Let me just start by saying…I love autumn. I love the colors of autumn, the temperatures of autumn (even if today is going to be an unusual 93 degree day here in Missouri), the foods of autumn, the crispness of the morning air that accompanies autumn. But…

on this first day of autumn, 2017, the world seems a different place, outside my front door, as well as inside my back door. I cannot wrap my head around what is happening in the world, but I can try to put it aside for a while, close it out…and so I do. But…

then, as I look at my inside world, I notice it changing also. Things that used to be so easy are not easy anymore. Change is not only in the seasons, it is a part of life, sometimes welcome, sometimes not so much so. My challenge this autumn is to find the change worth cherishing, to find the change that covers up the losses that come naturally. And so, as always, I went for a walk…

I have discovered over the last couple years that goldenrod is one of my favorite flowers, and it explodes in the late summer taking us into autumn.

Asters are incredible, and the bees are very busy this time of year.

The colors in Missouri are just beginning to change…yes!

Chrysanthemums have always been one of my favorite flowers, they remind me of my home growing up.

And as I walked, I found those things that go out of season to make room for those things I so love in autumn like these sunflowers that were so beautiful a couple months ago, and are now spent until their season returns…

and I found life hanging on as long as it is able…

This rose, a Mother’s Day gift from so long ago,,,

and these tomatoes, hanging on for us to still enjoy.

and the highlight of my walk was this monarch chrysalis on our garage siding, getting ready to start a brand new life and a brand new journey…

So, as I come back inside my back door, I understand that there is a certain melancholy to this first day of autumn, 2017…

But I will not let it last for long…because there are apples to pick. There are pumpkins out there I need to turn into my favorite dessert, pumpkin pie. There are crisp, cool mornings to take walks while listening to the leaves crinkle beneath my feet. And best of all, there are holidays to prepare for, and that means family!

Yeah, life, it is changing…my challenge is to keep up with the change as best I can, cherish it, and plan for it! Now where is that 9 inch pie pan!