I love to hang onto summer for as long as I can, but after looking out my window at this for several days in a row, I knew that the time had come to do my semi annual closet switch. I decided that I would make the seasonal change as soon as we got home from spending the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend with our daughter and her family.

Then this happened while we were there and that definitely confirmed my decision!

This is the time of year when I put away my spring/summer wardrobe and bring out fall/winter, but it’s also a time to cull my wardrobe and get rid of things that should no longer take up space in my closet. That could be because they’re worn out, because they no longer fit as well as they once did, or simply because I no longer enjoy wearing them. If they don’t speak my style adjectives, classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic, they need to go.

This year, in addition to putting several items into a donate pile, I had another option for some of the pieces that I no longer want to keep. I put them aside to take to the new consignment shop that opened in our area this summer.

As I put each new season’s clothes into the closet, I turn all the hangers around. Then, when I wear an item, I turn its hanger back the right way. At the end of the season, if an item is still hanging backwards, it’s a clear signal that I need to consider whether or not to keep it. Unlike some, however, who advise getting rid of anything that hasn’t been worn during the current season or in the past year, I sometimes hang onto pieces that I haven’t worn for quite awhile. Over the years, I’ve occasionally enjoyed resurrecting some of those items and have even shared a few of them here on the blog.

While a seasonal closet change is essential for most of us living in a northern climate, there is one change that won’t be happening here this year. Our clocks won’t be falling back an hour in late October or early November. Despite the fact that Albertans voted in favour of continuing the twice yearly time change in a so-called binding referendum in 2021, our provincial government has made the decision to eliminate seasonal time changes and adopt year-round daylight savings time. Although I like the idea of having sunlight for an extra hour during winter afternoons, many object to the fact that darkness will last later into the mornings. Needless to say, they’re unhappy that their vote appears not to have meant anything and it definitely makes me wonder whether or not our government will adhere to the outcome of next week’s referendum on whether or not there’s enough support to move ahead on the issue of Alberta separating from Canada. But, enough about politics! I have strong feeling about the topic of separation, but I’m not ready to air them here.

Although I never like letting go of summer, there are some things that I do like about this time of year. It’s bittersweet because we know that the long, cold winter is just around the corner, but the sunny, golden days when snow doesn’t fall are glorious. As I turn my closet, I look forward to wearing cozy sweaters and boots again and this fall I’m finally able to start wearing my new leather jacket. It’s also a time to return to routines and activities that were suspended over the summer months.

Do you live where there are four distinct seasons each year? What do you like or dislike about seasonal changes?