TOP.....the best bits of this week! 

~ Have you opened your eyes lately? 
    Have you seen the beauty of fall that is waiting to wrap its arms around you?  
    Have you heard the crunch under foot and heard the rustle as those dancing leaves become
    only a memory?
~ Have you seen the first puff of breath float away on the crisp morning air?
~ Have you heard the song in the sky that sounds only from the geese who are quickly fleeing, 
    heading to their winter home?
~ Have you seen those beautiful, mighty machines working in the fields?  Working seemingly 
    endless hours so we can fill our cupboards with food from their land?
~ Have you changed to heavier winter fare on your table?  So long summer salads, hello roast
    dinner and hearty soups.
~ Are you enjoying the earlier hours of darkness and the gorgeous autumn sunsets?
~ Have you begun to layer your clothing?  Bundling tight under a cozy knit?
~ Oi, this one is not my favorite, but have you turned on your furnace and experienced that 
     reassuring warmth? 
~ Are you missing summer and your sunkist skin?  
~ Are you dreaming of palm trees and soft sand between your toes?
~ Have you finished your harvest and stocked your pantry with all your canned goods?
~ Have you cut your grass for the last time this season?  Have you packed away your bikes and
    hauled out your sleds and snow shovels?
~ Have you set a time to be with family and give thanks for all, the big and the small?

  I have loved this week, chaos included!  I made room for time to do all these things; to enjoy the simple.  I love this time of year, even if it has turned too cold too quickly for my liking.  I love that though it is always a busy time of setting up schedules it is also a more restful time because the sun give us the cue to shut down for the day when it sinks below the skyline.  
  I love the turn of season.  It is a promise that we are somehow called to respond to, and as the holiday of Thanksgiving is just around the corner, what better way to do it!
  My list of thanks is long and varied this year, I am more than blessed!
  I challenge you to make a list of your own.  You needn't have to write it down, but ponder it for a while, say thank you, give back, or merely let your heart be glad and in awe of the beauty around you.
  Enjoy the simple things that are all around!
  Cheers to the weekend!