Where did the time go?

Well, as I am wont to do....I got myself involved in too many activities at once and found myself coming up short on time to manage them all.  So as Summer set in, I had to let something slide for awhile in order to make any progress at all.  Sadly, as you may have noticed, the Artful Gypsy blog was one of those things.  And this pains me because I worked so diligently on getting it all set up.  I had high hopes of managing 2 blogs, along with a multitude of other projects.  But alas, I just couldn't do it.  But I have returned now to give this blog some over due attention and love. 

A quick synopsis of my summer is that it was hot and VERY rainy.  I read a few great books that became a much needed diversion away from the long tedious summer heat.  I know that summer is Florida's big draw to most folks.  But when you live here....it just seems to be stifling and boring.  The ONLY thing that makes it even remotely bearable for me, is the extreme anticipation I feel towards the Autumn months that follow. 

For I am an Autumn person through and through.  Ask anyone that knows me and they will attest to that fact.  In fact, I live all year long....just to experience Autumn once again.  This past Autumn was a strange one however.  It came upon me so fast and furiously that I was caught completely off-guard.  I had so many grand plans and yet very few of them came to fruition.  In fact, that could be said for this entire year.  It has been a strange year indeed.  But the many activities that usually fill up the most wonderful month of October, did not all transpire this year.  Besides the fact that I was ladled with an on-going work project or two, we also had a bout of illness in the family.  The flu was present, but we aren't sure what type of flu it was.  Everyone recovered quickly thank goodness. 

I ran out of time to decorate for my favorite holiday, Hallowe'en....and that made me quite sad.  Our annual pumpkin carving party did not make the agenda this year either for the first time in about 5 years.  The only thing we did manage to accomplish, and just barely at that.....was taking a fabulous, although stressful trip to New England and Montreal, Canada.  That would prove to be the highlight of my Autumn.  We hit Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada.  We visited many wonderful towns such as Salem, Boston, Woodstock, Hanover, Peacham and Montreal.  And we timed it perfectly...the leaves were at peak and the color was bursting.  I was able to get some gorgeous photographs and I will share some of them here.  So the month was not a total loss, but it sure could have been better. 

As a result of my Autumnal disappointments this year....I have vowed to be ultra prepared next year, so that I can really enjoy my favorite time of year without being stressed, ill and over extended.  November arrived in the blink of an eye and will be gone in the blink of another.  I am constantly stricken by the awareness that time is moving now at warp speed.  Months flip by like days and there are never enough minutes in the day to do all that I wish to do. 

And the dreaded Winter is knocking on the door once again.  Don't get me wrong, Winter has it's moments, and the holiday season is something to look forward to indeed.  But once New Year's is over....I fall quickly into my seasonal blues.  This happens every Winter like clockwork.  Maybe it's the time change, or the cold weather.  Maybe it's the barren trees and brown grass.  But Winter is not my favorite season.  Perhaps if I lived where there were some snow, so that I could enjoy a Winter Wonderland for a change.  But in Florida, Winter is rather anti-climactic.  And just as I do in the summer, I bide my time, spending a lot of it indoors, waiting for the threat of the last frost to be gone so that we can go to work in the back yard.  Because that is where I like to live come Spring.  The rebirth of nature after her long winter's nap is second only to the Autumn for me!

I love all the seasons however....I really do!  I just long to live in a place where I can experience them all.  I love to live my life from season to season and holiday to holiday.  And speaking of holidays, we have the lovely Yule season coming up and I am going to try and relax and enjoy the spirit of the season this year without stressing too much.  We wanted to spend Christmas in a cabin somewhere out West.  A cabin that was surrounded by snow.  But we started on the planning too late this year, so we'll have to try for that again next year perhaps.  But I am looking forward to dusting off the Christmas CD's once again.  Are you in the mood for Christmas carols and egg not yet?  :o)