Reflections on Autumn...................The art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

Here in our corner of Extremadura life seems to go past  so quickly. 

As you know from my previous post the renovations are moving forward with a steady pace now, and I am pleased to tell you that the roof repairs have been successful no more leaks for the time being. (Fingers Crossed)

We are now deep into autumn.   Some folks back home seen surprised that we have seasonal weather here, expecting it to remain sunny and warm all year round, but the seasons here, in Extremadura,  do change and it is the changes in the rhythm and flow of the seasons that I love the most. Whereas the summer was hot and scorched,  autumn has trundled in showering us with rain and clouds but also bathing us in the most glorious sunshine  and creating the most incredible sunsets, where the sky’s seem on fire. 

The ground has turned from thirsty seared brown grass to vibrant greens with bursts of yellow and purple flowers; it’s as if nature is giving us a taste of what spring will bring. There are days when we can go out for walks, wearing jeans and t-shirts, but equally there are evenings where we hunker down in front of the wood burner, sipping warm drinks and planning the next project.

Whilst we have settled in well to our new life here  and It is now nearly 8 months since we arrived and 6 months since we bought the house, so much has happened and so much has been achieved, and yet there is still so much ahead of us still to do and experience.

The speed at which time has rushed past, has given me food for thought,  it is bad enough that we arrived 8 months ago, but do I really have daughters in their 30’s, was I ever 21.!

It is, I believe the passing of the seasons that make us reflect upon our own transitions through life,  the changing seasons hit us with the understanding that nothing, however hard we might try will ever stand still,  and time passes whether we like it or not.

So while the sun was shining and the evening warm and long, my feelings were equally happy and warm and I had a sense of total well being.  Now the autumn is here, the days are shorter and months are moving rapidly past, my thoughts have turned to the future, not to the old ways of alarm and what ifs, but almost a sense of apprehension, not because we are in here in Spain, not a panic about the future, more a fear of the future passing too quickly maybe as you get older, you get a sense of your own mortality. Maybe autumn is a reminder to reflect and plan for the future? Planning for the future, is it a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden,  Is it there to learn from the mistakes of spring and summer and adjust the direction you are headed in. Then again, maybe it’s a time just to reflect on what is important,  relish in the beauty of the sunsets, of the autumnal leaves, of a child's hug, precisely because those things will not be around forever like the falling leaves. 

Thank you for reading my ramblings today..........................

Autumn. . . makes a double demand.  It asks that we prepare
for the future--that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping.
But it also asks that we learn to let go--to acknowledge
the beauty of sparseness.

Bonaro W. Overstreet