Back To School

August ends and, as always, my Birthday, the State Fair and Labor Day mean Back to School for me. In the days of my youth, school always started after the Labor Day Weekend. It signals a New Year…a new grade level…a new chance to make changes…a new adventure. It has always been that for me…first for myself, then during all the years I was raising my children. Now I am employed at the college and the advent of the new term brings the same excitement and promise. Even now, little Ember goes to her daycare “school” and today we will shop for her first pair of real shoes as she is about ready to start walking.

In my childhood, this was the weekend for venturing into the stores for school clothes…a new coat and a new pair of shoes. And for making plans for keeping to a sensible bedtime, eating a good hearty breakfast, making healthy lunchbox lunches. There would be rules about getting homework out of the way and a return to a more rigid daily routine than the free-wheeling summer days. “Home before dark” came earlier every day.

Now I preparing for the drawing in, the pulling the house in around me. A new filter for the furnace which will be turned on soon. Opening the plastic bins that contain the afghans and wool blankets, the heavy sweaters and warm scarves. Dusting off the rain boots. I already purchased my new shoes…brown leather Mary Janes from Born. And I’m busy knitting wool socks to keep my feet toasty.

The dogs love the brisk Fall weather and our longer ranging walks. We’ll have to dig around and find our flashers as the evenings I get home after work it will be dark when we head out. My Labs are real dogs and do not wear cutsey coats or little plastic booties. Their coats shed water and the undercoat keeps them warm in the coldest weather.

We’re ready to say good-bye to the summer that never was and move on to a Fabulous Fall that will be full of fun and activities and events and the joy of another season to be alive and well and surrounded by my family.