How are you affected by the changing of the seasons?

The changing of the seasons is vital to my psyche and I'm greatly affected by them, mostly in a good way. I find it amazing how the flip of a calendar page can alter my mood. I truly missed the changing seasons when I lived in California for 20+ years.

I feel full of promise and excitement with the arrival of spring. It's a time for starting new projects. I'm exhilirated when I wheel my bike out of the garage and dust off the cobwebs for that first spring ride. Spring in Macon, Georgia is absolutely breath-taking when the camellias, wisteria and flowering fruit trees burst into a plethora of color. The frothy white  cherry blossoms remind me of fluffy clouds and the pink cherry blossoms look like mouth-watering cotton candy. Spring in the South is a sight to behold.

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.... summer is a season full of frolic and self-indulgence. Digging my toes into the warm sand of the beach and taking naps in the sun. Sipping on lemonade and biting into a juicy watermelon. Picnics and barbecues. Meeting friends for carefree, week-long bike rides, aka adult summer camp. Summer involves traveling, socializing and outdoor fun, all activities I love.

Fall is my favorite season and it makes me feel nostalgic and sentimental. Fall used to mean shopping for new school clothes. It reminds me of my home state of Michigan and the glorious, blazing colors of fall foliage. It reminds me of my grandparents' apple orchard, cider mills, and hot apple cider.  Fall is a time for reminiscing. My daughter's wedding was in October and I found myself sitting there thinking of her as a little girl and wondering where the time had gone.

Winter is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, it's the magical excitement of Christmas. It's a warm, comforting and cozy time of fires in the fireplace and hot chocolate. It's the beauty of lacy, white frost on the windowpanes. My granddaughter was born in December and it's a time of snuggling with a sleeping baby. On the other hand, winter is full of long, gray days that can be depressing and fatiguing. I've been known to sink into the winter blues, and I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of light. I'm definitely a person who enjoys the sunlight; it lifts my moods. I'm sure that one of the reasons I've had such a hard time adjusting to our life here in the South has to do with the darkness of our house, and the fact that my job is in a windowless office. Light is equivalent to joy for me. It's always nice when the long winter gives way to the promise of a new spring.