When the trees their summer splendor
Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year.
— Carol L. Riser, Autumn
Fall is most definitely my favorite season of the year. Even with its touch of “summer’s over” melancholy, autumn slowly paints the world with warmly joyful colors, smells and scenes. The season makes me feel energized and ready to start anew (maybe partly because I’m an educator and connect fall to the new school year).
Autumn wants to make us pause and smile.
Here’s a terrific poem, by late 19th century poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, which shows fall’s happy face. Read it out loud to feel, as well as see and hear, the words.
Merry Autumn
It’s all a farce,—these tales they tell
About the breezes sighing,
And moans astir o’er field and dell,
Because the year is dying.
Such principles are most absurd,—
I care not who first taught ‘em;
There’s nothing known to beast or bird
To make a solemn autumn.
In solemn times, when grief holds sway
With countenance distressing,
You’ll note the more of black and gray
Will then be used in dressing.
Now purple tints are all around;
The sky is blue and mellow;
And e’en the grasses turn the ground
From modest green to yellow.
The seed burs all with laughter crack
On featherweed and jimson;
And leaves that should be dressed in black
Are all decked out in crimson.
A butterfly goes winging by;
A singing bird comes after;
And Nature, all from earth to sky,
Is bubbling o’er with laughter.
The ripples wimple on the rills,
Like sparkling little lasses;
The sunlight runs along the hills,
And laughs among the grasses.
The earth is just so full of fun
It really can’t contain it;
And streams of mirth so freely run
The heavens seem to rain it.
Don’t talk to me of solemn days
In autumn’s time of splendor,
Because the sun shows fewer rays,
And these grow slant and slender.
Why, it’s the climax of the year,—
The highest time of living!—
Till naturally its bursting cheer
Just melts into thanksgiving.
— by Paul Laurence Dunbar
September 22: Autumn‘s finally here (at least on the calendar, if not in the temperature). I LOVE Fall–the colors, the smells, even the tinge of melancholy at summer’s demise.
(Pics from a house around the corner from me.)
(Okay, of course I’m sure you all realize that the only reason this post is called Saturday Evening Edition is that I was a bit too lazy to do it yesterday.) But here are five reasons Yours Truly is a happy middle aged man. (Don’t start.)
1. There’s a touch of fall in the air mornings and evenings in Savannah. So cool! (Literally and figuratively.)
(I’m pretending Savannah looks like this.)
2. Teachers.
*
3. This insightful quote about Aging and Now:
“Rather than wanting to hold to the past longer and slow things down and stop the aging process — just revel in the power of now! You can’t stop time, and you won’t stop the recycling process that is taking place upon this planet, nor would you want to — but you do not have to suffer the moving through time. Every moment can be more wonderful than the moment before.” (From Abraham-Hicks Publications)
4. Savannah Pumpkins.
5, Flowing water.
Go H20!
Have a colorfully cool autumnal weekend. I certainly am down here in Savannah:
(Okay, okay, that’s from somewhere up in Maine. Whew. Excuse me.)
September is nearly over! How did that happen? Is it because I’m approaching (hush!) middle age that time seems to FLY BY? And I love September.
Slow down!
Wait! This just hit me: I’m in the September (late August?) stage of life. Oh gosh, how can I write this happiness blog now?!
Well, here are Five Reasons why:
1. My new glasses. I CAN SEE better. 20-20 they tell me. (But blind as a bat without them.)
(My glasses are made out of the bottom of Coke bottles.)
2. Fall benches, steps and chairs.
3. Root vegetables, apples and fried apple pies from North Georgia.
4. Meeting the Tibetan Monks who are creating a sandpainting mandala at the Jepson Center for the Arts here in Savannah. (More about them in an upcoming post.)
(Some of my international students.)
5. Mother Nature.
*
Happy Fall Weekend Ahead!
We’re deep into a beautiful, cool fall, and here are five things I’m happy about this Friday:
1. Finishing my first quarter teaching Language Studio (ESL) at SCAD. Here’s my terrific Mon/Wed 5:00 class on our final day.
I presented them each with a certificate for completing ESL at SCAD.
2. My buddy Riboclavin is in Ireland! No, no, not for a medical procedure he couldn’t get in the US! (Blog followers will recall that fake-named Riboclavin takes his temperature “frequently” and thinks he is dying at least a couple times a week. Broken fingernail? 911. As a good friend should, I revel in making fun of him.) But just look at these cool pics from Ribo.
Here he is with fellow traveler Brittany.
Seems they eat a lot.
May Riboclavin and Brittany have a continued safe, fun, HEALTHY trip.
3. Learning to make a text whale.
4. Realizing that even plants know how to share.
5. This friendly parrot saying hello to me several times this week.
Happiest of Weekends ahead!
