Fall Chores

The Thanksgiving weekend couldn’t have come at a better time for me.  It’s been a busy fall and I was a bit overdue for a few quiet days.  There was plenty of relaxation on the agenda and the whole family enjoyed some extra time to sleep in and spend some leisurely days.  The weather was exceedingly cooperative, with cool and mostly sunny days.  Yesterday, feeling refreshed, I set out to complete some Fall chores.

One of my tasks was to organize December decorations for the front porch.  Normally I wait for the first day of the new month to swap out the porch, but I am especially excited about the holidays this year.  The older I get, the more I see December as a month-long chance to enjoy sparkling lights and the smell of evergreen; a month of memories that reflect the passage of time and the sweetness of a child who believed in Santa far longer than I could have imagined.  Planning treats and surprises for loved ones is what makes December special to me and this month I welcome a few more days to celebrate.

In the backyard, raking leaves into the big paper bags the town picks up, gave me time to think about my holiday plans and to reflect with gratitude on the blessings in my world.  At one point, I paused to look up at the limbs of Old Man Tree.  Near the top I spied a nest, as likely to be a squirrel nest as anything else, and a reminder that this yard is home to creatures other than me.  It was a nice reminder that the world is a better place when we share with one another.  

That’s happy!