And It's November

It sure came fast, didn't it?  Seems like summer was just beginning and all of a sudden--wham, here we are into the first week of November.

November is always a pensive month for me.  I tend to get very quiet and introspective.  Especially here in Michigan.  The days get shorter and colder.  We see less and less of the sun.  We've had our first frost.  The bounty of produce is just about gone.  Wiley Farms is getting ready to close for the season.  And when November hits, it's unmistakable that winter is right around the corner.  November also means our imminent departure from Michigan and that brings on a flood of conflicting feelings that I continue to wrestle with.

But there is also a mystical, profound beauty about November that is worth embracing.  To me it is the beginning of the period of time that the earth rests.

There are many good and beautiful things about November.  It means the holidays are right around the corner.  Warm, comforting dishes like soups, braises and stews grace my dinner table.  The Downy Woodpeckers begin to visit my feeders.  I snuggle in under a blanket, puppies at my feet, on my warm, four-season porch and delve into the wonderful books I bought/downloaded over the summer.  

November also brings about some of the most beautiful sunsets and moon rises I've ever seen.

Yes, November can be cold and dreary.  I won't argue that point.  But it also signifies the beginning of another season--winter.  And that is one of the things I love most about Michigan~~the seasons and everything that goes along with them.  Granted, we won't be here for the coldest part of winter, but I'm grateful that I will experience this beautiful, reflective time of year.