survival mode

I was discussing with my friend the seasons of Vermont. Of course there is winter, winter and more winter. I love it in December and January with their fresh layers of snow dressing the world in beautiful whiteness and me curled up by our fire with hot chocolate. About mid-February and March it is still too cold and overcast and gloomy to go out, but the beautiful snow is gone and you have "mud season." The only good thing to come out of those late-winter/early-spring months is maple syrup. Then For about 6 weeks in May and early June we have a beautiful spring with blooming lilacs and the florescent greenery as the new leaves bud. July and August likewise are wonderful as the green deepens into an indescribable thickness. September and October come with cooler weather, pumpkins, mums, apple cider and, of course, the wonderful color of the trees. Then comes November. It isn't snowing yet, but the trees are bare. It is "stick season."

So, "stick season" is upon us now with morning window scrapings and crunching leaves beneath our feet. It isn't too bad, particularly with the upcoming holidays. It seems even this early the holiday anticipation begins to build.

October went quickly. Dave was doing his "AI" (Acting Internship - in which they take on nearly resident workload and hours) in the NICU (which he thoroughly enjoyed) so we didn't see much of him.  With it I went into survival mode with lowering my expectations and trying to soak up as much of the fall as I could. He is now off interviewing for residencies, so survival mode continues. I am actually enjoying my evenings, though, as I am listening to "The Count of Monte Cristo" while doing up some chores. Plus I have great friends who help me fill up my time during the day. So, we are surviving. Even if Jack did decide to dump out his cereal milk tonight for no reason and Ana sneaks my iPod away to take a bunch of selfies.

But that's kinda awesome.