Month: September 2015

A few nights ago, after quietly reading in bed, I reached to turn off the light and proceeded to adjust my pillow and myself to a comfortable position for a good night’s sleep. The ceiling fan was moving the air enough to provide a nice, cool breeze, and caused a few strands of my hair to wisp back & forth over my ear and face. I brushed it back out of my face when either I sensed or felt something weird. I’m not sure which.

Yep, something had just fallen or flew into my ear!!!! Doesn’t matter which. The particulars don’t matter. Get it out!!! Now would be good! In fact two seconds ago would have been even better!!! My husband, Kim, reached for the light to take a closer look. “What is taking so long? Do something!” He responded with, “I don’t see anything.” “You don’t see anything?! How can you not see it! It’s the size of a bumblebee!” It wasn’t like he was being casual about it. His voice had the sound of concern in it, but I wasn’t sensing the urgency that I felt! Okay, he can’t see anything, so maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I only thought something flew into my ear. Maybe it had simply been a wisp of hair that I had felt.

Kim shut the light off preparing to go back to sleep. Uneasy, I decided to do the same. Nope! Nope! Nope! Something is definitely crawling around in there! I can feel it! It’s the size of a tarantula! “Do not dare tell me you can’t see it!! It’s enormous! Could even be a lizard or gecko, but I know you can see it!!! Now get it out!” He reached for the light again and asked, “What do you want me to do?” Seriously? Am I not making myself clear! “Remove the giant mutant creature from my ear! Are you good with those directions?!” I realize that’s a little snarky, but from my position of having some half insect, half spider making himself at home in my ear I think I’ve earned a little snarky!

He suggested pouring rubbing alcohol in my ear, but somewhere I read that if you do that it will just result in drowning the critter, only to have it taking a permanent nap in your ear. No! let’s not do that! I turned my head over in hopes that gravity would lend a hand…and it did. I could feel it as it lost its grip, and slipped out of my violated ear canal. Lifting my head I looked at my pillow, searching for this colossal creature. There it was…a tiny little no-see-um gnat. I smushed him under my thumb! Don’t judge me! You weren’t there.

We just passed through Labor Day weekend. The weekend that traditionally marks the end of summer, even though it really doesn’t. The last day of summer is September 21st, so technically it’s still summer, but we are already thinking it’s fall. Once upon a time Labor Day marked the end of summer vacation, but that date keeps getting pushed farther and farther into August, if summer vacation exists at all. Instead, we are left with simply a tradition of hamburgers, hotdogs, and potato salad, a gathering of good friends and family, and a three-day weekend from work and school. All good, but not the same!

I don’t much care for Labor Day weekend. It’s that whole end of summer thing. I love summer. As a kid no explanation is needed. As a mom I enjoyed having my kids home from school and no daily schedule to adhere to.  I like warm weather, flip-flops, shorts, and sunshine. Labor Day seemed to be followed quickly with cooler days and colder nights. A need to find socks and real shoes. Time to pack away the shorts and t-shirts until next May and break out that sweater in the bottom of the drawer.

The leaves are beginning to change, the air is cool and crisp. I glance every day at the mountain peaks and wonder when I will see the first dusting of snow. A hint of what is to come. Winter! Well, not this year my friend! Not this year!

This year I spent my first Labor Day in Florida. It was weird. There is no hint of yellow on the trees. The days are not cooler and nights are far from being cold. We’re going to have to wait another 5 to 6 months for that to happen. Even then, cold is a relative term. I don’t have to trade my flip-flops for real shoes. I keep my shorts handy, and the sweater can stay in the bottom of the drawer. But, it’s still weird.

I use to get a droopy feeling when summer passed to fall. I’m not feeling that, which by itself is peculiar. Have you ever looked up the definition of autumn? Don’t! It’s depressing! No wonder I would feel droopy! Fall is hunting season. I have friends and family who look forward to this season every year. I can appreciate that. Then there are the trees! They are quite delightful all dressed up in splendid colors. Even when those gold, red, yellow, and orange leaves begin to fall to the ground there is something youthful about kicking your way through them. The crunch and rustle are such a classic sound. Some people love this season. I’m just not one of them. I think it’s beautiful, but I also find it a little sad.

From here I see no visible signs that we are beginning the move from one season to another, but something is there. I am feeling a ghostlike thread of something. Perhaps some of it is guilt that my mountain friends will soon be stacking wood, donning coats and mittens, and shoveling snow. Some of it is this weird sense that for me time is standing still in endless summer, even though I know that isn’t true. There is an essence of something. Something is changing and though fall can’t be seen or felt in this southern part of the sunshine state it is still coming.