Mini Pause
When we first moved from Southern California to Oregon in the spring of 2019, we lived just east of the Cascade Range in the mountain resort town of Bend. Bend had just thawed out from its Snowpocalypse and “Bendites” were quick to welcome us by pulling up photos on their phones to show how their Subaru had been buried for weeks. That July, our next door neighbor, Bill, dropped in to school us on winterizing the house, cars, ourselves — and how we should get on it by August. When it started snowing in September, we knew he wasn’t full of hot air. The seasons in Oregon change with a flip of a switch. By our fourth fall in the Beaver State, we had become old pros at predicting when, preparing for, and transitioning into the cosiest time of the year. This year, though, as September approached, Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder made a cameo, especially in the form of disrupting my circadian rhythm.That’s when it occurred to me that autumn seemed to be arriving later than usual ’round here. Or maybe those twelve months in Washington (where I felt the seasons had no distinction) threw me off from being in tune with nature. Or maybe I can blame it all on the awfulness that is perimenopause. But something made our fall traditions take longer to, well, fall into place over the past few weeks.
The vibe might’ve gone unnoticed if I hadn’t peeked at our lesson planner to schedule the rest of the calendar year — and saw how quickly that’s approaching! With so many holiday breaks between now and then, I had already decided to take advantage of autumn to tie up loose-ends from before summer vacation and start introducing subjects we’ll explore deeper during the slower winter months. This is one of the reasons why I think of January as our true new school year.
But in a blink, we had our first frost warning and as the day went on, it finally happened — the fall season showed up in all its glory. I began to feel more invigorated and motivated, so much so, that the last two moving boxes in our bedroom closet since July got unpacked! I’ve been trying to keep that momentum going despite dealing with daily heart palpitations the past couple of months, which also marked the beginning of no menstrual cycle! Although it’s a common symptom of perimenopause, my doctor requested I be seen by her PA next week (otherwise, I would have to wait until March for an appointment). So I’m trying to be like the weather and stay chill, but having “the change of life” on top of panic attacks and chronic pain and fatigue is so not cool. Keeping these conditions from being all-consuming is a real challenge, so having an outlet to help me escape from being constantly hyper-aware of my ailments is crucial. Emilia has a bit of a cough from whatever bug we caught (we continue to test negative for COVID), so we’d skipped school for a few days. We’ve been in a great rhythm lately and have explored a lot of subjects in a short time! Even without an illness, being able to take a few days to sit with what we’ve learned is something so unique to homeschooling.
As Emilia rests, I’ve been taking care of some odds & ends around the house that needed attention since we’ve moved in. I’ve also had time to “sit” with our new home to see how it feels after my first pass at decorating. Even figuring out the lighting took time (we have a beautiful balance of sunlight streaking through the forest behind us that shines onto our school table and foliage in the front yard making it mostly shady in the adjacent living room). Emilia and I both are more energized, artistic-wise, as the evenings grow longer, so having good light is essential! Oh, by the way, is anyone else super sensitive to the way light casts a room? Like, my brain breaks if a room is lit wrong. I spent close to an hour the other day testing out every bulb I could find (thank you, property management, for leaving behind a treasure trove of ’em!) to see how the light looked in a particular corner!
This past year has mostly been centered on moving back down to Corvallis. Now that we’re settled in our new place, I need the quiet to reflect on this renewed course. Making connections in our once-again adopted hometown is definitely at the top of the list, which includes some activities that are way out of my comfort zone, but feel are worth pursuing. The foundation of this blog is built on “finding your people” and this small community has been big on giving us signs that they can be found here. Our choices for COVID-safe indoor public spots during the cold weather is limited, but fortunately one of the places we’re going to check out is still mask-friendly (I actually come across this a lot ’round here and I believe it’s due to being a college-centric town). Anyway, I don’t mean to sound vague, but I’m curious to hear from friends who have been pleasantly surprised to discover a fellowship, so-to-speak, in the company of people previously thought you wouldn’t jibe with.
November begins our Nesting Era! I’m taking this weekend to clean our large fridge in the garage so we can start stocking up on perishable foods. The first year we were in Corvallis, our neighbor’s parked car slid down into a tree during an ice storm. Last January we were in Washington, but back down here in the Willamette Valley there was an even more intense storm than the one before — with ice freezing three inches thick on the ground! The elevated, rural-like roads leading out of our neighborhood would be treacherous to attempt either on foot (there’s no market within reasonable walking distance) or driving, so we want to be sure we have at least an extra week of emergency food (including wet cat food, because God-forbid if the cats were subjected to only kibble for more than a day) and other necessities on hand. The past several years has taught us it’s much wiser to err on the side of caution.
At this very moment, though, I’m sipping my coffee on the couch while trying to burn my spinal cord with the hottest heating pad setting before finishing up thinning out and reorganizing our bookshelves. I’m also eyeing where to rearrange furniture temporarily because Christmas decorating will commence next weekend. I need to remember to go pick up the random outdoor water faucet protector I see out the window (yes, our hoses are now off-limits). I love the physical routine of welcoming winter. I feel more suited to live next door to Cecilia Blomdahl in Svalbard (an island in Norway close to the North Pole), than in the States! Do you make any changes in your lifestyle heading into the hibernation months of the year?
