This morning I almost cheated...
You see, I’ve given myself some loose guidelines about how I live in harmony with the seasons, particularly when it comes to what I eat and when.
But sometimes it’s really hard to wait until the fruits, vegetables and bounty of the season are in full swing.
So, for me, that means I’m not yet making anything pumpkin. I haven’t had a pumpkin spice latte. No pumpkin muffins. No pumpkin pancakes. Not yet.
So how did I almost cheat?
Well, this morning I made zucchini pancakes, but that wasn’t the problem. Zucchini is obviously in full force this time of year.
But last week at the farmers market, I bought some of the first apples of the season.
Now, they’re not what you typically find in the grocery store this time of year. They’re not Gala or Honeycrisp. They’re Transparent apples, an old-fashioned variety you don’t seem to find in grocery stores these days.
I remember growing up that these were the first apples to be ready toward the end of summer in the orchard my dad had planted. And we made tons of applesauce.
That is, whenever the coons didn’t beat us to the harvest first.
So this morning I made applesauce with a heavy hand on the cinnamon and a splash of vanilla.
And oh, how those flavors reminded me of fall. Ah, the anticipation of it!
And yet, I’m going to practice patience.
Because I think that’s one of the gifts of living in harmony with the seasons. It’s not about creating a bunch of rules for ourselves or denying ourselves something we want. It’s about paying attention to what is happening right now—and letting that be enough.
There is something wonderfully grounding about eating what is growing, noticing the shift in the light, pulling out a sweater when the mornings turn cool, and allowing each season to have its own particular pleasures.
It also gives us something we seem to have less and less of these days: anticipation.
When everything is available all the time, nothing feels particularly special. Strawberries in December, tomatoes in January, pumpkin spice in August…
We don’t have to wait for anything.
But when we do wait, something interesting happens.
We notice.
We savor.
And when the thing we’ve been waiting for finally arrives, we experience it with a little more delight.
So yes, I’m waiting for fall.
I’ll let summer have its last glorious stretch of tomatoes, zucchini, peaches and long evenings listening to the crickets and watching the fireflies.
And when the leaves begin to turn, the mornings get crisp and the pumpkins finally make their appearance, I’ll welcome autumn with open arms.
And probably a big batch of my favorite oat pumpkin pancakes.
Until then, I’m going to enjoy my applesauce.
And practice a little patience.
A little reminder for this week: You don’t have to rush toward what’s next. There may be something beautiful about the season you’re already in.
P.S. If you’re ready to slow down and become a little more intentional about the season you’re in—whatever that season may be—my Fall Journal was created for exactly that. It’s a simple place to pause, reflect, notice what’s changing and make space for what matters. You can find it here.
I don't have to rush toward what's next. I can allow what's meant for me in this season to arrive in its own time.
What We Loved This Week
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