Milestone (Of Sorts)

The day finally had to come, I suppose.

The day when both kids would hang up their pumpkin buckets, declaring themselves too old to go out trick-or-treating.

We didn’t even get a pumpkin to carve this year.

I know, I know. But we did get candy, so we aren’t total Scrooges.

Gone are the days of planning costumes, the buying of extra batteries for the flashlights, the excitement of seeing what their friends are wearing.

Gone is the mad scramble of scarfing down a quick (somewhat) healthy supper before heading out to forage for candy and treats.

Gone is the sorting of the candy into individual little piles afterwards, the trading, the sharing.

I miss the fun size Butterfingers that I only allow myself Halloween night.

I resigned myself to another part of childhood being over.

Apparently my girl missed the excitement of dressing up, too.

She’s always been the one to love this night the most, the putting on of contraband lipstick and eyeliner.

She’s always loved playing in her momma’s make up.

At the last minute tonight, she gave into her girlhood love of transforming herself into somebody else.

Meet Rosie the Riveter and her sidekick:

Hope you all had a festive and fun Halloween!

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And the glory of the Lord shown all around…

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is

     to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone

     with the heavens, nature and God.

Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and 

     that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple 

     beauty of nature.  I firmly believe that nature brings solace 

     in all troubles. 

                                                                                - Anne Frank

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Overlooked

Others believe that the beauty of fall can only be found on sunlit, brilliant blue sky days.

Days that are dipped in rich blues and sparkly sunbursts, light dancing fairy like amongst the leaves of the colorful trees.

Swing sets and slides at the parks come to life as toddlers and mothers, bundled in light jackets, run merrily about.

Happiness and laughter float in the air like musical encores, matching the trills of the songbirds.

Others believe that the beauty of fall can only be found on sunlit, brilliant blue sky days.

I believe that the beauty of fall can also be found on days that are grey and drab, the overlooked days.

Days that leave trees painted in all their soft glory against the threatening skies, begging to be noticed by the drivers swishing by on the rain-soaked highway.

Running down my favorite road in the late afternoon, I notice the quiet fires that lines the ditches, sodden with the day’s rains.

A deer suddenly bolts in the field as I pass. Cows stare at me out of idle curiosity. The soft mountains beckon me onward.

And all around me, color.

Reds, yellows, oranges, all draped against the backdrop of grey clouds, clouds now spent from their day’s work.

The quietness of fall, the softness of fall, the beauty of fall can be found in those days that are often overlooked.