Shall we take a break for tea? Coffee? A little pick-me-up? :)

It’s officially fall and instead of just feeling excited, it’s as if there’s a sense of urgency in the air. As I look outside, it’s cloudy, rainy, and the breeze coming in is a delightful 63°. It’s the recipe for a perfect, dreary, cozy, fall day.

So why the anxiousness?

It’s not even the type of anxious that gets me excited to jump out of bed; it’s like a “limbo” anxious. Summer is officially gone and it’s now our transition time. We take our cues from the squirrels and start preparing for winter. We decorate, change out wardrobes, begin staying inside for longer periods of time, watch the trees for signs of their beautiful changes (because really, in Minnesota they haven’t even begun their show for us), and we wait. Wait for it to officially be winter.

Maybe that’s what I’m anxious about – this is literally the calm before the Minnesota winter storm. I’m anxious for the world to say, “Stay inside. Watch the magic that’s going on outside from the comfort of your home. Don’t be rushed to get things done – there’s plenty of time in winter.”

‘Tis the beauty of living in a four-seasoned state. Winter, and all its glorious magic, wonder, and sereneness, is just around the corner. And until then we enjoy our “limbo.” We bake pumpkin and apples pies; we carve pumpkins; we take walks on crunchy-leaf paths; we button up our coats a little higher; we drink apple cider by firelight; we watch cozy, fall movies like When Harry Met Sally, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Dead Poet’s Society, Remember the Titans, October Sky; we play football and cheer for our home team; we smell chilly cooking in the crockpot; we harvest our goods; we pull out the chunky throws.

And we wait.

Friends, what do you do to prepare for winter? To enjoy fall? :)