THE FIRST DAY IS THE TWENTY THIRD DAY
Cindy Maddera
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This morning, I put on my brown moccasin like boots. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and added an extra layer under my coat before pulling on gloves and hopping on the scooter. Today is the first day of Fall. In Oklahoma, this time of year usually still feels like summer or late Spring. On occasion you'd wake up to morning temps that remind you of bonfires and football games. Rarely did that ever happen on the first day of Fall. I am now far enough north that when the Almanac says "ACTION!", Mother Nature walks across the stage and stops perfectly on mark. The temperatures are crisp and the tips of the leaves have turned golden, some beginning to turn red. Bring on the caramel apples and the pumpkin flavored everything. Speaking of, there's five different varieties of pumpkin currently for sale at Trader Joe's. Cah-ray-zeee.
This time last year I was just about to head off to Ireland with Mom. Was that last year? I think it was last year. Yeah...it was totally last year (that's my favorite video from the trip because of the sheep). This is what happens to me when we reach this time of the year every time. What the Hell happened to all the other seasons in this year? How is it even possible that it is Fall already? I am so confused as to how this time last year seems like a lifetime ago yet at the same time how it seems like we've zoomed past Spring and Summer. It's Fall and I have a new bed, but I'm still waiting on my new bathroom. I suck at quantum physics. Or quantum physics makes me want to throw up. Most likely both. I feel like the grasshopper in The Ant and the Grasshopper. I haven't roasted enough tomatoes or fresh corn for the freezer. I made my favorite sweet corn polenta one time. I have squandered so much time. What is wrong with me?!? I should know better.
Well...I suppose it depends on your definition of squandering time. There were mornings where I was coloring with chalk on the driveway when I could have been buying all the tomatoes at the Farmers' Market. There was that weekend I decided to go camping instead of buying up all the fresh corn. Those are things I could also do this weekend, but I've been planning a trip to see Amy's new baby forever now. So I'm going to do that. Squeeze the new, not really so new any more, baby. I hardly ever let myself be the grasshopper. I am the ant. I prepare and get shit done. That's who I've always been. I'm the only one I know of that makes a grocery list based off a weekly meal plan. The bathroom gets cleaned once a week and I dust every other week. Every two weeks or so I make up two jars of ghee. I am the ant.
But you know what? I think I'll be the ant that dresses up as the grasshopper for Halloween. I'm just going to try on that grasshopper costume for little teeny bit of time.