Another reason to love fall

The decorations! I love hay bales, pumpkins, scarecrows, the whole nine yards! I have a raised flower bed in front of my house that refuses to be pretty. I've tried so many different flower combinations only to have it turn hideous again just to spite me. This time, I decided to go a different route and use it as a stage rather than as a garden. I like it! I have to bring the cute kid inside when the weather gets bad, though. :)

Things, Part 3

Things I love: Bicycle rides on pretty days with my family

Things I do not love: INSOMNIA!!!!!!!

Good day

Today was a full day. I had class this morning, I volunteered at the Book Fair at my daughter's school, and we had parent-teacher conferences after that. I would like to take a moment to brag on my child (this is my blog, so I can do that!). She is above and beyond everywhere she is supposed to be academically. The BEST part, however, is that she is really doing well in the behavior department. I am thrilled. There is really no better feeling than having someone spend 30 minutes saying positive things about your kid, and it was a moment of validation as a parent that I will treasure.

Tonight, I am putting together treat bags for her soccer game tomorrow. It is my turn to bring the snacks, and I will admit that I was so excited when I got the Saturday before Halloween! I absolutely LOVE little projects like making little treat bags for holidays. The girls will have a nutritious snack of grapes and goldfish at half-time, but they get super-special goblin goodies after the game! Haleigh helped me pick them out, and I can't wait to hand them out tomorrow and share the fun!

When I don't like to write

RESEARCH PAPERS!!!!! Agghhhhhhh, the agony! I really enjoy writing. Possibly because I really enjoy talking, but writing gives you the convenience of taking your words back and correcting yourself. :-) When it comes to research papers, though, I physically hurt. My English class this quarter is all about research and documentation. Fortunately we have a pretty good professor who gives us very interesting topics and direction, but all the TEDIOUS takes out all the FUN! Oh, well. A few more weeks to go, and at least I can blog for my creative outlet!

I have no idea why . . .

but the more I look at my tree picture down there, the more it reminds me of the trash heap on Fraggle Rock. Was my spiritual tree moment really just a repressed familiarity with a favorite childhood memory? Hmmmmm . . . . . .

Natures's Treasures

I was so busy trying to stay upright, carefully watching the ground for slippery roots hidden by the leaves, that I almost missed this treasure. My husband pointed out this tree stump to me, and asked me if I knew what the holes were for. It turns out, this tree was harvested waaaay back in the day when two men using a double-handled saw would work together to fell these giants. They made the holes in the trunk and stuck two-by-four's in them to stand on while they worked.

I told him those holes looked like eyes to me, and this tree was a woman. Look closely at her, and you cannot deny she has a soul. The method of her harvesting indicates that she's been here quite a while, gathering her wisdom. If I had been alone, I probably would have chatted with her.

SUN, glorious SUN!

After the insanity in the weather for the past few days, today was a welcome treat. It was GORGEOUS! The sun shone brightly, there was a lovely breeze, and it had to be almost seventy degrees out. I felt the force of nature, calling me to commune with her. As luck would have it, we had already planned to go for a bike ride today. The picture here is the beginning of the trail we took. My husband had been out once before, but this was my first experience on the trail. It was so lovely, such a satisfying day. It is hard to imagine this peaceful, serene place tossed into turmoil by our recent windstorm, but the evidence was there! We had to climb over one collection of tumbled trees, one of them a gigantic pine whose entire root ball was up in the air! It was worth it, though. On the way out, we even saw little bear tracks in the mud!

It is so cleansing to get out into the woods, and spend some time listening and looking. When we finished our ride, we stopped by the beach that I love so much to watch the waves. It was a perfect day, all around.