Fall forward

The art of noticing as the seasons change

Photo by Federica Galli

I don’t know about where you are, but in the northeast, the past week has felt like the turn towards fall. Maybe it’s a false front and we’ll get another scorcher, but the 10-day forecast is definitely trending in the right direction.

Fall is fantastic, what with its chunky sweaters and roasted gourds, but it’s also the top of the waterslide that is the end of the year. One day you’re wondering whether you’ll regret bringing a jacket and the next you’re wrapping presents and getting ready to do it all over again.

It will slip through your fingers if you let it, so my plan is to hold on. To get the most out of September and October and if the pull of the holiday-industrial complex isn’t too strong, even November. The key is the art of noticing everyday sensations. Things like:

+ Those couple of days when it’s the perfect temperature for a hoodie and shorts

+ Your palate’s changing of the guard from clear liquor to brown or pink wine to red

+ The glow of a fire dancing across friendly faces

+ The satisfaction of crunching leaves beneath your boots

+ The question of how many days in a row is too many to wear the same pair of jeans

+ The disbelief in having to think about what’s for dinner again only to remember it’s soup season

+ The scent of a candle that transports you to another time in your life

+ The comfort of a good book and a cup of tea before bed

+ The knowledge that you made it through another day and another month and soon, another year.

What will you notice?