This month we are focusing on Autumn (Halloween if we wish). Raven is before me and Shethinkstoomuch follows next. There is a complete list at the end of this post. We can write anything, flash fiction, little-known facts, history… what ever we choose. I am choosing, not an essay, but a rambling of ideas and thoughts that I associate with the fall season.
Autumn, Fall if you will, means the beginning of the year to me. It’s the start of rushing through activities, school, work, the stress of the holidays… For me it is the new year. It is the comfort of an old routine starting again. The ending of the official year which goes quickly. Though December gets cold, and ice can start as soon as September, I don’t consider fall ending until January, then it’s Winter.
I remember the few years between highschool and college, I felt bereft and out of sink. My schedule was free, vacation was when ever I wanted, summer was just a season, not a break between school years. It did not feel right. I had just spent fourteen years on a schedule, school starts in September and ends in June. That was my year.
We have now been on a school routine for four years; getting all of the school supplies, seeing the classroom, meeting the teacher and shopping for clothes. I am still not good at that. The first day of school starts the ball rolling because the next thing will be picture day. Usually after picture day follows Halloween, even this year I am far from prepared. The costume is picked out, missing a few bits and pieces, which I will spend the next few weekends before the 31st finding. My own personal scavenger hunt.
Then Thanksgiving, and choosing something to make to contribute to the dinner. I always want to make something elaborate, but given my cooking skills, I’ll stick with bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. (If you have ever had them, they’re yummy!!). The prayer we participate in every year troubles me. I never know what to say, sometimes I feel I have nothing to say because everyone else has already said it, or I have tons of things to say and be thankful for, but I wish to keep my moment of speaking short. It is hard making the younger ones wait to eat, so many tempations sitting on the plate before them. (Well, I’m one of the young ones too.)
And now the mad dash for Christmas… what to get, what to get?? I never know. I try not to buy the same thing that I did the year before. Every year I mean to write down all the gifts I gave out, and never do. So starting in the beginning of fall, I start making my Christmas list, and checking it more than twice. Just to make sure I haven’t forgotten anyone or that special gift. Which reminds me, I have yet to find that special gift. I think every child deserves that ‘one’ gift under the tree, and I find it to be the hardest one to choose. Yet, I get it figured out every year, so no big worries yet.
By the time all of this is done, my year is on its way. Having all of the Holidays taken care of at the beginning of the year makes the rest of the year run smoothly. Kind of like getting your homework and chores done so you can play. A new year to begin…
PARTICIPANTS
1. Lost Wanderer – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
2. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com
3. Angela 785 – http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com
4. Ravencorinncarluk – http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com
5. Angyl78 – https://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com
6. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
7. trulyana – http://expressiveworld.com
8. Bsolah – http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
9. freshhell – http://freshhell.wordpress.com
10. Ralph Pines – http://ralfast.wordpress.com
11. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com
12. HigherEdUnderground – http://higheredunderground.com
13. Cath – http://blog.cathsmith.net
14. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com
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October 9, 2009 at 3:17 pm
You know I’m a notorious list maker and still I like you never manage to get the list of who got what for Christmas, let’s resolve to do it this year.
CC
October 10, 2009 at 3:48 am
I will resolve to get my list written this year. I need to find a notebook, or somewhere to keep my list. That is an important thing, remembering where you put it.
There’s nothing worse than gifting books and skipping a book in the series.
October 10, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I’ve never really thought of Fall as the start of the year, but with your post, I’m rethinking that.
And I know you’re feeling about suddenly having no schedule after getting out of school. It was disconcerting at first. Though, now, I forget about school starting until I see all the school supply sales.
October 10, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Well, all this talk about school has me thinking that I need to go back.I always like looking at the school supplies but I don’t have anywhere to put them. But if I go back, I’ll have a use for them… well writing too helps.
October 10, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Great post. You really sent me back remembering how it felt the year I took off between high school and college. I was so adrift without the structure of school to shape my year. It was one of the things that drove me back to the classroom in the end.
And as a parent, it is amazing how one landmark leads to the next, shaping our year once again even though our own school years are long behind us.
And anything wrapped in bacon is aces in my book! Any chance you’ll share the recipe??
October 11, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Luckily for us (or maybe unlucky?) our school year starts in July! But I know all to well the feeling that fall was the beginning. Now, not so much. Kinda sad!
Good luck with shopping. 😉
October 12, 2009 at 12:05 am
So organized! Can I borrow you?
I’m planning to revisit the new year theme in my post – very interesting to hear your perspective too.
October 13, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Fall, when I was in school, was also the beginning of a new year. Then, after graduate school, there wasn’t much difference between seasons except the seasons themselves. Now, with children in school, it’s that same September feeling again. The same summer rush to do all the fun things.
October 17, 2009 at 3:31 am
Okay, I’m going to have to go see Cath’s post.
Wonder how we all are going to feel when our children are grown and no longer in school. I may have to find a hobby.