Autumn is over as far as I am concerned.  Once the leaves fall, once you get up and there is frost on the ground, once the temperature drops below forty, and once I reset the thermostat to heat instead of cool--winter is here regardless of what the calendar says.

I used to like cold weather.  But now, it takes me so long to don coat and gloves and scarves, etc. that I dread it.  I am already thinking of spring.

Pat has a friend who said that he would build me a raised bed for my vegetable garden.  I missed out on everything this year for the most part because I was moving.  I find myself already thinking about March and planting tomatoes and parsley, green peppers, kale, lettuce, spinach and okra.  I will plant asparagus even though it will take three years before it can be harvested.  That is called faith.  And at my age, hope.

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle (dove) is heard in our land;"  Song of Solomon 2:12

"O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?"  (by Percy Shelley) says it all.  And especially in Oklahoma where the winter winds are so bitter.

The man that takes care of my yard planted something that came up green after the bermuda turned brown.  So at least the yard doesn't look dead.  And God, in his mercy, designed some plants and shrubs that stay green throughout the winter.

I do not want to wish my life away, but I can hardly wait for spring.  I lived in Southern California three different times.  But all that sunshine got boring.  So I guess I will be thankful for winter.

"In (not "for") everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
1 Thessalonians 5:18  I guess that includes winter.