12th Sep 2007
missing home
Today is the first day it really feels like fall. There’s that tinge of coolness in the air and the trees have started to turn. I love fall, and it makes me think of home. Back in Colorado, the aspens are already golden and the high country has probably had snow. My friends and family have been wearing fleece for a week at least (there’s very little fleece in my part of NJ. I miss it, and hiking boots, and general granola fashion sensibilities). None of my students in class today knew anything about snowshoeing (OK, one had done it before).
Fall isn’t as spectacular out west as it is here; we don’t have the same range of trees, but it signals the winter and snows to come. The days are bluebird ones, with a crystalline sky, and layers of clothing have to come off & go back on as you move through the sunshine. You feel like you’re living in a dome, or the bowl of the world — the most beautiful place on the globe right now. You feel lucky.
Your writing gave me the shivers, especially the line
“The days are bluebird ones, with a crystalline sky, and layers of clothing have to come off & go back on as you move through the sunshine.”
Although I’m not from Colorado, you’ve evoke a sense of longing in me. Today I managed to fit in an hour of biking with the crazy scuttling clouds and a headwind that had just a bit of bite and the scent of apples and ripening grapes. Thank you for helping me stop amidst the frantic pace of the first weeks of school.
I love your writing style—can’t wait to read your book! Even though it is education-related, I have faith that you’ll make it a page-turner.
I am so happy about the “arrival” of autumn too…or at least the disappearance of humidity. Ok, ok, it may be snowing in Colorado already but… at least in NJ at the end of the month, you can go apple picking….unless…they run out of apples. That actually happened in an orchard we went to last year. Only in Jersey could an orchard sell out of apples!
You two are both too generous — especially since I know you both are excellent writers (and thinkers and just plain cool women).
Hello Dr. Dana,
I have enjoyed reading your blog. To be honest, I had a little trouble with the blog that I set up during class. I had to do the whole process all over again because using old blog I wasn’t able to leave any comments for the class assignment. Finally, I have a new blog. Feel free to ckeck it out:
lifeatmontclair.blogspot.com
Cya, Karolina (your reading class student)