Leaves of Fall presented by Lucy

Today is the last day of November. Thanksgiving has passed, and folks are getting ready for Christmas. Portland, Oregon in the Fall is one of my favorite places, and as the season rounds the corner into Winter, trees are loosing their Fall color and diving into the bareness of Winter hibernation. Goodbye Fall - see you next year.

"Fall is here, Mom. Let's go for a walk!"

Lucy learns what the color red looks like.

This is orange. Lucy thought it was a "tree" on fire.

Yellow Ginko leaves.

Pondering our fragility

We are fragile humans. Sometimes, I look into the eyes of a person and it becomes so evident to me how tender our spirits are. 


I have an older friend that isn't long for this world, and I treasure every moment I am in his presence. Papa Tom (as all of us call him), has lived a long life, a life of which he has no regrets. In his many years he has experienced everything from war, to the everlasting love of a wonderful woman, who passed away some years ago. He has a family and friends that love him, and take good care of him. Tom's body is telling him it's time to slow down, yet, he is still out there dancing with us "young" folks refusing for anyone to call him "sir" (even though he more than deserves the respect of that word, over and over again). 


I was talking with Tom tonight, and it was the first time I noticed a tired look in his eyes. He has gone through a couple rounds of treatment for cancer, and has another to endure at the end of this month. There is no doubt that he will keep living the fullest life he can, as long as he can, which I respect and admire in him. He is an example of courage, and optimism, and I am inspired by his tenacity. I hug him and tell him how much I enjoy dancing with him, how good it is to see him. I mean it with all my heart.

Papa Tom and I

I know I am pre-mature in this feeling of loss I find myself with tonight, and I'm not saying my good-byes yet, but I know from personal experience how quickly the game of cancer can turn, so, it just got me thinking, that's all.


It's hard for anyone to know what we go through in our lives. What our days are like, and who has influenced the filters with which we view the world, and the people in it. I am going to try to be more aware of our fragility. More compassionate with myself,  and others, when dealing with loss. Whether the loss of mortality, or the loss of friendships of those who are living. Change is constant, and I want to be careful not to confuse the two. Change is just simply, that - change. Loss is something felt deeply in the heart, something that effects our spirit, something that only patience, compassion, and time can heal.

Maple

Fall is here. The days are getting shorter, the nights longer. All I feel like doing is staying home and reading, or watching movies, with a hot cup of tea in hand. Fall is my favorite season; love to watch the leaves change color. I came across this pretty Cut Leaf Maple the other day. 

pretty

Green, to red, to orange, to yellow; all the colors of fall in one tree. Maples are my favorites for fall color, come to think of it, they are my favorite for spring color too. 

Study Habits

I'm taking a writing class. It's a required class, so that I can enroll at OSU in the winter as a sophomore. It's not a hard class, challenging for me personally - yes - but only in that it is bringing clearly to the fore front that I have appalling study habits! I tend to leave the writing part until the very last minute. I read what I need to read, research what I need to research, then, mull it over to figure out what angle I want to approach my subject. Then... I get lazy,  and my laziness leads to procrastination. I really should write the damn thing while it's fresh on my mind. So! In an effort to make the writing process more appealing - I am going to allow my dining room table to be overrun with books, pen & paper, (I know, I'm so "old school"), and yes even computer cords. I will no longer make myself way too comfortable on the couch,  allowing the interruptions of my "favorites" to take me away to other web destinations. 


Having now said that - I will allow walks with Lucy to interrupt, occasionally. 

Lucy likes yellow leaves.

A good walk, especially on a day like today, is good for clearing the head. It enables me to come back to my homework with fresh eyes, and ideas. 

 a whirlwind of Fall leaves.

Fingers crossed this new technique works!