Tonight could be the night. The moon is full, the sky is clear and we could be in for a heavy frost. I know it’s time. In fact, our first killing frost is so late in coming I’m uneasy. Garrison Keillor often reminds Midwesterners that life should be hard. I’m sure he thinks this fall weather has been giddy for too long, that we’re due for disappointment and hardship.
I know it’s time for the flowers to die. I need to buck up and face winter like a mature woman. I need to look forward to cozy evenings sipping cocoa and nasty afternoons when smells of hot soup and warm cornbread fill the kitchen. I need to put together the menu for Thanksgiving so my sister and mom know what to bring. I need to make a Christmas to-do list and ask my daughter’s advice about decorating for the holidays.
But today all I can think about is how bare my flower garden will look when the killing frost arrives. So for today, I’ll mourn the passing of the flowers. And maybe tomorrow for supper, I’ll make some soup.
