Seasonal shockings

"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf
shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many."-   Oliver Wendell Holmes

Once school starts I automatically go into “fall” mode.  I start harvesting everything there is to harvest.  I look forward to the cooler temperatures and foggy mornings. 

Well Wednesday and Thursday, the weather took little notice of the leaves changing to yellow or red and collecting along the sides of the roads, the squirrels and chipmunks running around collecting the hickory nuts, 

the multitude of spider webs covered in dew 

 or the dwindling harvest as it rained down some totally unfall-like weather.  I love 60-75 but 90’s I feel like Frosty going into the hot house full of poinsettia’s.

Having already taken out the AC I was ill prepared for the heat and humidity which belonged back in July and August…not my September!  I gave up all thoughts of canning under such inhospitable  circumstances and sat miserably in the corner whining for more ice!  The only good part of the day was the evening thunder storms which brought some relief.

But today dawned cool and refreshing and all was well in my world.  I quickly got to work on the green beans, processing several pints and then came the tomatoes.  After getting them on the stove cooking I sat down for a break.

Along came a commercial which had me completely gobsmacked.  Now I realize I am rushing the autumn season by a couple of weeks by associating it with the start of school.  And I realize I like autumn  for the cooler temperatures but this commercial was for Christmas!!!!!...a whole lot colder than I want it for a little while longer.  Kmart is telling everyone not to wait until the last minute and use their lay away.  I am all for buying gifts early and if I see something for someone I may buy it in February and put it away, and as a knitter/crocheter I realize that one must start work on some gifts while the sweat is dripping from your brow….but advertising for it even before Halloween …preposterous!  (for some reason I feel that should be said with a British accent and by a man with a monocle!) We are not even to the 100 day count down and the fall tv shows haven’t even started! 

And now still shaking my head, I am going back to my tomatoes.  Sanity still reigns there.  But before I leave I have to show you my bag.  A local fiber fest had a contest.  This year it was a bag, knit, crocheted, felted or woven.  I thought about entering and while going through a folder with patterns I had printed out long ago and never got to (please tell me I am not the only one that has one of those) I found the pattern for the Cluck clutch.  I have a chicken themed kitchen and had thought of making this just to stuff and stick on a shelf but figured I would kill two birds with one stone.  So I got out a hook and crocheted the thing up and sent if off to the festival with Cyndy.  I never saw it at the festival and I don’t know how many entered but I won a ribbon….it is only a participation ribbon for best presentation because I stuffed her with tissue paper to look like a regular chicken.  

 It wasn’t a serious project so I didn’t even expect to win what I did, but it is my first time so I am happy.

And while my purchases at the festival were small I had a great time.   

two bumps of jacob roving  

moon and stars clay buttons

Counting the grey hairs

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years.  We grow old by deserting our ideals.  Years may wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ~ Samuel Ullman

On Tuesday there were two monumental happenings in my life.  I woke up and suddenly I was getting old… I packed up #2 son for his last first day of school and #1 daughter turned 30!

So far as #2 son, I thought I would be jubilant; in a few short months there will be no more lunches to pack, no more books to cover, no more parent teacher conferences, no more homework help.  But as most “adults” when I get what I think I want I am not happy with it.  It is the end, all my babies will have graduated.  There is happiness and pride in their successful graduation but there is sadness too because now their problems will get bigger than I am able to help them with.  I can read their books to help them with a report, I can organize their research, I can pack a lunch that their friends try to steal, I can correct their “me and Jim” to “Jim and I” but after this they are all on their own.

And how, when I only graduated “a couple of years ago” did I end up with a 30 year old kid?  1982 was only a couple of years ago, right? I know her father looks old and I know she went to Iraq, married and has two kids of her own but…30?!  Already?!  How the hell did that happen?!

And to top it off the garden got a little out of hand while I was playing with the grandbabies.  Trying to tame the savage beast and put it all in jars had me feeling cranky, exhausted and achy.  Both physically and emotionally OLD!

But as this week draws to a close I see jar after jar of garden produce .  I know while #2 daughter and #1 son are at their jobs, #1 daughter will call me at 8:08 when her husband leaves for work and we will discuss how awesome my grandchildren are and then #2 son will come home from school and after grabbing a quick bite he will leave for work. 

I may be getting old but I am not done yet.  My children are all close and happy well worth the tears and grey hairs. I guess my aches and pains are battle scars and I guess there are some good points in getting older and children moving on.

I am not saying I won’t waiver or shed a tear wishing both them and I were younger again but I guess I have to look at it like this…

I will never be an old (wo)man.  To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am. ~ Francis Bacon

 

Yikes in 15 years #1 grandson will be close to his graduation!  I am going back to bed!