Clear afternoon light/election anxiety
Autumn is my favorite season. I look forward to the retreat of summer's heat and the arrival of crisp, dry air. Unpacking the seasonal decorations, buying that gallon or two of apple cider, and trying a new variety of apple -- all these things help me mark the new season, keep me aware of the passage of precious time. The autumn equinox is always observed with extra candles at my house (in this respect, as in others, I am a little bit Pagan), and I look forward to the extra hour of sleep that the end of Daylight Saving brings. And I don't mind the early dark. Mom used to say there was no better feeling than to draw the living-room curtains at night, and to know that everyone she loved was safe and well fed. By the beginning of October, my son has always got plenty of firewood stacked for me, and that first fire of the season prepares me to settle in for winter. We haven't yet had the first fire -- last year we had such warm weather that I could probably number the fi