November 7

It's been staggeringly nice outside these past few days.  I think I would be doing wonderfully on my 30 day challenge if I could just stay outside, all the time.  Fall air, the smell of leaves brushing my face, just cool enough and just warm enough at the same time...  how can one crave anything else, in that sort of sensory heaven?

Daggone work, getting in the way.  There's an air of discontent at Orchard these days that can only be countered with a bite of the birthday cake being shared at the meeting, and an iced coffee for lunch.  Perhaps if we had more windows we could open, we'd all feel better...?  Sigh. You know the year is hard hard hard when people come in from a perfect weekend and say it was just "okay." 


The general glum-ness almost made me feel guilty when I answered the obligatory "how was your weekend" queries with a resounding "WONDERFUL!" 

But how could I not?  It was wonderful, all around.  The perfection of the weather (have I mentioned it's been staggeringly nice out???); Sunday breakfast complete with a paper; children in leaf piles and children on walks and children on beaches and in sandboxes and on slides; going to a play with Jackie, snuggling with Ivy, walking with my dog; lunch out with Nat and a new set of Danish modern coffee mugs.... eating dinner with my kids while we watch Sesame Street, laughing and giggling and Ivy naming every animal and character she sees; a walk through the balmy fall darkness after supper, an excited boy jumping into leaves and hiding behind trees at every turn; a quiet house and a cup of tea and a moment to myself to cap the day...

Could life be any sweeter? I am so grateful for what I have.   I will boldly refuse to let anything-- be it work or a somewhat un-met 30 day challenge-- keep me from savoring it.