A fresh start for fall

The autumnal equinox slipped by with very little notice in the Alvarez household.
The change of seasons is something I’ve always loved to watch, the subtle shifts in the weather especially pleasant. It’s always a great feeling when you encounter the first cool autumn days after a particularly long summer, or the first warm kisses of spring after snowy winter months.

With everything going on here at home, it was easy to forget the equinox on the 22nd. Our home is currently undergoing some major renovations, thanks to the big, half-dead old maple that stood in our front yard. The maple tree is no more, though, and my husband is very proud of his impressive new lumberjack skills. A number of logs have been stacked beside the garden shed out back, waiting to be split and seasoned for use in the fireplace this winter.

The combined disappearance of the old tree and the remodeling of the damaged portions of the house are just the beginnings of changes, and how fitting for them to happen at the change of seasons? With a baby girl due to arrive on December 19th, there’s many more changes yet to come.

Change isn’t something I’ve ever handled very well, but instead of hiding from it, I’m doing my best to embrace it this year. It’s all change for the better, after all! So as a small gesture of how I’m changing myself to better embrace everything changing around me, I changed the design of my blog, as well. It’s a small step, but I think the transition from green and leafy to more mellow creams and browns is ideal for the transition from summer to fall.

I’ve also decided to change my outlook on life and my career. When people ask me what I do, my answer will no longer be the acknowledgement of my day job, it will be an emphasis on my real job – I am a writer, and it’s a job that I’m thrilled to have! Embracing the title is the first step to changing how I and others feel about my work. Again, it’s a small step, but I believe it’s one that marks a new beginning and a new stage of my changing life.