What? Today is the equinox? Difficult to believe since I spent yesterday hanging out in the backyard basking in 76 degrees. Then again, the front yard is depositing its first layer of leaves and the burning bush is glowing red. Yes, fall has arrived once again.
Fall in my region is a dichotomy of indecision. Mornings require a quick warmup with the heater and a spritz of air conditioner by noon. By evening the decision to have the fuzzy blanket nearby is made since nights plunge down to the forties.
Cold, hot, cold run the days until early October then its preparation for winter, which runs cold all the time.
Today, though, I will celebrate the last bits of summer with a nod to fall by sharing Emily Dickinson’s “Autumn.”
The morns are meeker than they were, The nuts are getting brown; The berry’s cheek is plumper, The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf, The field a scarlet gown. Lest I should be old-fashioned, I’ll put a trinket on.
Instead of a trinket I will lounge out back in the hammock with another book.
While frosty beverage choices abound in summer, there are only a few a couple worth mentioning when discussing a warm up in winter.
To clarify—this discussion concerns itself with non-alcoholic options. Oh, and I don’t do coffee. So, that leaves—
hot cider not mulling about life
Hot cider immediately brings to mind homemade donuts. Sleigh rides somewhere hovering with that thought.
Over the years I’ve shied away from hot cider, probably because most of my experiences are from gatherings where packets of the stuff sit in the basket next to tea packets. The water from the big silver urn is always scalding hot making the first sip excruciating and by the time I think it’s cool enough to drink the hot cider is now tepid cider and has lost its appeal.
Hot Mulled Cider Day is celebrated on September 30–much too early, and seems to hasten the end of fall and evoke the arrival of winter.
And what’s mulled got to do with cider? Hot cider is simply heating up apple cider whereas mulled cider is simmering apple cider with cinnamon and spices along with oranges bits or even cranberries.
If they could package that up I might think more kindly about hot cider.
cocoa or hot chocolate?
The next choice is my go-to-winter warm up. I confess I drink it throughout the year (especially on rainy days).
There is a difference between cocoa and hot chocolate though. Hot cocoa is sweeter and lighter—think Swiss Miss packets, while hot chocolate (real hot chocolate) is melted chocolate mixed with cream creating a rich, almost decadent drink.
I sipped and savored several menu offerings as part of my research for an article about where to find cocoa/hot chocolate locally in my fair town. Ah—the perks of being a freelancer.
Inspired, I dabbled and have created my own mix trying to find that middle ground between easy and savory. A mug of my mix sometimes suffices as supper it is so filling and satisfying.
The wonder of hot cocoa/chocolate is how amenable it is to additions–flavors ranging from raspberry to hazelnut and then there is whipped cream, marshmallows. So much versatility *Yum*
If you missed Hot Cocoa Day on December 13th, you can celebrate Hot Chocolate Day January 31. That’s right, it’s time to fill your mug and settle in and enjoy the perfect warm up.
I hope to take advantage of my Panera $2 off coupon to honor the day. I’ll also buy a treat. And enjoy both by their fireplace. I wonder if I can reserve it…
Well, it’s August 1st and at this point I used to see the hourglass sand of summer quickly slipping away.
the sands of summer slipping away
August would be the month that all the school supplies lining the aisles of stores and all those incessant reminders to get ready to go back to school would curb my enthusiasm to embrace the rest of summer vacation. A tiny spark of anticipation would form and increasingly grow larger as each day of August ticked by until the inevitable email would land into my inbox reminding me of all of my obligation to attend all the in-service meetings at school.
Ah–but that was then and this is now.
Three years into retirement and I welcome August and recognize summer is not over. So I shall celebrate with an original poem.
July by Pam Webb
July arrives in dragonfly fashion on star-spangled wings dancing in after June’s somewhat fickle days flitting here and wandering there. The days are full of hammock reads, lazy BBQs, and required air-conditioned nights. July is the true summer month. And when its fulsome days have dwindled down to rest
Suddenly–
July forsakes glad company and speedily zooms
into
August.
How do you view August? Is it your true summer month or the nudge that summer is ending?
I always look forward to summer, and I especially look forward to the outdoor Shakespeare performance that comes round in August. It’s not easy waiting another month, so with the prompting of a recently vowed Folger Shakespeare Library post I will pass on some of Shakespeare’s best summer quotes because he must have really liked summer having mentioned summer over 80 times throughout his writing.
Thus sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud, And after summer evermore succeeds Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold; So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet. —Gloucester, Henry IV, Part 2, Act II, scene 4
Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this son of York, And all the clouds that loured upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. —Richard III, Act III, scene 1
And of course the most summery of his summer tributes is Sonnet 18.
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed. But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Here’s to you with a hope you can catch an outdoor summer Shakespeare performance. A wondrous season indeed exalted by a wondrous writer.
Apparently one is supposed to say ‘Rabbit, Rabbit” first thing in the first day of the month. Not sure why but hints of good things happening are implied.
It was easy to rabbit trail on this first day of June since it is my favorite month. Why my favorite? Well, thank you for asking.
my inner feelings revealed
School ends in June—referring to most K-12 students. Knowing that summer break’s imminent arrival created an anticipatory exhilaration. And I suppose students felt that way too. I know as a teacher I did.
Flag Day! Not only is this a day to honor our nation’s flag it’s my birthday. Yes, not everyone can claim the truth that people hang the flag out for them on their birthday. That’s what I believed because that’s what my mother told me. Believed it. I still do, actually.
Family birthdays. Winter must have been long because we have a plethora of family birthdays in June.
Summer solstice. Shades of Shakespearean delight as summer officially begins with the solstice. Watch out for fairies and wayward thespians if walking in the forest.
wood you care for a walk?
5. Settling into summer mode. Even though May provides some bodaciously warm days there remains a sense of “just kidding!” since May still tosses in some rain and inclement weather. June seems more confident in providing consistent blue sky days.
6. Birds and blooms. Giving credit to April and May for nudging winter to pack up and leave for a while, June ushers in the season of winged friends and garden flurry. My backyard is a small slice of paradise as hummingbirds and assorted feathered friends cavort amid the feeders and bird baths while I appreciate the lavender, lilies, and other blooming details. And the busyness of bees is a bonus. 🐝
7. Then there is the celebration of the hammock. Reading, lounging, napping—aah, so nice.
The upside of the rainy days we are experiencing is the snow has melted. Usually this is an inducement to get back outside and start walking once again. However, low temps and blustery winds are keeping me inside.
My YouTube walking workout is not the same as striding along the sidewalk and hiking along trails, but it’ll do for now.
I do miss being outside closer to nature, listening to birdsong, squirrel chatter, and watching the deer slipping in and around our yard. This winter we set out more food than usual for the critters and have reaped the benefits of armchair observing.
Here are a few favorite moments:
Outside my office window. One of our resident squirrels enjoying his bounty.
This guy will sit up in the apple tree as if he is surveying his kingdom.
Starlings have been attempting to bully their way into the feeding fun. Not my favorite bird but they were fairly impressive in their gathering.
*Oh oh, news flash–seven inches of snow expected to come in at 9 pm. Yikes! Hoping spring will rally forth soon.
December is not my best month. Yes, there is Christmas, but it is also the real start of winter. Unlike the false winter snows in November, December snow falls and stays around through March. The transition from outside activity to inside (not a skier) means LOTS of book time. A warm fire, cocoa, a comfy recliner—maybe there are a couple of positives to winter after all.
Top reads: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis
image: Goodreads
Set in South Carolina in two time periods, 1929 and 1989, the narrator is older woman who faces the reckoning of family secrets when her estranged sister finally returns home.
A family saga told with subtlety, The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt, reveals how secrets, no matter how deeply buried have the tendency to rise and change the landscape of life.
The Hiding Game by Gwen Strauss
image: Goodreads
The Hiding Game is a biographical picture book story of how Aube and her family, along with other refugees his from Nazis in occupied France. Based on the true story of her great uncle Danny, the author relates with the naïveté of a child the circumstances of the situation. While the hardships are present it is the moments of joy and community that comes across so deftly through the blend of text and illustrations.
Janey’s Girl by Gayle Friesen
image: Goodreads
Claire and her mother Jane are finally making the journey to Smallwood, where Jane grew up. A small town holds no secrets, and Jane could not live there easily as a teen with a child born out of wedlock.
This is an opposite coming of age story in that it is the mother who needs to grow up. Claire’s journey is discovering family connections her mother wouldn’t allow her to have as a means of protecting her daughter. Claire has tough decisions to make that change the dynamics with her mother and in the process her mother learns that letting go doesn’t have to involve loss.
The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club #2) by Richard Osman
image: Goodreads
Osman’s second foray into the cozy mystery genre is a double thumbs up. The Thursday Murder Club has upped its stakes and is now dealing with the Mafia, MI5 and MI6, with a dash of drug dealers. The usual side plots are installed for interest sake, such as Chris’s romance progress and whether Joyce with get a dog. The tangled plot of who shot who and where are the diamonds all comes together neatly in the last couple chapters. The journey there is quite delightful.
Osman thankfully spares readers of spinning out the previous plot and simply plunges it, making this a standalone but it is strongly suggested to start with the first book to relish the character growth, especially how Joyce comes into her own.
Written tongue in cheek concerning geriatrics being crime solvers, along the lines of Miss Marple, Mrs Pollifax, and Reds.
December proved to have its share of good reads and as winter continues I am looking forward to more good reads to pass the loonngg winter evenings. I am open to suggestions, so do, please do, suggest some titles for me to check out.
As stated earlier, the travel bug has not bit us. We hunker down in winter and practice wishful thinking for warmer climates.
All in all, winter is for the birds. Really. That’s what we are doing for entertainment. We have enticed juncos, nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, finches, a part time dove, and an infrequent flicker to our front yard with seed and such and sit back and enjoy the show.
Took Rocket J. Squirrel a few attempts to reach the feeder
We have a very basic feeder and try to keep it filled; however when it’s 19 degrees, with a brisky wind, finding alternative methods of feeding our feathered friends, like tossing food out the window for them onto the snow is the solution.
The seed buffet has garnered the attention of other critters: squirrels and deer. The squirrels are comical in how they try to avoid going through the snow to get to the food. They traverse on the branches above and tail twitch in frustration that they can’t quite reach the feeder. We spent a good hour observing how one squirrel finally took the plunge and dove into the snow, tunneling a track to feeder’s base to glean dropped seeds.
All you can eat seed buffet
The deer easily amble over to the feeder and lick seeds off the tray. They are not perturbed by our presence at the window.
We think this little guy looks like a burro so we have dubbed it Burrito
The most entertaining morning session was when the squirrel and deer arrived at the same time. The deer held their ground and would not acknowledge the squirrel’s attempts to mosey up to the seed feed. Old Rocket would inch up, tail twitching in anxiety and then Burrito would level a look that translated as “Excuse me?” and Rocket would hightail up the tree and pace the limb waiting, waiting, waiting for his turn.
Showdown at OK Feed and Seed
As for the birds—their territorial flutterings are reminiscent of playground squabbling. There is one white-crowned sparrow who is pro at fluffing up his feathers and chasing off the smaller birds from the seed buffet.
Like little kids playground squabbling
For most, the chosen winter sport is skiing, for us staying warm, while we watch from our chair side seats the front yard antics, suffices. Although, truthfully, after the third snow dump (and it’s still early December) I might just look into those Costco travel brochures that we pass by when we load up on birdseed. I imagine there are birds I can watch from a beachside balcony.
Included in my bio is “hammock aficionado.” Summer is not summer without setting up and reveling in the joy of my hammocks. Yes, that would be plural.
Palm trees are not included in most locations
I have two: one for the sun and one for the shade.
I’m not sure when my fascination with hammocks began. There is something so richly rewarding being suspended above the ground, being cocooned.
I’ve owned the camper’s delight (find two trees and secure it), the classic macramé weave, and currently own a deluxe double wide frame complete with umbrella (for the sun), and my portable frame (for the shade).
Summer starts once the hammocks are set up. Double deluxe takes some thought as it is so unwieldy that once it is positioned that is that. Relishing the gentle early morning sun rays is a pleasant way to start the day. The umbrella helps stave off the intensity of the afternoon sun, and there is nothing like dozing in the double deluxe in the early evening when the sun drifts behind the trees, filtering the shade so there are paths of sunlight and shade whilst I recover from my landscaping projects. Aah!
My little shade model is not as comfy, but being on a lightweight frame it can be easily moved wherever is best. From mid June to end of summer it travels all over the backyard.
It is the end of summer once I acknowledge it’s too cold to hang out in the hammock. I have been known to wrap up in a blanket to catch the last bits of the sun before acknowledging summer is done.
Isn’t this hard to resist?
Hope you enjoy Hammock Day. If you have no hammock then treat yourself to this marvelous means of enjoying the summer.
Thanksgiving comes around in November and getting together with friends and family can be emotional for some. Needing a few choice words to express feelings might be handy.
verklempt: overly emotional and unable to speak.
velleity: a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.
stultify: to render absurdly or wholly futile or ineffectual, especially by degrading or frustrating means
thrawn: contrary; peevish; stubborn
longanimity: patient endurance of hardship, injuries, or offense; forbearance
foofaraw: a great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant
megillah: a lengthy, detailed explanation or account
brabble: to argue stubbornly about trifles; wrangle
fustigate: to criticize harshly; castigate
gasconade: extravagant boasting; boastful talk
nescience: lack of knowledge; ignorance
frumious: very angry
snollygoster: a clever, unscrupulous person
beamish: bright, cheerful, and optimistic
Let’s hope if someone should start a megillah at the table no one will fustigate or brabble should it lead to gasconade. Instead, the gathering be one that is beamish.
