This morning the frost was on the pumpkin, the lawn and the windshield. The tips of the grass glistened in the sun and cracked underfoot when I went to the driveway for the papers. Before I left for breakfast, I had to get the scraper from the trunk and scrape the windshield. It was the first frost of the season. I could see my breath in the morning light.
The day warmed quickly, and by the time I’d finished breakfast, it was already in the 40’s. Now it is 51° and feels almost balmy. Everything is relative.
The sun looks different in the fall and winter. From here in the den, I can see it shining through the oak tree just as it shined all summer, but it looks cold, almost wan. It provides only light now and even its light lasts just a short part of the day. I try and keep the darkness at bay. On the deck is a small fir topiary which stays lit all night. In three different parts of the yard, white lights are lit from six to midnight. They give a bit of comfort and shine through even the darkest of nights and are my reminder that winter is but one of the seasons.
I’m wearing my warm slippers, part of my cold weather uniform. Nothing is worse than cold feet. Cold hands are easier to get warm, but cold feet seem to chill the whole body. My socks have come out of storage as have my winter shoes. My sister and I were talking last night. She asked what I wanted for Christmas. I said I had no idea. She asked if I needed shoes. I said I had my winter shoes, still good for five or more years, and my summer sandals, also good for a few more years so I was covered for shoes. I thought about it later and chuckled a bit. My life is two pairs of shoes, and they are more than sufficient.
