New Season

Even though it still feels like summer, a new season is starting to reveal itself. The leaves are just beginning to fade a bit. It is cooler at night and with the windows open I needed to bring out the comforter. The hummingbirds are filling up for their long trip south. I brought in the last of the tomatoes. Not a big harvest this year but enough to freeze a few pounds. I grew tomato plants in pots for the first time. I have a bit to learn about how to increase my yield next year. I ordered allium, daffodil, and snowdrop bulbs. I ordered enough bulbs to fill the garden beds with spring blooms so I’m hoping this will be my last fall bulb planting. I may order tulip bulbs next year to plant in pots close to the house and see if they can survive the deer. I need to add compost to the garden beds. Last fall’s addition of compost brought worms into the gardens, which I was excited to see. I have about six inches of top soil and then sand so I want to enrich and add structure to the soil in the garden beds. Fall is a good time to add compost because the fall rain, winter snow, and the freezing and thawing will help work the goodness of the compost down to the roots of the plants.

And just as my gardens, and nature, work seasonally, I try and live seasonally. I set three month goals based on my overall vision. September through November is my current season, which ties in perfectly to autumn. What do I need to plant now for future growth? What can I let go of to free time for something new or to simply have the freedom of time? What can I harvest now to bring me joy in the next season? Plants have light and water and soil requirements. A plant in the right spot flourishes or self-seeds itself in the place it wants to grow. Plants have set planting times, bloom times, and harvest times. Do I have what I need in my life to flourish? What do I need to change?

There are many vision and goal setting systems out there. I am in a season of life where I want to simplify and deepen my life. I use a vision board, either created from magazine clippings or on Pinterest, to give me visuals of what I want my life to look like. I use legal pads to brainstorm then list the goals and tasks I want to complete in the next three months to help me achieve my vision. On Sundays, I pick tasks I want to complete that week and I cross them off tasks as I finish them. I love the feeling I get when I cross off a task. I add tasks and future goals as I learn more. These will be for another season of my life. When I achieve a goal, I treat myself to something–a massage, a nice dinner out, a trip to a bookstore or gallery.

Living seasonally helps me appreciate each day, week, and month for what it is. It helps me live a life I love with grace and patience. I am confident I create what needs created at this time and place. And when questions or frustrations arise, I walk in the forest is a sure remedy.