Saturday, November 1, 2014

Autumn breaks

November 1, 2014

It's hard to image it being the first of November already. I find the wisdom of my elders to be painfully true. The older I get the faster the days go by. It seems like only a blink of the eye since the biting cold of last January. But it is November and lovely autumn's days have reached the breaking point. It's a quick slide into winter from here. 

There's an old song by Al Stewart with a line that sticks in my mind about "in a country where they turn back time." Tonight most of us in the States set our clocks back an hour. Do we really gain anything? Of course not. The length of each day is unchanged. 

Now it will be dark when I leave home in the morning and dark when I arrive back home. I do not see this as advantageous when it will trap me inside except for an all too brief lunch break. Retirement, anyone? 

My countdown clock now sits at 1,580 days. Aren't those little phone apps fun?! Will the date ever move forward? I hope so. I'm diligently saving my pennies in anticipation of becoming a full-time writer and the lady of my "manor."  At the same time I'm leaving myself open to all possibilities. Maybe just being able to leave the workforce when I choose is what I'm really looking forward to. That day will be a game changer in so many ways.  But I digress...

This morning we (the spousal unit and myself) hopped in the pickup and took an accumulated load of scrap metal to the scrapper. I'm happy to have the "crap" removed from the darkest corner of the shed and I'm sure those family members who took advantage of the opportunity to toss a few things in on the load were happy not to have to deal with it themselves. We decided to take the scenic route to our destination and it's obvious that in just a few days the trees will be bare. I used to mourn the passing of autumn but I've learned even bleak winter holds beauty. 

And so enough musing for today. I have a few chores to finish, a chapter to finish writing, and a bottle of wine chilling. Long about dark we're taking our glasses to the den and spending an hour or so enjoying the warmth of a fire in the wood stove. We'll call it practice for the colder evenings ahead. They will surely come.

KC
http://www.kckendricks.com

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