Turn! Turn! Turn!

(To Everything There is a Season)

Fall seems to be a hard season for me. Perhaps it's that allergies aren't as bad for me as they are in the spring, or perhaps it's because the air is redolent with cross country races and hot cider. Of course, this requires you to forget that we had a high temperature in the mid-90s today....

For me, it's also a season of work. This time last year was particularly bad, with my grandfather passing away and me stuck in an ice-cold room answering questions I couldn't begin to do justice to.

But I'm here, one year later. And between dissertating, teaching, and the job market, along with serving on one too many committees, I'm struggling again. Thank goodness for friends who tell you to scale back, and thank goodness for those friends who let you. I've had to give up one of the highlights of my week--frolicking with a 15 month old who melts my heart--but the afternoon I now have available will be dedicated to working on grants for funding next year.

Another change I'm trying out is hiring a friend of mine (Chef Surmi) to prepare one big meal for me a week, from which I can eat 2-3 meals. He does the shopping and cooking AND cleaning. So, for what I'd probably spend eating out at a decent restaurant (something I did last Fall when I didn't have time to even go to the grocery store), I'll have nourishing meals at home. Certainly a luxury, but one I don't mind spending a little of my savings on--a good meal nourishes the body and the soul. Good food truly gives me joy!

Here's hoping that the Fall season looks good for you all, and that the crisp air and crunchy leaves have something good in store.