This One's for You, J

Sunday we got leaves out of the back yard. Seeing as it will be 67 degrees today, James and I decided to tackle some of the yard work. I don't have any lawn bags so we just worked leaves today. And by worked leaves, I mean go outside and randomly point my blower toward the street. I bragged about the size of my leaf pile on the Facebook, but really, to be fair, I am also doing the front yard of the empty house next to us. The folks across the street mow in the summer, so in the fall I figure it's the least I can do. Winter will depend on if I get the hang of the snow thrower, and how cold it is. That is a corner lot, after all.
When I left for Tucson I was a bit bummed as fall colors hadn't really reached a good photo point. It was pretty, but not unbelievably pretty. As I suspected, that occurred shortly after my return. It was nice to come back to. I have so many photos from last year, I didn't really take too much. I missed Homers transformation-he lost his leaves pretty quickly this year. But a request from a dear friend, a desert dweller, came across the lines, and really, how could I say no? I stepped out into the mid 60 degree weather and took a few shots. A day like today is really special. I may let Ava postpone her piano work and get those kids out on their bikes. After Friday's snow, who knows how much longer we'll have to bask in this autumn glory?

Random Saturday Morningish Musings

1) I love my vacuum cleaner. And not in a "Ms. Jackson if you're nasty" kind of way. It works awesome, AND it's orange. Love it.
2) How cute is this?
3) Hint: Not as cute as this.
4) I feel my life moving in an unanticipated direction. I didn't put much thought into it, but something happened recently that made me kind of wonder if it means something. This morning I was starting to think about it-if there's some deep meaning, if I am being steered in this direction, what it could mean for our family, and future, and suddenly I smelled the wonderful aroma of roses. A friend had sent flowers when I lost my mom-well over a week ago they arrived. They are still lovely, but I've been thinning the arrangement as some of the flowers are well past their expiration date. It seemed to awaken me to the probability that yes, my life is changing course, and yes, I am supposed to listen. We'll see what happens. Right now I am resolved to be relaxed and open to all the possibilities that life offers. Even if they're scary or I am unsure. I know I'm taken care of.
5) Lately, at the library, and eerily only since my Mom passed, books are flying off the shelves. The first time I thought it was an isolated incident; perhaps someone on the other side had jammed a book in and caused something to come out the other side. But I peered around the corner and there was nobody there. I informed my mother out loud (I am pretty certain everyone already thinks I am crazy) that she is not allowed to haunt me. But if she's not going to listen and do it anyway, she cannot come to my house. The library is fine, but she needs to stay out of the kids section. Fiction only-there are a lot of mysteries there, and it's the quickest to reshelve.
6) I am doing some research on something I know nothing about. Wish me luck. I hope to find helpful information for the party that put me in this charge.
7) Someone told me that in Fort Wayne, there's one degree of separation. At first I thought that might me true. But if it's so, why did we really never connect with folks we were going to church with for several years? And why does it seem that our group has expanded beyond just a few only in the last year or so? I'm not complaining-our group of friends includes some of the best people you'd ever want to know. I'm just saying I don't necessarily think it's that easy. I think some things are kind of meant to be. Serendipitous.
8) I wish my hair looked as good as Ava drew it in the photo above!