Still Autumn

I know that tomorrow is December 1st, but officially it's still Autumn.  As I walked through the multi-colored leaves to my mailbox this evening, I was reminded the season doesn't end for a few more weeks.

When driving to see my mother last Thursday, and when I took another short trip on Sunday, I noticed the colors of the trees even in the rainy weather.  There is still an abundance of falling leaves even as the holiday decorations go up.

In Amy Sorensen's blog, The English Geek, (http://amysorensen.typepad.com/the_english_geek/) she shared a poem today. I found it beautiful and timely in spite of its title.

October

by Carolyn Smart

Those fallen leaves, pale supplicants,
have much to teach us of surrender,
how, wrapped in autumn's incense
they unfurl their flags to the wind
Every year I want to kneel in damp soil
and say farewell to blessed things:
the swift geese as they shout each to each
above the treetops, the white nicotinia
at my door, still releasing its fragrance
against the chill of evening,
the memory of a much-loved hand the last day I held it
There was early morning light rich as silk,
the flash of late fireflies
amidst the cedar,
cows' tails whisking in the amber fields,
the chiaroscuro of a moth's wing
Goodbye, brief lives,
ablaze with tenderness;
today the glory of the leaves
is enough, for I am learning anew
to release all I cannot hold,
these moments of luminous grace
saying Here and here is beauty,
here grief: this is the way to come home

PS:  If you haven't already done so, take a few minutes to check out the video at www.autumnblessingsmovie.com/.

November 22

Every year, I remember. I look at a calendar, I write a date on a check, I hear someone talking about preparations for Thanksgiving, and I remember Friday, November 22, 1963.

What did I do that morning?  I assume I got up, got ready for school, and attended my morning classes at Highland View Junior High School.  What did I do at lunch time? I went through the cafeteria line and picked up my light green plastic tray. The entree section was filled with fish sticks and potatoes. I sat with friends to eat my lunch. As I ate, the principal's voice came over the loudspeaker, "The president has been murdered."

I didn't know it then, but my life changed forever that day. The shock that our president, the first man ever elected to that office in my young memory, had been shot and killed was my initiation into that collective experience which happens when tragedy strikes our nation.

Whether our first experience with collective tragedy was an attack such as Pearl Harbor or 9/11, whether it was an individual death such as JFK's assassination, I see that these are times that Americans come together. These events may affect us in different ways to varying degrees, but we all share in the experience.

Today, Aunt Sandi says:

• Even in the remembrance of sad events, there is something for me to be thankful for. I am thankful whenever I see Americans coming together to help each other through difficult times. I am thankful for the compassion and strength that lifts us up and gives us hope even in distressing circumstances. 
• Advertisers have been intent on turning our focus to holiday shopping since before Halloween. Even so, Friday probably will be one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Take your own tote bags to reduce waste, take only one debit/credit card (or cash) to control spending, and take a list to help resist impulse buying of unnecessary "stuff." 
• Holiday times often mean more dirty dishes. What is the most energy efficient way to wash dishes? The results of a study comparing alternate methods of hand washing dishes - as well as the use of automatic dishwashers both old and new - can be found at switch.portlandgeneral.com. 

That's what Aunt Sandi says. What do you say?

High Shoals Falls

Having just returned from a week with my son Eric and daughter-in-law Sharon in North Carolina, I want to share some photos of High Shoals Falls in South Mountain State Park.  Eric suggested this trip, emphasizing the falls were only a one-mile hike from the parking lot.  It started beautifully; the first half was a wide and level path covered with autumn leaves as in this photo (courtesy of springnbloom's photostream at www.flickr.com). 

The second half progressed to steps built for easy climbing interspersed with portions of rocky trail requiring surefootedness and a good sense of balance - as this photo from markhinkle's photostream at www.flickr.com shows.  (Note: click on photos to see more detail on larger images.)  

Finally, we reached the lower portion of the Falls (photo found at www.ncwaterfalls.com). The top portion of the Falls, barely visible in the upper left corner of this photo required an additional uphill trek - we decided to leave it for another day.

The two miles we did complete - about half comprised of climbing stairs and navigating over and around rocks - left me tired and shaky.  But, after being ill most of the summer, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.


Many thanks to Eric for his encouragement and patience.  He was literally a shoulder to lean on when I wasn't sure I could go another step on the uneven terrain.  With my slow pace, I definitely resembled a tortoise rather than a hare but found that slow and steady made me feel like a winner.