Seasons

I am a weather nerd. It seems to have happened since moving to Minneapolis in 1995. My home town Toronto had experienced a string of unusually mild winters (with little snow) during my last few years of living there. When we moved to Minnesota in late September, with its dazzling sunshine, crisp air, and vibrant leaves, I was amazed at the beauty; six weeks later came the snow and the coldest winter I had yet experienced.

As the years have gone by, I find myself struggling with the astronomical seasons, which are based on the position of Earth relative to the sun. The summer and winter solstices are marvelous and cause for celebration. And who can help but notice the lengthening, then shortening of our hours of sunlight. But it’s the meteorological seasons (that are based on the annual temperature cycle around the globe) we live by. With seasons that are each three months long, there comes an order to life, and to my work.

Being in sync with the natural world around us provides a framework that makes perfect sense. Meteorological fall is September through November; winter is December through February, spring is March, April, and May; and summer is June through August. Not coincidentally, those are the seasons that drive our selection of craft projects.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the danger and loss many have experienced in Texas, India, and now the Caribbean as Hurricane Irma wreaks havoc on the lives of people and animals. The images of the aftermath are shocking. And it’s not over yet, as Irma continues on her path of destruction. Weather can rule our lives, in good ways and bad.