Happy Fall! Pumpkin Season Arrives Along with Early Sunsets, Supermoons, Health Stuff and Missed Opportunities

Sign at JB’s Pumpkin Farm in Woodinville

Happy Fall! October and Pumpkin Season Arrives with Earlier Dark, Supermoons…

Welcome to October! I’m writing this with blue sky outside my window, though it will soon be dark. Pumpkin Season has officially arrived—we’ve put out our October lights, and our porch is covered in a variety of pumpkins from our several local farms.

Tiny squirrel

You may have seen from last week’s post that I’d been in the hospital, and then spent a whole week sick, which has me so backed up on work and e-mails (more about this later), plus I missed going to my writing residency (which could not be rescheduled). So, boo! Not the end of the world, but a little discouraging. (More about this later.) Also, my garden has been invaded by a tiny kind of squirrel. This guy at left is barely as big as my hand, but very unafraid and digs up my planter boxes for fun.

Me at McMurtrey’s Pumpkin Farm

Nevertheless, because in October you can’t take sunshine for granted, I tried to get out on the warmer days to check on my garden and the local pumpkin farms. The flowers—sunflowers and dahlias—are still blooming as the pumpkins keep showing up in various colors and sizes. We had a lot of rain this week, reminding us we are in the rainy season, but we had some nice breaks of sunshine too.

I’m trying to get outside and do a little activity every day, but the virus made my MS act up and I’m still feeling the aftereffects. As for the residency, well, my plan was to hole up and write, but I’m trying to do some writing and submitting anyway this week.

Health Challenges and Missed Opportunities: A Story about Trying to Live a Larger Life (in a Disabled and Chronically Ill Body)

After I lost two friends this year, I made a vow to try to live a bigger life—I feared the pandemic had made me shrink not just my daily routines but my goals and dreams too, that my circles had shrunk and shrunk. The impact of that has maybe made my health a little worse—you may have noticed I’ve been struggling since August first with one thing, then another, and bam, I wound up in the hospital last week with life-threatening stuff. If I ignore my body and try to push through, I inevitably pay a price—but I said yes to maybe too much and as a result had to miss several things—readings with friends, a residency, celebrations—I had really looked forward to and had to dial down all my activities for at least two weeks. Living with MS AND a primary immune system problem AND a bleeding disorder—all things that prove challenging on their own—can be like playing a video game where, when you beat or evade one boss, you just end up downed by another you weren’t even looking for. As a result, I am reevaluating how much I say yes to, and the life goals that are really worth fighting for. Is it worth it to say yes to travel if I’m sick for weeks afterwards, or socializing if I pick up a virus every time I go in public? I don’t want to live in fear, but I also don’t want to be stupid. I am just a writer, which is not a super high-risk job, but I still have to be careful what I say yes and no to. I’m still trying to figure out a balance in the health vs everything else in my life. As we get into the wetter, colder months, or “the big dark” as they say out here, I’m going to try to dial down a bit, spend some more time reading and writing, not pushing my body quite as hard. I have already ordered pens – don’t new pens feel more necessary in fall?

The Harvest Supermoon is tomorrow night. I wish you all balance AND peace as we switch seasons.