What Does Autumn Mean To You?

Wow...where did the summer breezes & warm kisses from the sun go? It just seems like yesterday that I was outside scrambling for shade from the burning rays. Are we ever really satisfied though? When it is hot, we want cold. When it is rain we want cloudless skies, and when it snows we want beaches. We seem to forget that each season has its reason for being there. We here in Canada are surrounded by lush green mountains, fresh clean air, and fresh water. I cannot speak for other places because I have not been anywhere but Mexico. It was hot & beautiful there and I had arrived on February 25 th. so it was a welcome change from the very wet and heavy snow that had covered us that particular year, but coming home was a reminder of how I could not live in heat year round. I am a very seasonal girl and I would miss my snow topped mountains, rushing rivers, forests and the breathtaking colors of Autumn.

My daughter & I were walking yesterday to the supermarket and we found ourselves stopping and picking up fallen leaves from a maple tree. We drank in the colors of bright oranges swirling amid red & brown. Perfect for pressing, we carried them home carefully. Would we use them? I don't know. But they were there just in case we came up with an idea for a pressed leaf gift. We could not pass up the chance at marking that moment in time that we shared together with the chilly autumn wind whipping pieces of hair against our cheeks. I looked over at my baby girl (even though she is a married woman) who was bent over choosing the perfect leaves for her little collection and I was reminded of a time when she was a little girl, picking leaves for me. How the seasons had slipped by so swiftly and yet, here we were, once again, picking flowers & leaves to be pressed. I thank God for all of the seasons that have passed to fill me with the remembrances of being with her like this. I relate many of my memories to seasonal moments. I am a very blessed woman to have had a son & a daughter to collect pages and pages of season filled memories that will keep me in warmth through the ages of my life.

We have shared many a "tom turkey" dinners together. I remember when we were all a family and we sat formally at a huge dining room table with loved ones filling 25 seats. The turkey was stuffed and roasted by my former father in law, and it was done so to perfection. I have never tasted a more golden, melt in your mouth turkey. They always saved Darlene and I the wings. Oh those crisp wings! We really forgot our manners at those times and amongst the clinking of crystal and scraping of silver upon Mom's best china, you would hear...CCCRRRUUUNNCH! NIBBLE...MOAN...CCCRRRUUNCH! The family would stop and look at the both of us, (who were completely oblivious to the fact that we were being watched intensely)...but we wouldn't have cared less anyway. Yes, I miss those wings. I miss those dinners. The brussel sprouts in bacon sauce & carrots au gratin were a regular vegetable entree'. Home made dill pickles , canned beets, sweet mustard pickles, & bread & butter pickles were also a beautiful addition to our turkey dinners. All of these had been canned during the summer by our own little hands. Darlene & I used to can about 30 jars each of each type of pickle. Hot and tiring work but so worth it. For dessert over coffee we always had an extravagant show of beauty that would have pleased the Queen.

Now that, because of unfortunate circumstances, we no longer have these memorable dinners and gatherings, my son Jim, daughter Danielle, & her husband Felix, have lovely intimate dinners together, trying to prevent that burning "family candle" from flickering out.

Autumn...the time of year when all things die? No, they are just sleeping. They are constantly living through cycles of seasons so that when it is time to poke through the dark earth or sprout a bright new green leaf, we will once again face the heavens, smell the air and feel the breezes and give thanks for another fall, winter, spring, and summer. We have lived another season. We have gathered more memories for our handbag of age so that when needed ,we can open it...and remember that fall isn't about things dying...it's about living.

Glady

September 11

"We Remember"

Today, I awoke to clear skies and a cool room and cozy bed. I rolled out of my little nest and went to wash the sleepiness out of my thoughts. I had not even thought about anything but medications & coffee! Toast would come later, and if I was too lazy to pop two slices of bread in the toaster I would pour milk into the bowl of Corn Flakes. I was anxious to get to my computer and finish a story that I had begun last night. As I parked my hinny on the now well worn office chair and flicked on "my baby", the date 911 stared boldly back at me. My heart sank.

My thoughts went immediately to the familes that are left behind. I choked up with remembrance of the utter and unbelievable chaos that enshrouded the beautiful city. Watching those towers fall was a wide awake nightmare ! I remembered where I was, what I was doing and who I was with, when this tragedy took place. My brother Randy & I were stunned into silence. There were no words that could have been said that would make any sense. All we could hear was a broken sob and then I realized it was from my own mouth.

This morning, those families who are still mourning , shared heart felt stories. The ones that really touched me deeply were the children. Some of them were so openly distraught they couldn't speak. These children, spouses & families must live with this nightmare for the rest of their life because it will be a tradegy the world will never forget. I prayed this morning for those families and I prayed for myself that I would never, ever forget how very blessed I am and that I should hold my tongue the next time I complain about something. I cried off and on for the rest of the day. I almost choked when I was eating supper while watching the news. I was eating corn on the cob. A preteen came on and was crying as was her brother. She tried bravely to answer the News Reporters question but she just couldn't do it. When I saw this, I sucked in air quickly in sorrow and a piece of corn went down my throat and I ended up choking until it was passed. Later, I thought about how frightened I was when it happened and then I compared it to how those "heroes and sheroes " felt when they saw that building coming down. Oh dear God...please help these families and countries heal.

I long for peace and harmony. I pray that we all will never forget all of the people who have died needlessly . I pray that we all will strive for peace, and love one another without predjudism or judgement. I pray that you will sleep gently and peacefully this night. The sky will be clear and blue tomorrow upon awakening if you want it to be...even if it is raining.

To peace...

Glady