Idlewild

It’s one thing to visit for a weekend or even a week in November, December, January or  March. But it’s quite another to live here after the season ends.   I really like October:  the days are still warm, the nights cool, seasonal people are still around, there are entertainment and dining options and the town is still in its collective “Season’s Over” sigh.

But come the day after Halloween, this place clears out and begins its shutdown.   For me, it’s all new.   I left last year on November 2nd and headed back to Atlanta to start new things.   Although it’s only the 5th, there aren’t so many new things to be starting or immediate trips South to get ready for.  Nope, I’m in a quasi-dormant mode.

And I’ve Got To Get Used To It.

So far, I’d give myself a B minus.  I got settled in to the Cottage, it’s lovely and snug and things are nice.  I started Yoga class just before Halloween and that’s something  I’m enjoying.   There’s lots of thinking about what comes next….serious soul searching and strategizing and mental planning.  I’ve been riding and going to the gym with some regularity.  Clamming season opened Sunday.   We’re going tomorrow early to hang “Get Out and Vote” hangars on registered voters’ doors.   There’s a wedding of friends in two weeks.   An off-Cape trip is planned for the weekend.

And then there’s the other half of the day….I’m relearning to concentrate enough to read a long magazine article.   I’ll finish a book soon.   I’m thinking of things to write and cook.   I’m taking time to have real conversations with the one or two people I meet on the street.   Slow is good, I guess.   As I told a friend the other day, I’m going to enjoy this month and make the most of it.   Let’s see what I can learn.