Sweet Nothing

"I have done nothing all Summer, but wait for myself to be myself again."

-Georgia O'Keefe
(Letter to Russell Vernon Hunter - October 21, 1933)  

What I Did on My Summer Vacation ...

... And it's ALL my mother's fault! 

It started last Summer, well no, it was Spring (the end of April, 2025, to be exact), when I casually mentioned how nice it would be to have some fill-dirt to even out some of the low spots in my yard, top off my garden beds, and level out the ground that lay exposed after the absolute scalping my laurel hedge endured. Fast forward a couple of days to me waking up to a rumbling dump truck unloading FIVE cubic yards of dirt in my driveway that my mother ordered without telling me. 

Now, I'm not naturally the jealous type, but I think it's worth noting, my sister gets gifts like adorable sets of pajamas, and fancy baking sheets she'll never use, a little outdoor bistro set for her patio, a new throw rug ... 

I get dirt. 

It's not that it happens to be dirt, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want the dirt, I would've just preferred it on my terms. My sister gets gifts that make her life easier, or more pleasurable; a little upgrade here and there. My gifts arrive as spontaneous character-building exercises (I'm not entirely sold on the idea that the real treasure is the character we built along the way), also, I don't think anyone has to connect a lot of dots here to discover the complete lack of affection I maintain for surprises.

Urge for Going

They got the urge for going,
And they got the wings so they can go...

 

I felt it two weeks ago. I don't even want to say it out loud just yet, particularly because it never felt like Summer actually started this year, even my plants seem to agree (at least I'm not the only one confused around here!), but now it's definitely happening. The first, sharp bite of Fall was in the early evening air a couple Sundays ago - the sun hadn't even gone all the way down yet. Overall, the atmosphere was still pleasant, and gentle, and warm, but that indisputable chill with each soft gust told the real story. It doesn't matter how hot it gets in the daytime from here on out, Fall is undeniably closing in. Even though it's my favorite season, I still don't want to admit that it's time to switch gears, and start preparing my list of pre-Winter outdoor chores. I probably still won't need to start them until much later, but it's definitely time to get familiar with what will need to get done before I slip into full hibernation mode. It's also time to check in with myself, and make sure I'm soaking up as much of the Sun as I possibly can.

 

Slow down. 

 

Savor. 

 

Remember.