As I begin to blog, I am looking for a place to start. What should I say in my first posting? It’s not easy to start and it’s even harder to find the beginning. So, I’m going to plunge in and talk about why I chose the name “Autumn Years” for my first blog. It wasn’t my first choice. I had names like “Seasons of Life” (already taken), “Life Seasons” (already taken), and a few others that were, you guessed it, already taken.

I ran it by my mentor, Beth, a veteran blogger, who said she liked it. “Besides,” she counseled me, “You can always go back and start over.” I like that. Not that I want to start over, but knowing I can. That’s a freeing feeling. Or at least it should be. Hopefully, once I am comfortable in my little blog cottage, it will be.
I like the name because it is the “autumn” of my life right now, a glorious time in my life, and a great surprise because I always thought of the age I am now as old and sort of finished. Until I reached it. What a wonderful discovery to find that it isn’t old after all. At least not the visual image I had of “old.” The colors of my days are blazing colors – reds, golds, greens, and blues. I’m able to savor each one.

Part of what I believe is we are different people throughout our years. Our thoughts, beliefs, and directions evolve and grow with each decade and each life change. So many things influence those changes. People we meet, circumstances, chance happenings, just a few of so many factors that determine who we become as we live many lives throughout our life span.

Each decade of our lives brings us new information, new roles, and different perspectives. I’ve been a daughter (albeit not a very obedient one), a sister, a girlfriend, a friend, a lover, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a nurse, an administrator, a writer, a bread maker, a homemaker (definitely not my favorite!), a mentor, a role model, a counselor, a volunteer, a traveler (not enough), a quiltmaker.
I’m not sure yet what else I’ll be. The nice thing is so many of those roles listed above still are part of who I am. They nestle next to each other, harmonious for the most part, occasionally rubbing up against each other, fighting for supremacy.
This blog will evolve, too, I hope, into many different directions. I want it to be a potpourri – writings, songs, lists, a recipe or two, thoughts on quilting, breadmaking, and anything else that comes into the bright hues of “autumn leaves.”

I’m so happy to be starting!