The month of September started pleasantly with a cool, refreshing rain on Labor Day. Another shower the following day interfered with Jim's plans to begin building a deck but, despite the delay, we enjoyed getting our tomatoes watered. The next few days continued cooler than usual and on Saturday morning we awoke to the sound of rain falling again.
As we expected, there's been a subtle change in the air. The breeze is a little more brisk and several leaves are beginning to drift down from the walnut trees. A few days ago I saw a grey squirrel busily burying a pecan. He's feeling the approach of fall too.
We picked up grandson Matthew and took him with us to the stadium Friday night for the Lions' opening football game. The weather was plenty warm when we arrived and we watched a bit of the team practice while we waited for the concession stand to open. Then, with burgers and drinks in hand, we found our seats in the stands. Matthew soon met a friend and asked him to join us.
We felt quite a change about the beginning of the third quarter when a breeze kicked up. We could see an occasional streak of lightning as we gazed over the scoreboard at the north end of the field. It looked as if the folks in McDonald County might be having a storm. Unfortunately, our team wasn't able to start the season with a mark in the win column and we left a little early to deliver Matthew to his home. The temperature had dropped a few more degrees by the time we got back to our house and listened to the evening's area gridiron report. A blanket felt good when we crawled into bed that night.
A change in the seasons sometimes prompts us to make a change in our surroundings. I did a little update in the bathroom recently and took down the old burgundy shower curtain we'd been using for years. I replaced it with a new blue and white striped version and put out a blue box of Kleenex to match. For the final touch, I placed a little trinket I'd picked up at the thrift store last month in the window. A blue and white figurine of a little Dutch boy and girl sharing a kiss, it featured the name "HOLLAND" on the base and seemed just the right thing to commemorate our recent anniversary. Best of all, it coordinated perfectly with our new look.
Sister Nancy dropped by Sunday evening and brought me some more honey. It was perfect timing too because my supply was almost gone. I use a teaspoon every morning to sweeten my cup of herbal tea. I've bought a box of fruit flavors and I especially like the blueberry variety. Other choices are Black Cherry Berry, Country Peach Passion and Raspberry Zinger. There's no more soothing way to ease into my morning or relax at the end of the day.
In a column she titled "September: A Time of Change and Challenge," writer Lee Radziwill recorded these lines: "September is the time when most of us feel renewed enough to have the best intentions about what we would like to accomplish in the months ahead -- what we would like to learn, what we would like to achieve."
She recommends using this month as a time of self-improvement. Some of her suggestions included learning a language, taking a night course or going to a lecture series at an area museum.
September is a good time to start a new job or to pursue further studies or training to prepare for one. We may already be adjusting to a different schedule after the summer. Youngest sister Mary Alice has changed from her afternoon hours to working mornings to cover for a coworker who has returned to school. Over the slower days of summer, we've had time to reflect on how we could make our days more interesting, how we could get along better with people we find really trying or what kinds of changes we should be making in our lives.
As we enter the exciting autumn season, let's vow to make some positive changes in our lives. Start reading that book you've had on your list for so long, read the Bible daily, engage in a new hobby or join a club that needs volunteers -- maybe just concentrate on eating healthier or getting more exercise. Tackle each day with enthusiasm and let's make the glow of summer last clear through fall.
Susan Holland is longtime resident of Benton County and a staff member of the Westside Eagle Observer. She may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 09/10/2014