November 10, 2011

Just a bit more sunshine

When my kids were little, I’d send them outside to play any time we had sunny autumn weather. “This could be the last nice day,” I’d tell them. I knew that cold rains and then snow would keep them inside soon enough.

This fall, I’ve tried to follow my own advice and spend as much time outside as I could. What’s worked out well is that my weekend trips have been in geographic order, from north to south, so I’ve managed to find that last beautiful day in several different regions. During September, I drove north to Maple Leaf Country for a conference: the weather was warm enough to eat outside with my friends. During October, I went north to the mountains, where the leaves were turning bright yellow and red. Last weekend, I drove south to get to the monastery for a weekend retreat.

Tomorrow, I am flying south to a city where the temperatures are expected to reach the 60s. I’m hoping for one more weekend of sunshine before winter begins.

2 comments:

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Oh, I do that too! Except this time of year, it's dark w/in half hour of their return from school. I won't be shoving them outside again until mid-January!

Sarah said...

A good mantra! I am kind of trying to do the opposite - instead of saying, "this could be the last sunny day," I am working on going "Well it's raining and freezing - so what?! I'll just put on every pair of pants I own, eight hats and some wellies, and go out anyway!"