To Fall or Fly

The calendar tells the story of a new season’s arrival. We feel it in our bones with the falling temperatures and brisk winds. Before long, we’ll admire colorful bursts of red and orange leaves while sipping hot chocolate or tea. We’ll exchange flip flops and bathing suits for boots, hats, scarves, and coats in anticipation of what comes next. Wait. Before jumping to ahead to winter, let’s pause to crunch the leaves, savor fall’s natural beauty, and hang on to the moment. It might feel like this: 

                                         https://youtu.be/rKUipxR3bDc

Given those conditions, they better hold on to something solid before they’re blown away. The wind plays a one-sided tug-o-war game and it’s close to winning. A slightly stronger blast will send someone flying. If you feel like unseen hands tug at your life, pulling you in directions you don’t want to go, who or what would you put on the other side of that struggle? 

Perfect Perspective

Ever notice how gloomy days affect our moods? Since the weather forecast calls for a few more days of rain, we’ll may see a lot more frowns this weekend, and the early setting sun might mean gloomy faces for the next six months. Even if the weather outside is frightful, we know it’s not likely to get this bad:

                                     https://youtu.be/zbgkeca1nPc

As cooler weather moves in, let’s look forward to steamy bowls of chili, mugs of sweet hot chocolate, and evenings huddled around a fireplace. We’ll make the most our gloomy skies. Everything depends on perspective, for instance, despite reports of terrorism and the divisive political climate, what’s the good news?       

The Alarming Situation

It is official. Autumn is here and you know what that means. Every morning’s chilly and grey skies start our days. Bliss is lying in bed under the warm covers minutes before the alarm clock rings. But, if you have to get up, you’ll need all your strength to push back the blankets and roll out of bed. Fall makes getting up especially hard and the Battle of the Sheets isn’t an easy victory. Of course, we offer a good fight by hitting the snooze button (several times) and vowing to get up in “two more minutes.” Kids and pets can be great motivators to drag us out of bed, but if you rise first in your home or live alone—good luck!

Many of us use some type of gadget to wake up, but those obnoxious alarm clocks fail to offer the real encouragement we need. Most alarm clocks lack pizzazz. Here’s a guy who donned his thinking cap and got creative:

                                          http://youtu.be/kQ-l5PlDa-k

If I had an alarm clock like that one, I’d have to blame my tardiness on something besides oversleeping. I could blame it on the concussion I would surely get from using that contraption. Barring extreme alarm clocks, what makes you leap out of bed, eager to start a new day?     

Whoosh! Going, Going, Almost Gone

Whoosh! Did you hear that noise?  That’s the sound of summer flying by. I didn’t feel prepared for summer to begin and now it feels like it’s almost gone. At an office supply store, I saw that they had already set up for the annual back-to-school shopping. When a back-to-school commercial came on TV, my kids groaned. However, I spoke to one little girl who admitted that she was ready to return to school. Fancy that!   

Like it or not, September is just down the road. Autumn is fast approaching with its crunchy, colored leaves and shortened daylight hours. I like the season so I’m not complaining. The weather is nearly perfect—not too hot and not too cold, no perspiring and no shoveling.  Remember this?

Hmm, flip flops in a snow storm. Now there’s someone holding onto summer! Be glad we’re not facing snow storms yet. In fact, I’m sure you still have items to check off on your Things To Do summer list. I’m looking at my calendar, but I don’t see Italy fitting in this year.  If I had a bucket list, that trip would be on it.

What about you? What would you recommend everyone put on their bucket list, and is it something you’ve already done or something you anticipate doing one day?