It’s cool, gray and drizzly today. The leaves have almost left the trees and in contrast to the sky the yards and the almost bare branches, seem even more colorful. The boys have been collecting these brillant colored leaves, bringing them home by the handfuls, and in bouquets. They’ll last for about a day before shriveling up into curled, brown leaves that belong more in a pile of leaves to be jumped in, than on my countertop.
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
1. Anne of Green Gables
I read Anne of Green Gables in the sixth grade and fell in love. It wasn’t just that she had the “plight” of red hair and freckles that I did, it was her endless imagination and stubborn ways that made her feel like a kindred spirit. Now older, I know longer feel that the color of my hair or freckles are a burden, but continue to love Anne for her creative ways and strong spirit. If you haven’t read Anne of Green Gables, you need to. It is the perfect book to snuggle up with on a cool autumn day with a quilt and cup of tea.
It’s hard to believe it was just 7 months ago, I pulled into the drive at the farm for the first time. I had no idea what to expect, or where this project might take me. The pages of my idea notebook were filled with shots I wanted to get, questions to ask and things to observe for. In just a couple of visits I had crossed everything off those shot lists. All that was left to do was to be open to the experience that lay before me; to take in the details of each visit, the knowledge offered by Terra, Matt and Max and the beauty of the fields as the season wore on.
Well, I unexpectedly took last week off from blogging. I had every intention of sitting down to write, but every time I did something (or 3 someones) needed my attention instead. By Thursday I threw up my hands in surrender and gave up. Sometimes, weeks just don’t go as planned, this I know. And while I don’t mind the unexpected, sometimes too much of it in one week is just that…too much.
A weekend getaway, with my oldest boy, to Colorado felt like a good (albeit quite cold) reset. Coming home I felt centered again and ready to tackle another full week.
Yesterday, the boys and I found ourselves with nothing on the calendar after school. No activities. This is a bit of a rarity and felt like it should be celebrated and savored. The colors on the trees are really coming in, so with camera and snacks in hand we headed to a local park to toss around the football, walk some trails and find a few autumn treasures.
