Fall. We put aside the sunscreen and the beach blanket and get back to work. Farewell to the sea and the smores, lightning bugs and sugar snap peas on the vine. Sigh! I have to be truthful about this, though; the autumn is my favorite time of year. Maybe it's something about the things that usually come to mind about the season--you know the stuff--cornucopias, maple leaves and the like--but I think it goes a bit farther down the gene pool for me. It seems to me that my Russian heritage (everybody on my mother's side hails from Kursk or thereabouts) may be the root of my attraction. As Pushkin so eloquently wrote:
The flowers of autumn days
Are sweeter than the first of plains
For they awaken an impression,
That's strong, although it may be sad
Just as the pain of separation
Is stronger than the sweet of date
The combination of coolness and color, early twilight and the brittleness of dying trees makes me very happy, somehow! It also makes me think of something else that occurs while we are gearing up for school or work, whatever your particular brand of harvest happens to be. And that, dear reader, is... ALLERGIES! Yes, along with the poetry of the season comes the kleenexes and the sore throats. Sorry to leap from Aleksandr to Allegra but the deal is that your voice can take a beating! So here are some ideas to help you keep your pipes in tip-top condition:(1) More water (or liquids with no caffeine); (2) Lemon (not an old wives tale--this cuts mucous well-- just be sure your stomach can tolerate the acidity; (3) Steamy Showers (stay in there a bit longer, sing a little September Song while you're at it); (4) Saline (for stuffy noses); (5) Nix on the Loud Throat Clearing (you are killin' those cords when you do that); and (6) No Blood-Curdling screams on Halloween (need I remind you that you will sound like Don Corleone shortly thereafter?).
So happy apple pickin' and enjoy the freshness of the season. Take good care of your voice this season so you can BOO with the best of 'em!!
