Autumn- A Time of Gathering and Preparation

Ahhhh.....Autumn.  You can feel it in the air.  The evenings are cooler, the sun casts a different shadow upon the earth, all the summer clothes and play-things are reluctantly stored away for next year.  There is a certain sadness as summer draws to an end....gone are the care-free days at the beach, barbeques with family and friends, hot summer nights out on the east end, ice-cold Coronas.

Autumn is a season of true beauty. The landscape becomes the canvas of the Master Painter as leaves turn to gorgeous shades of burnt orange and brillant yellow.  We open windows to breathe in the cool, crisp air and our evenings are spent around firepits or indoors beside a roaring fire.  We hear the crunch of fallen leaves beneath our feet as we hike through the woods. We instinctly crave warming, healing food and beverages.  This is nature's way of gradually preparing us for a colder climate.  We simmer soups, casseroles and spicy chili on the stove for hours.  We roll out pastry shells and fill them with cinnamon-laced apples and savor the homey aroma as they bake. We burn vanilla scented candles, sip full-bodied red wines like Merlot or Shiraz, and decorate our homes with leaves and pumpkins and brightly colored gourds.  This is the season of harvest when the earth seems to explode with abundance. This is her last "hoorah" before she settles down for a long winter's rest. 

I am always amazed at how this season gently ushers us into the colder, harsher weather.  Autumn offers beautiful gifts to help make the transition to winter a little easier.  The cold weather is coming so this is the time of preparing and gathering.  How are you preparing and gathering?

As the seasons change; so do the seasons of our lives. You might freeze or can fruits and vegetables in the fall, but what steps are you taking to prepare and nourish your body, mind and spirit for the inevitable cold ahead?  Winter is a time of reflection and hard work behind the scenes--work no one really sees until spring arrives.  There is alot going on beneath the frozen soil...so should it be in the soil of our souls.  If you want to burst into spring fully alive, you must do the work during the winter.  In order to do the work, you must  prepare and gather everything you need during this season of transition.  Embrace this time and use it wisely...........

And this is my Daily Cyn............