An unseasonably warm start for the month of November in New England. Halloween decorations have been taken down, collapsing jack-o’ lanterns are feeding the squirrels, and summer gardens are being put to bed. The glorious flaming red leaves of the maples are now littering the lawn. The brown leaves of the oaks are hanging on, proud to be the very last to fall. Our nation is gripped by election rhetoric from both sides claiming that the world will certainly come to an end if their party does not win.
Sounds like a dreary start to a long winter.
Yet, I spent most of this late fall day under the most beautiful blue autumn sky, walking through the open space trails in town. Enjoying the reflections of leafless trees and tangled brush in the calm water. The perfect jigsaw puzzle challenge for the long winter. Under the litter of white pine needles, a single blossom proudly proclaims " I will not give up!"
This afternoon, sitting on my deck in the warm autumn sunshine, I began drawing plans for my spring gardens. A sheltering shade garden full of ferns, with a miniature fountain, and maybe a resident frog, a sunny peony bed, the nodding heads of these majestic blooms in early June, a sight to see. Tomorrow, I will plant a hundred daffodil bulbs along my newly built front entrance, a bright yellow welcome to spring visitors.
The election is over. The world has not ended is no room for dismay. There is only the opportunity for hope. To everything, there is a season; each a harbinger of what is to come. I look forward to the cozy evenings by the fire as the earth begins to rest. I imagine what is to come. If I am quiet, I can hear the messages that will soon be unfolding under the refreshing spring sunshine. My days will be filled with the anticipation of soft fragrances and buzzing bees. I am an eternal optimist! The world will not end.
Sylvia
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