It's that time again....

Sigh. It's that time again.

See this...
Look at the sunlight on the kitchen windowsill. The windowsill is sunlight-less in the summer until the middle of August when the sun starts to slowly sink lower in the sky until the winter solstice. We've lived in this house for over 25 years and this is a sure sign that summer is almost over and school will be starting soon. School starts the week after next here in Regina.

I'm sorry to see this windowsill light because Dan has to head back to work in just over a week. However, the mental me is rather stunned that I won't be heading back to work as well while the physical me is heartily relieved.

The start of the school year is much more of a new year to teachers than the actual Jan. 1 New Year. It's a very busy and exciting time but tiring too. There are classrooms to ready, new classes to prep, new students to get to know, new families to get to get to know, often new school staff to get to know, expectations to relay to new classes, expectations to complete vast amounts of paperwork, and professional and school planning to complete. I'm actually tired just thinking about it. Although it seems strange to not be a part of it, having done it almost every year of my life, I know that my body is not up to the task this year.

I like autumn. I'm not a heat-lover. I like the cooler days and golden sunshine of autumn. Usually, though, I'm so busy that I have very little chance to really enjoy the season. This year will be different. This year I will make a point of spinning and knitting in the sunroom. This year I will seize the opportunity to cook and bake using the bountiful local produce from my garden and the market gardens.

This year I will take the time to enjoy life in the moment because life is short.