SATURDAY MORNING FALL MEANDERING THOUGHTS

I was trying to sleep in this morning since I don't have to be to work until late this afternoon BUT of course that didn't happen.  The furkids cooperated for a change but I was awake at 6 am and then the man's phone went off at 45 minutes later calling him into work so I gave up on the thought of staying in my nice cozy bed and decided to be productive.  I will admit I'm a little disorientated with it still being dark out this time of day.

The nights are getting chillier here and I desperately need to pull all my winter clothes out and go through them as well as getting the house cleaned and winterized.  I need to order some new clothes.  I have pulled out the fleece sheets, washed them and have them on the bed.  It's so much nicer climbing into bed on flannel or fleece sheets and having that warmth over climbing into bed with the chill of cotton sheets in the winter.  I have also pulled out my light winter coat and have started wearing it.  I realize that many here wear fleece until temps hit zero or below but I'm not that warm blooded and need a heavier coat.

Fall is such a wonderful transitioning time, unfortunately our fall has been rainy and short this year which hasn't been helped by the fact that I work seven days a week.  I should have had all the outside windows cleaned before now.  With temps so cold I'm not sure I'll be able to do it until spring now.  Lawn furniture needs to be stored and the leaves will need to be raked soon.  We have a leak in the mudroom roof that needs to be checked on and dealt with before the snow starts.

As for the inside of the home, I love the transition of moving from summer into the cozy winter mood.  Quilts, blankets, and afghans to cuddle up in.  I miss having a fireplace to have the season's first fire in.  I normally would have my harvest and Halloween decor out but that's something I may work on today.  We're having a Halloween decorating contest at work for our cubicles so I need to see what I have and decide if I want to participate in that.  I need to plan some crafts and get supplies ordered in to make them.  Stocking up on reading material is also a good idea.  I like to keep my reading balanced so I alternate genres; mystery, biographies, history, fiction, self-help, etc.

This is a wonderful time to do some home cleansing; both physically cleaning and spiritually cleaning.  Getting the carpets cleaned in preparation for the holidays, taking screens out for the winter and washing the windows before putting up plastic (if you do), and getting the cabinets in order for stocking up for the winter.  I've been picking up extra cans each week while grocery shopping in preparation.  Samhain (Halloween) is considered the pagan New Year and is the perfect time to do some spiritual cleansings and blessings. Sage-ing your home for spiritual cleansing should be a routine ritual for getting the negativity out. 

My menus start to shift from lighter meals to heartier ones.  Stews and soups appear regularly now in some form.  Lemonade gives way to hot apple cider and hot teas.  This is also the perfect time to rethink vitamins and supplements you're taking (or not).  With cold and flu season here already, a well stocked vitamin and supplement cabinet can be a wonderful thing.  Stocking up for hot toddy makings is mandatory for me as well as making sure I have echinacea and goldenseal tablets or tincture on hand.  I also have a lung support supplement that I bought from Mountain Rose Herbs to hopefully help prevent bronchitis if I do get sick.  Basics like Motrin, NyQuil, Robitussin, and such also need to be restocked.

Well my laundry is done and Matt's kindly toasted me a piece of homemade raisin bread so my meanders are at an end.