There goes the sun

Baseball player and broadcaster, Ralph Kiner, said

You know what they say about Chicago.
If you don’t like the weather, wait fifteen minutes.

Well, I don’t know about the 15 minutes part, but it surely is unpredictable here. My husband is a real weather follower and I think I’ve heard him say But they said it wasn’t going to (fill in the weather condition) until later! about a thousand times.

So I choose to pay little attention to it. I don’t plan my days or schedule around whether or not I’ll need an umbrella or sunscreen, and, although I will not venture out if there is a truly dangerous forecast, I give almost no regard to what the weather predictors report.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not mindful of the seasons. I am a fall and spring girl. Neither is my favorite, but I am not a fan of cold and ice, so winter is a big fat NO. And for the record,

1. My current plan is to never wear a bathing suit again and
2. I’m not a fan of sweating…

…so summer is out, too.

The moderation of spring and fall, however, are lovely. That fresh breath of spring after being inside to keep warm for so long and that fresh breath of fall after being inside to keep cool for so long are just delightful. Despite the fact that my comfort level in the car spans about 3 degrees (a source of smirky delight for my family), I don’t mind wearing something fun or cozy from my collection of coats, jackets, wraps, or sweaters throughout the day as the changes in the weather wander about.

I love the colors of fall, too, the crunchiness, and the crispness, the smell of fires, punkins – not the lattes, though, sorrynotsorry – candy corn, and taffy apples. And relief from that heat.

Yes, I love watching fall come. For the most part.

What I do not like and what almost ruins it for me is the gradual shortening of days. It takes soooooo much longer to really wake up to a slightly dimmer and later sunrise. And I find that my shoulders droop a tiny bit more each day as sundown comes earlier and earlier.

The benefit of a long day of sunlight cannot be overstated.

Not that I always appreciate it. For example, my papercrafting spot is in our garden level family room with two windows on one wall. I can get lost for hours down there, cutting, trimming, sewing signatures, creating tags and pockets and journals. I get a coffee every now and then, try to remember – without all that much success – to alternate it with water, grab cheese and crackers and grapes for a snack, and continue on to the next inspired idea.

Then, at long last I take a break, climb the stairs and saunter casually into the living-and-dining room only to rediscover the unexpected and beautiful world of natural light.

Sometimes I choose some small snippets of paper to fold and play with at the dining room table where the peace and joy of the sun’s glow join the project. Like a cloud of delight.

What is it about sunlight?

Yes, sometimes it’s the enemy. That skinny little visor offers absolutely no respite from the blinding sunshine as I drive straight west at the end of the day. I’ve been burned to a crisp more times than anyone would want to know. I won’t even start to tell you the effect sunlight has on cataracts. Good golly, Miss Molly.

But when the beauty and comfort of sunlight fades earlier each day, and when I wake up to an increasingly darker sky, the allure of fall, even with all of its benefits, diminishes just a bit.

Living in the Midwest, I am fortunate enough to experience shifts in the weather – we have the possibility of a white Christmas and a blustery Halloween. Easter is completely up-in-the-air, but we are just a short drive from seasonal activities of all kinds.

On the flip side, tornados are quite treacherous around here, we keep both the furnace and air conditioner on high alert as seasons come and go, and deep into winter, we question our sanity.

The sunlight, however, never fails. It may slip behind the clouds or dip down earlier in the colder months. It may scorch exposed skin and block our field of vision.

But in the end, my lovelies, it is faithful and trustworthy. And it brings a kind of light and warmth that can’t be duplicated.

I do love fall. But as the sun hides more and more each day, my love is tempered.

Strange as it may seem, though, the shortened days of fall and winter make way for an even sweeter feeling of hope in the spring, when our days grow longer and the sun, with all of its warmth and glory, opens a renewed feeling of joy unlike any other.

So, welcome, Dearest Fall. Let’s get cozy.

This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post
with the prompt of “Best or worst of Fall…”
Join us at FindingNinee

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash