Fallyautumny is our family word for fall…or autumn. (“It feels like fallyautumny today!”)

There’s something stirring and exciting about the advent of those crisp cold days, and the vibrant changing colors of the trees. I love the long lazy days of summer, but as September moves into October I always feel inspired to get up and get moving again.

And I mean moving in Hyperdrive!

I suddenly realize that my carpet looks dingy and my windows have a layer of golden California dust. I notice that during those long lazy days of summer, most of my closets and drawers have fallen into major neglect and disarray. All this proves, once again, the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Everything moves from order to disorder.

When my husband is home I like to keep things clean and neat on the surface, and our life is pleasantly well-scheduled. But that makes it hard to really tear into big household organizing or cleaning projects. I’m forever “putting a bookmark” into half finished projects, and then forgetting to get back to them.

So it’s fortunate that hunting season opens just about the time I feel most like taking on these great endeavors. For as long as we’ve been married, John and his dad (and in recent years our son) have headed to the hills in search of provision for the table and, a load of firewood.

While it goes without saying that my husband is my favorite person in the world, and the person with whom I most like to spend time, I really enjoy the four or five days of unstructured time. I can go where I want, and do what I want, with absolutely no schedule.

For those few days, I love the solitude and freedom. I can have a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine for dinner while reading a book. Or I can eat something drippy, standing at the kitchen sink and call it dinner. Or I can skip the meal altogether. I can drop everything and go to a movie with a girlfriend. I can start a big project and leave it scattered all over the house, and then pick it up the next day.

So here I am, writing a blog, in my pajamas at 11 o’clock on a weekday morning. I slept late because I was up till about 2 am last night after putting the finishing touches on organizing my paper cabinet.

My paper cabinet has all kinds of stationary and computer paper, decorated Christmas letter paper from about twelve years of Christmases, disorganized various sized envelopes, postcards, file folders, laminating pouches…all proving again, the second law of thermodynamic. This cabinet was organized at one time.

But it was fun to bring order back to disorder. At the height of the project, every surface of tables and counters in my kitchen and living room was covered with stacks of papers being sorted. Part of the reason I was up so late was that I took so many side trips, reading cards I forgot I bought, letters I got from people and letters I started to write… Who knew how many memories could be stuffed in with all that stuff???

But as the clock struck midnight it felt good to stand back and congratulate myself on my beautifully organized cabinet. And since I could sleep late today it seemed like a good time to head off for a long soaking bath.