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You expected to be sad in the fall.

Part of you died each year
when the leaves fell from the trees
and their branches were bare against the wind
and the cold, wintry light.

But you knew there would always be the spring,
as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen.

-Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway gets it. It’s not autumn, or even winter; it’s the transition, the dying off, little by little.

Part of me is dying; that exuberant part that I discovered in spring when I became hypersensitive to the renewal of the earth around me.

As the days go by and there is less and less new life to chronicle, I lose a little bit of that sensitivity, that enthusiasm. It falls from me like petals, like fiery leaves in the wind.

But that’s OK, I guess. In part because that sort of energy is unsustainable long-term, not to mention exhausting to those who have to live with me.

The days grow shorter, I slow down and mellow. I cook. I snuggle. I catch up on long-neglected reading.

I look more carefully for little things to take joy in.

Mushrooms growing out of tree trunks.
Birds’ nests revealed in the absence of leaves.

The juncos return. The feeders become social hotspots.

I spy the first goldfinches. This one is a female; can you find her?

I look forward to the days that I can scatter seed on snow.
I relax. I rejuvenate. I catch my breath, and wait for spring.

All this hurrying soon will be over.

Only when we tarry do we touch the holy.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

Even the bugs are slowing down in anticipation of winter.

I knew that some insects produce a natural “antifreeze” to survive the freezing temperatures (some can survive temperatures as extreme as -20 degrees Celsius!). What I didn’t know is that the chemical some insects produce- propylene glycol- is used as a “green” antifreeze for cars! Fascinating, right?

The fact that insects- such simple, multitudinous, seemingly insignificant things- have such a complex survival mechanism in place, gives me peace, in a way.

I have to believe that whatever hardships loom on the horizon, somehow everything will be taken care of. I refuse to constantly worry- worrying, after all, being a kind of prayer.

Someone, something, has ensured that the will and the means to survive resides within us all. Dig deep. We will make it through the long winter.

Who speaks of victory?

To endure is everything.

-Rilke

First and foremost:

Please, please tell the Bush Administration to leave the damn wolves alone already. This request comes directly from my son Maverick the wolf boy. It’s a vicious cycle: wolf numbers get low, they gain protection, numbers increase, protection is lifted, the strongest and best are most hunted. At the same time we encroach on their habitat. We are killing this species.

Learn more about wolves here.

Comments from the public accepted here.

Now they are saying #5 plastics are maybe not as safe as they had once thought. Wonderful.

I had tried to stay away from these anyway, as they aren’t recycled in my area, but Maverick’s Laptop Lunch is definitely #5, and probably all of our sturdy Tupperware as well.

But, sending the kids lunch in glass containers? That feels like looking for trouble…

Hey, remember how badly I wanted to make my own Muppet? Turns out I can design a Muppet online and have it delivered!

Ohhhhh….the temptation…..

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. ( Well, via Design Crush, maybe you can.)

I do believe in judging books by their titles, and I Was Told There’d Be Cake was almost as awesome a read as the title promised. If you came of age in the 90s, get thee to a library.

I like this idea: Why Not Ask Bill Gates to be Secretary of Education?

Equally pleasing: Obama daughters: Role Models for Girls Fashion. Cassidy is four and fashion-conscious, and I would love to see girls’ clothing trend towards tasteful and age-appropriate.

I am finally nearing the end of my Planet dishwashing powder (hurray!) and thinking about what to try next. Treehugger says this one works as well as Cascade. Excitement!

I’ve mentioned before my recent foray into the world of Facebook, so I totally identify with How Facebook Status Updates are Ruining Your Post- Election Social Life (thank you Kristin for sending me the link). Anyone else sympathize?

Another article today about rising SPAM sales. A particularly horrifying quote:

Invented during the Great Depression by Jay Hormel, the son of the company’s founder, Spam is a combination of ham, pork, sugar, salt, water, potato starch and a “hint” of sodium nitrate “to help Spam keep its gorgeous pink color,” according to Hormel’s Web site for the product.

Because it is vacuum-sealed in a can and does not require refrigeration, Spam can last for years. Hormel says “it’s like meat with a pause button.”

People, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Spam is not the answer. Pass it on.

I love lists: 100 Essential Life Lessons from Marelisa @ The Abundance Blog.

And I very much liked Small Notebook’s post on Simplifying and Stewardship.

Finally, today is America Recycles Day, which feels like another of those nonsensical, redundant days like Earth Day, Mother’s Day, and Take a Child Outside Day (shouldn’t we be caring about these things on all days?).

I think too much emphasis is put on recycling as opposed to reduce and reuse, but it’s a good “gateway to green”. So go ahead and take the pledge and let’s get everyone through that gate, shall we?

And you? Read anything good lately?