Fall nights on the farm are a completely different kind of magic than summer nights on the farm. When I pull in the driveway at night coming home from work the sun is shining directly on the fall leaves illuminating all the colors. It’s bitter sweet because each day there is a larger and larger pile on the ground. After the sun sets the nights turn cool and the clouds come in. Sometimes it rains and other times the wind just blows against the old house.
It makes getting out of that warm bed in the morning just that much harder.
We spent last weekend cleaning the farm up. Mostly the garden but also raking more fall leaves off the driveways. The frost had come and wiped out almost everything. I cleaned out all of the trellis, ripped out all of the tarp and irrigation and joe tilled up the entire garden. It just all seems like it went so fast even though this was one of the longest growing seasons we’ve had to date.
Now we just have to hang up all of the irrigation, dig up the dahlia bulbs and figure out where to put 500 tulips. I might have gone overboard again. (shocking I know). It’s like putting the farm to bed for the winter. I’m looking forward to a bit of a restful time and planing for next years garden. Heck planning for next year in general. (is it 2021 yet?)
I’m trying to focus on the good that is to come this winter. I would be lying if I didn’t say I have a lot of anxiety about what could be coming our way. This summer “winter cold season” seemed so far off now we are about a month away.
There are going to be holes in the walls but not cracks in the foundations when it comes to this holiday season. We can find the bright spots I’m so hopeful that through our small quiet celebrations we will find new ways to come together.
I am reminded of this quote from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” – Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The changing of the seasons always prompts me to reflect in different ways. Spring is all about ambition and fall/winter is always about the slow down. I am going to challenge myself to find fun ways to celebrate the holidays this year. I’m going to mourn the loss of everything we typically get to do but also going to get back up and find new ways to make this season special. I would love if you have some ideas to share! Please feel free to leave them in the comments below.
want to see more fall foliage click here.
Your home is so beautiful!
Thank you so much!
No ideas really about celebrating, except that we won’t be doing it outside of our own little household. But, I was remembering the Laura Ingalls Wilder book, The Long Winter, and how after the very difficult winter when starvation and freezing to death were a very real threat, the whole community celebrated Christmas in the Spring when the train finally got through. Maybe not Spring, but I have a feeling next Christmas is going to be a doozy! For all of us. Going into this one, I hope we all stay mindful of those that will have empty chairs next Christmas. Thanks for reflecting and sharing this, Abby!