Prelude to fall

In these latitudes, fall officially begins this coming Wednesday, Sept. 22nd, when days and nights will be about equal in terms of length. Fall is supposed to last six weeks before the first frost. But, at the farmer's market, and in terms of nighttime falling temperatures, fall has already begun in earnest.

There's definitely a bittersweet feeling to purchasing butternut squash at the farmer's market, or a few of the many kinds of delicious apples that begin to show up in orchards in this season. There's also that same feeling when you have to shut all the windows at night and, when you awake, you find that the inside temperature barely reaches 66 degrees, making you wonder when you'll have to start turning on the heat as it begins to dip below 65 inside (usually when it's in the low 40s outside).

This has been, like 2008, a very dry summer, so the promise of the stunning fall colors of earlier years likely won't materialize. Still, the pumpkins are doing their best to make up for that (I brought home the homely, warty yellow, green and orange pear-shaped pumpkin above).

This fall, for the first time since we arrived in Ohio in 2001, when I was yet to figure out what I wanted to do, I'm not working full time or teaching, and the break is a welcomed one, even if it feels odd not to be as crazy-busy, not to be in constant communication with students and colleagues, or not getting all dressed up for work. That means I finally have time to dedicate myself not just to my scholarship but also to re-designing my classes for next semester and to making sure that I structure my time in ways that help me finally achieve some kind of balance between my commitment to my job and to myself.

With myself in mind, and thanks to the privilege of having this time off, I'm re-learning to quilt and am devoting time to going on at least two walks a day with the dogs, five or six days a week, aiming to get in the groove of the physical exercise that eluded me completely during the academic year. Since the days and evenings are still pleasant, I don't have to go to the gym to walk a mile or two. Soon that will change, of course, but for now, I'm making the most of these glorious late summer-early fall days.

The summer quilts have been put away and the comforters taken out, a sure sign that summer will soon be a warm (if too dry and hot) memory. But there is much to look forward to this fall: a visit from my sister and niece to see a musical here, a visit from my mom for my birthday, and a visit from my sister and her kids for Thanksgiving (finally I get to cook another scrumptious turkey with her!). Welcome fall!