Small Town Life and Fall

Just when small town life starts to get to me, we have an afternoon like this one. The kids came home from school, grumpy and tired, and they all decide to walk downtown for a limeade. Ah... a few minutes of peace, they get a little exercise and an outing, even though it's a rainy day. As I watch them walk down the street together (7 in all, including the friends who were here, too) with their umbrellas, I think how wonderful small town life is. How terrific for these kids that they can go downtown on their own, safely, do a business transaction (well, kind of, they charge it to our family account), and walk home. As ol' Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

WEll, I've been working all day on craft articles for Highlights. Hilarious. I won't go into details, but let's just say I won't be doing an assignment like this one again. I'll just leave it at that.

It's funny how quickly I've become accustomed to the new schedule. Kids off to school, I clean house, write, run errands, etc., then they get home, homework and so on. The first few days, it seemed such a LONG day without Jon here, but now I have to admit it goes by fast. AND I'm enjoying it. My house is not perfectly organized yet, but I'm well on the way. I'm not selling articles hand over fist yet, but I'm writing, at least. That's a start!

My ED came home in such a funk today (another reason I'm glad they went downtown!). I really feel for these early adolescents with their hormones running amuk. What a horrible feeling. It's bad enough for me, and I know what's going on! Too bad her soccer practice was cancelled due to rain. She could use a little running around outside. Maybe I'll roll out the exercise mat and get them tumbling this afternoon. It would be good for all of us.

It's been pouring all day, just a welcome respite from all this heat. And it's definitely cooler. Isn't it funny how autumn makes you want to settle in and work and get your house organized and cook and all the things people have done in autumn for hundreds of years? Is it routine that makes us do these things or is there an inner instinct that makes us begin to snuggle in for the winter? Do people feel this way in Florida and other areas without winter? Do you still feel this way when your kids are grown and gone? Perhaps much of it is related to the routine of going back to school. Remember the part in YOU"VE GOT MAIL (my favorite movie) where Joe Fox tells her he wishes he could send her a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils? Oh, man, would I ever love that. Now that's what fall's all about.