The End Of August

Fall is in the air. The air smells different and the light has changed. The dark stays later in the morning and arrives earlier in the evening. The weather is cooler. It's time for school to start.

I have always loved this time of year. As a child I couldn't wait for school to start again. Life at my house was turbulent and unpredictable, while school offered order and routine. I liked to read and write and raise my hand. I knew what to expect at school, and I was ready to go.

When it came time for my young children to start school, I was just as excited for them. We'd shop for clothes and school supplies, and we'd talk about all the things they would learn. In the morning of the first day I would take photos in the yard. Then the bus would come and away they'd go to discover what was new. Upon their return they would share their first-day adventures and a new school year would be underway.

The years of middle school and high school brought early mornings and hot lunches and walking to school with friends. My children had more to learn and less to share, more to do and less time to do it. Time together revolved around meals and activities and riding in the car. Conversations mattered. They were growing up and finding their own way.

The start of each college year required more planning and held a different kind of adventure. There were classes to select and schedules to set. There were decisions to make and paperwork to complete. Then the car would be packed full of life's essentials, with just enough room for family. Down the road we'd go to Albany or Boston, prepared to do what needed to be done on the other end before we all went out to eat. There was always a meal together before we said good-bye, so the student could unpack in their new space and get settled in. The rest of us went on our way, with promises of phone calls and emails and week-end visits.

Though I was sad to say good-bye, I was glad for the reason. Each of my children was ready for college when they went. They were independent and capable and every bit of the person they needed to be to succeed.

My youngest son, T, started a fall co-op schedule last year, so fall 2007 was the last time we packed the car and took to the road for school. I didn't know then that would be the last time. This week-end T was home and I was reminiscing about those moves to college in the fall and how much I enjoyed the experience. My son remembered the time as chaotic, while I remembered the time together and the fun shared.

Last year Labor Day was early and both of my sons were home. I wrote a post about it that ended like this: It was a family week-end that felt like more than a transition from one month to another, one season into another. It was time together that marked the transition from a family of parents and children to a family of adults ~ related friends who decided to spend time with each other for no other reason than they wanted to ~ people with interconnected lives who now stand alone more often than not and still choose to come together when given the chance.

This time of year reminds me of the years I have spent letting go. I wouldn't go back for the world, but I would have liked to hold onto the time we had together for just a little while longer....

Back

There's an old saying that insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result every time. Is there anything in your life that continually doesn't come up the way it should, and yet you keep going through the same motions? It's nice to live in hope, but at this point you may need to examine some of the deeper motivations behind your actions. In that way, you can change them.

Ten Favorite Movies

I enjoyed reading Annie's post yesterday where she listed ten of her favorite films. I like to know what other people are watching.

I am taking the challenge to list ten of my favorites. I put some limits on which ones I could list because I tend to favor certain actors and topics, so I tried to mix it up a bit. They are not in any particular order because that would be impossible. The idea is not to think about it too long. Here goes:

1) Out of Africa - the only movie I've ever seen that I insisted my friends see, too, and then I gathered them together and took them to see it.

2) Four Weddings and a Funeral - my favorite Hugh Grant movie.

3) The Contender - a political thriller with Jeff Bridges and Joan Allen.

4) Men Don't Leave - Jessica Lange is terrific in this story about a woman's resilience.

5) Shirley Valentine - Pauline Collins as a woman who follows her dream in mid-life.

6) High Fidelity - because it's quirky and I like John Cusack.

7) Life As a House - Kevin Kline at his best.

8) Wonder Boys - Michael Douglas at his best.

9) Field of Dreams - because I limited myself to one sports movie and this one has an element of magic.

10) It's a Wonderful Life - because I limited myself to one Christmas movie and this one has Jimmy Stewart.

This wasn't easy. I'm going to stop here because I could go on and on. I think I will do themed lists of movies in the future.

Old And New

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meeting in a coffee shop, sitting at my kitchen table, talking on the phone ~ these are the ways I've connected with friends this week. It has made all the difference.

On Thursday I had the pleasure of meeting a friend I've made through blogging. I know her through her words and photographs ~ her points of view and her view of the world. It was wonderful to meet her in person, to hear her voice and see her smile. I hope we have a chance to meet again.

The next day a friend from town came to my house for coffee and muffins.

And this morning a friend from away called to catch up.

Connections.

Whether in person or across the miles, friendship speaks heart to heart.

For that I am grateful.

Plants And Paint Color

The transplanted peace lily plants are thriving, with leaves bright green and glossy. I am tickled. This is the legacy of a plant that was bought to bring life to a dark bedroom. It traveled and lived a few more places before it spent a hot August day in a closed car. We thought for sure it was a goner. I brought it home, watered, waited...and watched it come back to life.

Peace lily plants prefer indirect sunlight, bloom when they choose, droop when they're dry, and turn brown on the tips of their leaves when they are overhydrated. They really need to dry out between waterings for ultimate health. That said, a peace lily plant decides for itself when it will bloom. It will be interesting to see if and when these young upstarts put forth flowers.

A peace lily would feel right at home in the room where my sewing table will be, with windows facing north and west. The light in that room is soft, and the color of the walls changes with the light. The color is tropical pool, the same blue sometimes seen in the sky.

The room was painted that color when we bought this house. Coincidentally, it was the exact color I had chosen to paint our bedroom in the old house. It took me weeks to find the perfect blue...and here it was again. Of all the possible colors to paint a room....

It will be a pleasure to spend time in this space.

Getting Things Done

I've made a list, checked it twice, and have started crossing off projects that I have been meaning to finish for months. First up ~ two paintings I inherited from my great-grandmother, two nudes she painted in 1914. The man who does my framing was able to repair the frames and use the original glass. The finishing touch was to hang them up in my bedroom ~

I finally got around to dividing the peace lily plant that bloomed this summer ~

And I figured out a way to make tiles for a plaque that our daughter gave us for Christmas. The set was missing one of the numbers we needed, and I checked every possible source but couldn't find one anywhere. Last week it occurred to me that I could paint over some of the tiles and stencil the numbers on. Voila ~

Today I tackled a bigger task ~ making a place to work on sewing projects. For years my sewing table has been moved to whatever spot was available in whatever room had space. Since my youngest son is living in Boston year-round for classes and co-ops, I am going to share space in his room. He will still use the room when he's home, but the rest of the time I will have a place to sew and create. I started talking about this move in the spring but have been slow to take action, reluctant to make changes that are possible because my son won't be home for longer than a week-end or school break. The time for this particular transition has come. Maybe more good changes will follow.

Biding My Time

To bide one's time means to wait patiently for an opportunity.

That is the phrase that came to mind after I saw the movie Julie & Julia.

Meryl Streep, who is one of my favorite actresses, plays Julia Child. Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, a woman who writes a blog about the year she spent cooking Julia Child's recipes.

Their performances were wonderful. The movie is warm and funny, and it got me thinking...

about how one bides their time. Julia Child went to cooking school because she wanted something to do while her husband was working at the American embassy in Paris. Julie Powell started a blog because she was unhappy in her day job.

These women started out biding their time. They ended up doing so much more.

Julia Child had no way of knowing that cooking classes would lead to worldwide notoriety as a first-class chef. She loved to eat and through cooking found her vocation.

Julie Powell felt that her life was stalled. She wanted to do something different and interesting. She had no way of knowing she would gain a following, write a book, and be the subject of a movie.

The movie got me thinking about what I can do while I am biding my time. What do I like to do? What am I good at? Will this work if I think about what it might lead to, or do I need to throw caution to the wind and follow my passion? What is my passion?

No ideas yet. I will keep thinking....