Quote of the day: “On a bare branch a crow is perched – autumn evening” ― Bashō Matsuo
The seasons turn – fall and winter will be followed by spring
We had our first snowfall in Minneapolis this week. It was too warm for the snow to accumulate, but it was sobering to see the snowflakes blowing in the wind much of the day.
Most of the leaves have fallen. The gorgeous bouquets of fall leaves are becoming compost for next year’s growth. The landscape is turning from vivid color to monochrome.
As a photographer, the grey days of late autumn and early spring are the most challenging for me. I usually feel that I see beauty wherever I go. In late October and November, when all the trees are bare and the landscape is shades of brown and grey I sometimes have to look twice to see the beauty that surrounds me.
In the seasons of our lives, I often think that spring and summer and even early autumn are much preferred to late autumn and winter. Yet, every season has its purpose, for in every turning, we grow and change and learn.
Studies have shown that older people are actually more happy and satisfied with their lives than younger people. I know that is true for me – I am much happier now than when I was younger. I am much more aware of how brief my life is, each day is a treasure, and I don’t get to know how many days are allotted to me in this lifetime.
So my goal is to live fully each day, find 3 things to be grateful for each day, and do at least one good deed each day.
Like the seasons of the year, the wheel of my life is filled with the turning of seasons also. As I prepare for my winter walk-about in Hawaii (December 2 – March 13) I feel as if I am in in-between time, no longer fully here or yet there.
So far, I haven’t resorted to list-making, but as I see the days move by more and more quickly, I think I may resort to list-making soon. I have much to prepare for my trip and to keep my Etsy store running while I’m in Hawaii.
Since I will not be able to print the orders myself while I am in Hawaii, I am working on getting everything setup to have Mpix print any orders while I am gone. I’m also finishing up portraits for people, thinking about a planned April-May show and teaching my first workshop today on using self-portraiture as a tool for self-discovery (more on that in my next post).
As the fall moves into winter, may you live fully each day, find 3 things to be grateful for, and do one good deed each day.
Still some color to be found – Downy woodpecker on bird feeder
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