Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Spring Forward, Fall Backward
August is almost all gone. Many schools are back in session and teachers are feeling the push and the rush to be sure everything is ready for their students. I just have to say, unless you know a teacher you can’t know the busyness of preparing for the Fall semester. As a school nurse for five years, I watched teachers coming in with boxes of supplies paid for by them, intent on creating a room that would feel welcoming and professional. It takes hours, unpaid, to shop for and set up a classroom.
Another thing I notice about this time of year is the quality of sunshine. In Spring and early Summer, the light gets more “yellow” and more pronounced. But the other day I saw a more subdued light as we start to move away from the sun. I can’t find the right words to describe this, but maybe you’ll know what I mean.
The leaves are still green, but not that neon green that Spring brings. It’s as if the leaves themselves are waiting for the metamorphosis into the riot of color that marks true Fall.
All I can say is that there is a different feeling as the outside world prepares for another season.
September and October are among my favorite months. I love watching living things prepare for a different kind of life – one that leads into darker, colder days. I start thinking about Thanksgiving, still quite a ways off, and still my favorite holiday. When Thanksgiving rolls around I am hoping and planning to host a small dinner with precious friends. Or, if that isn’t possible, Jan and I go to a favorite restaurant that has a killer Thanksgiving feast. We always leave there with leftovers, too! Thanksgiving means I can start listening to Handel’s Messiah and my huge collection of Christmas music. Those are my rules, anyway.
To me, Fall represents a peaceful, easy feeling (as the song goes). The heat and humidity of Summer gradually move into a drier, cooler atmosphere. My one regret is that baseball is not a Fall sport, even though the World Series happens in October. This year, the Cardinals will say goodbye to Molina and maybe Pujols – two giants in the game that is America’s pastime. Sadly, I will be out of town as they play the last games at Busch Stadium, with no opportunity to watch games from afar. I have asked Rose to tape the last game, at least, so we can watch it together when I get back, and mourn Yadi’s absence next year.
Santa Fe is on my calendar for the last of September and the first days of October. Fall is a breathtaking season in New Mexico. The mountains have huge patches of gold as the aspens begin to turn. Sometimes snow appears at the top of the mountains. The days are sunny, the air is crisp, and New Mexico shows off its gorgeous surroundings. There can be a blast of still Summer days, when heat shows up briefly. It’s expected to happen at least once.
I have a “happy lamp” at my desk because sometimes Fall brings on a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder. As much as I love this time of year I also know that as the days glide by so does the sunshine. And Winter in St. Louis has more than its fair share of gray days. But that’s a ways off and I would rather welcome the beauty of what’s coming in the next few months!