Summer's Practically Over!

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over.  I'm not ready to acknowledge that reality.  Surely there are more visits to Lake George, more time wondering what to do with a beautiful, warm, sunny day.  I want more days to breathe slowly, read a good book, relax and do nothing in particular.  But no, that's not the case. Time proceeds.  I work at a college where every little sight and sound indicates that, by this time next week, students and faculty will be well into their first week of classes.  My office will be swamped with people with 1000 questions.  I'll be lucky to complete one thought before the next one surfaces, and the odd thing is, I will love it.  This love of busy-ness is bittersweet, because I am not prone to relaxing and almost need to force myself to stop to enjoy life.  I know that once it starts, my work world will be in fast-forward mode all the way through the end of the semester, just before Christmas, when I'll stop again to go visit my daughter Meghan in California for her birthday, December 20.

So, during this time of year, when leaves are starting (already) to change color, and a few are beginning to drop to the ground, I think of the autumns of my childhood.  One very prominent memory is of my mom helping us to collect colorful leaves.  We'd take our jewel-colored leaves into the house where she'd set up the ironing board and, with two sheets of waxed paper, my mother would iron our precious collections into beautiful works of art, preserved from deterioration.  We'd hang our creations in the windows as if they were the most intricate pieces of stained glass.  I continued this tradition with my own children, and now I'm eager to watch Katie carry this on with her little one (soon to be two little ones!).

It's the simple things that bring the most joy.

Photo credit and instructions to do this yourself:  http://i.ehow.com/images/a05/a6/u3/press-leaves-wax-paper-200X200.jpg