Although it’s been a mild fall, there is no doubt that winter is coming. We cleared the cutting garden this week and dug the dahlias…crates of tubers went into the garden shed to dry out before I pack them in newspapers and put them in storage until spring.

The Campania birdbath that I bought this year probably shouldn’t stay out all winter, but I’m reluctant to hide it away. I decided that it can go on the farmer’s porch, where I can admire it, and perhaps fill it with pinecones or beach rocks, but it won’t fill with rain water, freeze and crack.

Moving the birdbath prompts me to put the pots of lemon verbena and rosemary on the porch as well, and they make nice companions for the basket and chair that have sat there all summer. Once it gets colder I’ll bring these herbs inside, but for a few more weeks I’ll enjoy the role they play in this homey arrangement.

It’s very satisfying to rearrange things once in awhile. It allows us to see each object with new eyes, and to fully appreciate the composition.

I wonder what else I might rearrange… should I shift my patterns of working? Would this help me to better understand this aspect of my life?

Such reorganization doesn’t mean complete change, which we all know is usually difficult. No, a reshuffling of objects, tasks, or habits is merely a way to shake things up a little bit. It’s a means of saying, “Look at this!” and a reminder to open my eyes fully and pay attention.

The chair and wire basket have been here all summer, but the addition of the birdbath, and the two pots of herbs, makes everything new again.