It's the type of weather that makes my hands crave to be wrapped around a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Each day seems to get increasingly more gray and each cloud in the sky makes me unconsciously glance upward in hopes of catching the first snowflake of the season on my tongue.

This middleland between fall and winter is one of my favorite times of year - the leaves are still turning colors on the trees but are also available for fits of childish stomping underfoot (I often catch myself twirling like a pre-pubescent ballerina, laughing recklessly at each leaf snapping beneath me.), the smell of a freshly activated furnace permeates the vanilla caramel scent of my new favorite Yankee Candle tart, my cheeks and the tip of my nose take a few moments to return from their rosy state after coming indoors.

I love transitional states. Change still scares me, but pressing through the fear and into the unknown has always filled me with a sense of control. I might be terrified, but at least I have the reins and the ability to guide my life down the path I believe is right. This time of year used to make me feel claustrophobic, trapped internally as well as not as capable to get out physically, but a bright woman once told me that it's wise to be still and uncomfortable instead of acting from a desperate place.

So, right now I'm sitting cross-legged on my computer chair, wrapped in my new favorite pink scarf, a chenille throw, a warm pair of socks and some very adorable underwear. I'm drinking a mug of hot chocolate and I'm going to bed early to read a few more chapters of the Jeanette Winterson book I just picked up at the library. Life couldn't be any more wonderful than it is at this moment - even with no one else around, I feel whole and complete.

This entry was posted by Mellie, on Monday, October 23, 2006.