman in front of me had paid for my coffee as well as her own drink. I did not know her, and we had not been conversing in line. I was stunned by this simple act of kindness. I approached her a moment later to thank her, my surprise free drink in hand; I told her that she had no idea how much her kindness was appreciated at the moment. I did not elaborate about all the work we’ve had to do on our car lately, or the other reasons why we’ve had to tighten our financial belts, but all of that stuff made my gratitude for this simple action swell even more. The woman smiled at me, patted me on the shoulder, and said “We all need a little help on a Monday sometimes.” Then she walked out of my life to get on with hers. I want to thank her for sharing a little bit of fall magic with me today. I’ve enjoyed my coffee very much.