Monthly Archives: September 2013

Changing Seasons

September is the start of a change from summer to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere or from winter to spring in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Twin Cities metro area, September has already shown a wide variety of weather: we started with a medium drought with stagnant air, hot and humid weather, followed by cool nights, crisp days, wind, and finally rain. Lucy enjoyed the summer into fall transition. She never liked high humidity, so she enjoyed less humid days. We can still get very warm days at times, but the lower humidity means the temperature is not oppressive. After approaching 100°F twice at the start of the month, areas of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin awoke to frost this morning, and snow flurries showed up on radar near Lake Superior.

The Minnesota Farm Woman has a blog post discussing this year’s seasonal changes in her garden. The birds and animals are showing signs of preparing for shorter days and cooler weather. Hummingbirds are feeding more frequently on the black and blue salvia while anticipating joining the other snowbirds flying a half-continent south. Chipmunks and squirrels are destroying the apples on the large apple tree, herbivores are munching on the normally untouched colored daisies I leave at Lucy’s grave, Lucy’s honeycrisp apples are very close to harvest,  the ash tree is dropping leaves, the chrysanthemums are in full bloom, and some of the heat-stressed maples are showing red and yellow hues. As for the shorter days, full darkness at 9:45 pm is now full darkness at 7:45 pm. The roller coaster temperatures are trending towards shorter warm spells along with some unsettling short cold spells; autumn is close at hand.

Life is full of changes. Some are predictable, others are random, some are welcomed, others not so much. Change means sometimes building, sometimes rebuilding, and at all times is inevitable. How well we manage changes determines our happiness. I have been lucky to have some very special people helping me with my rebuilding process these past seventeen months. It is nice to be needed, but it is nicer to be wanted. Knowing people are willing to take time from their busy lives to spend time with me is humbling and gratifying. Lucy wanted me to be happy after her passing, so I think she would be pleased at me occasionally getting out of the house and being somewhat social. She would have enjoyed the outings to the Twins games this year along with making a new friend. Going on a boat ride, watching the hummingbirds and baby snapping turtles, listening to the owls, and seeing the eagles soar overhead in Danbury would have left her awestruck, though I think the ATV rides would have been somewhat unsettling to her at first. I know she would be relieved that the Gateway Trail has some new overpasses that make the trail safer. She would be elated having a dozen edible apples on her honeycrisp apple tree this year after having none the previous year. Finally, she would be thrilled with how nice the deck looks after resurfacing. It was a busy and enjoyable summer, and the upcoming autumn appears to be equally busy and enjoyable. Thank you to the people who helped make this wonderful summer possible!

Cuddling season is approaching again for those of you lucky to have someone. Give your special someone an extra-long hug today to compensate for the chill in the air.

tree frog

Tree frog hanging on the french doors during a rain shower.

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Baby snapping turtles

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Baby snapping turtles near the hen-and-chicks

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by | September 16, 2013 · 9:58 am

“Silent No More” 2013 recap

Mere words cannot begin to express how appreciative I am to everyone who participated in this year’s “Silent No More” walk/run benefiting the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA). Next Friday will mark seventeen months since Lucy’s passing and yet participating in the event is still very emotional. Last year I was a team of one and I needed several weeks to recover from the emotional drain. This year I had nine people joining me, all of whom were there to honor Lucy’s memory. I know she would have been pleased despite being the center of attention.

Ovarian cancer does not only strike middle-aged women. Before the start of the 5K run, a 25-year-old ovarian cancer survivor sang the national anthem. Part of the reason there seems to be an increase in younger women becoming survivors is because of heightened awareness of the symptoms. Unfortunately, part of the reason may also be environmental factors.

As in years past, survivors wear teal colored shirts and the rest of us wear white shirts. I hope this year’s survivors are able to participate next year, and that eventually all of them receive a No Evidence of Disease (NED) call from their doctors.

The courses for the 5K run and 2K walk reversed from years past. This year’s weather was unusually warm and humid. The two runners on my team made it through with no ill effects and respectable times. The walk route changed because of unfinished road construction. This necessitated routing about 3,000 walkers on to a narrow path on Lake Cornelia and it slowed the pace considerably. I believe there were around 250 runners in the 5K.

It was also nice to see the three couples in my group. One couple has been married for eleven years, and the other two couples began dating in the past six months. I remember how Lucy and I started out and how we evolved during our time together, and I can see that evolution unfolding again for these couples. My hope is for all these couple to enjoy many wonderful years together.

Thank you again for keeping Lucy’s memory alive, and for your love and support during this time of rebuilding. Give your special someone an extra hug and be thankful for the time you have with that person.

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Filed under family, friends, rebuilding