As I write this, I am sitting in my summerhouse with the puppies. The sun is setting, and I am listening to nature, as she puts the day to bed.

RD is snoozing on the sofa indoors. When I came out this beautiful sky just stopped me in my tracks. I savoured the moment.

Autumn is probably the main season of change. When winter hits we all just hunker down and see it out. When Spring comes change comes, but we welcome it, the newness of it all, the hope it tends to bring with it: of a warm summer, a good harvest, longer days. When summer comes we all just enjoy it, thrilled with what it brings our way, balmy days, beautiful flowers, warm evenings filled with laughter. If we’re lucky. But Autumn is the season of goodbyes, goodbye to summer, to those long evenings in the garden, and late sunsets,, the leaves on the trees, we say goodbye to the annuals we have nurtured. But more than ever we say goodbye to the carefree attitude that summer brings. Time to be sensible, bring in the harvest, put the garden to bed, stock up with oil, coal and logs, have the chimney swept…..reflect.

All the while, as if to soften the change and the sense of sadness it brings, Autumn shows us her beauty, the russets, reds and golds, the trees acceptance of what will be, as their leaves flurry by, as if late for an appointment. The annuals acceptance that they have had their hurrah, time to let go slowly and gracefully, whilst they appreciate every fleeting warm afternoon, and rainy days, by lifting their heads, just one more time, growing another bud, albeit smaller.

Autumn is a reminder that change is inevitable, that we have to let go.

This year has been a year of much work and change for us. As I sit here reflecting, I know that we have let go of many things: RD now only works three days a week. I left the company I was working for, I’d had enough of being treated badly. I had been sucked into the working from home con, and realised it was time to let go. We have changed the house, and given the girlies freedom. Something that is beautiful to see. We have learned that sometimes things just come to a natural end, and that we’ve become too old to put up with acrimony, animosity, or games.

We now have this summerhouse, which is becoming a sanctuary, with no TVs, just a rechargeable bluetooth speaker. I love the energy in here , love being so close to nature. When the rain pours down I love the sound on the metal roof. Or when the wind blows round it I love the the feeling of being in amongst nature, I love sitting here in the evening listening as the birds just sing theirselves to sleep….

Now more change is destined. I have been toying with part time hours, and just recently Life has changed our lives again in a way we never imagined, but always believed it would. It has given us the freedom to reduce our hours at work, and spend more time with each other.

Time, that precious commodity that doesn’t actually exist! It’s something we have become acutely aware of, as we now sail into our sixties., and as the puppies turned 3 this year.

It’s about moments, that make you smile. Like a beautiful sunset, an inviting sanctuary, and puppies, just happy to be with you. But not least it’s about us, and treasuring our time together. Life has shown me that it’s time to make that change now.

Moisy