Comfort in familiarity

This morning I went on a jog down by the ocean with my dog.
It is a familiar route through some trails by a stream, and up some hills to an incredible lookout over the inlet, capturing the glacier and surrounding mountains on Vancouver Island.  I would say I probably walk that route at least once or twice per week.  There is one particular part of the route that I love, not only because of its beauty, but because of how it changes with the seasons.  Of all the places around, it is distinctly different in spring, summer, winter, and fall.  I love noticing the little changes from week to week, and there is some comfort in watching as the seasons do their work.

I have always loved the changing of the seasons.  I love marking my days and times along with the calendar and anticipating what is coming next.  There are little "rituals" I guess I have created alongside of the seasons, both in how I decorate/organize my home, and in the types of tasks I focus on.  Berry picking in the summer, canning in the fall, knitting and sewing in the winter, and gardening in the spring, and so on.  I even have a cute little notebook I received as a gift, where I keep track of markings of the seasons - the first snowfall, the peeking up of the tulips lining my yard, the blossoming of the apple trees, and on.  I don't know why those details matter to me, but they do. In a way, the seasons help order my life and I love to look back and remember seasons past as a way of putting parts of my life to rest.

I am certainly a creature of routine.  My routines keep me sane and help me to enjoy my life.  I am working on not getting so caught up in them that I miss out on things, or get put out when they fail... but they give me some stability and a sense of calm in knowing that some things never change, or at least can be mostly expected to be the same from year to year.

What kinds of routines do you find consistent in your life?