A Season Such As This

I love autumn. I love fall. No matter what you call it, this season by any other name would smell just as sweet.

I love the scarlett, crimson, rust, gold, amber, orange, and brown of the leaves. A few autumns ago God taught me-through the changing leaves- how beautiful it is to die to one's self and every subsequent fall has been a reminder of that. I love crunching the leaves under my feet. I started trying to do this back in September but the leaves were still too wet. Now they are just right. I love the way that everything smells, so crisp. Even the rain is okay.

And pumkins! I love pumpkins. I love everything about them: color, shape, carving them, their seeds...I even loved pumpkin as a side dish/vegetable when I ate it in Australia. I love to drive by the local pumpkin patch and see the field pregnant with orange.

I love scarves. Especially a particularly long one I have...it makes me feel like I'm in a Dr. Seuss book. I love that I can wear my favorite mittens again (today is their 2006 premier). My favorite mittens were knit for me for my 19th birthday by my dear friend Karin, who was living on a small island at the time, and had to trade and beg wool. They are made all the more sweeter by the fact that they have a string that attaches them, just like when you were a kid. All the cozy clothes you get to bundle up in go without mentioning.

Walking hand-in-hand is better in the autumn because, unlike summer, your hands don't get sweaty, they just stay warm. Sitting outside? Autumn is natures way of saying, "Here's your chance to move a little closer". Fall also makes hot chocolate and cider and tea taste better. The packages for all those products should read "For optimum results, drink in the fall".

Nothing is going into winter quietly. The leaves steal your glances in their shameless colors and cackle as you walk over them. The brisk smells assult your nose one last time so you remember to take note of them again in spring. Pumpkins are begging for a face-lift. Hot chocolate was made for a season such as this. Natures suggesting you move a little closer. What's not to like?

Oy Vei

It's been a week since my last post and I know the villagers must be getting restless, even though there's not much to report. Yesterday morning started out pretty sketchy but last night was good. A bunch of us college and career peeps had dinner at Nevermind in Kits and then to Granville Island for theatre sports. I had a Guiness to take the edge off my day. Really I had a Guiness because it's delicious. Mike had one too and I had a minor-and very short lived-panic attack about ordering beer at a church event...the panic attack didn't occur until the pastor sat at our table. Hope you enjoyed Adventure Girl and Camera Boy while they lasted;) Just jokes guys.

Mike and I have tracked down all the components to our Halloween costumes. We are being Thing 1 and Thing 2 from that Seuss classic The Cat in The Hat. In related news, we are some other people's Halloween costumes. A couple from church asked us if it would be alright if they went as Adventure Girl and Camera Boy for Halloween...heck yes, it's alright!

Well, I'm not sure what the rest of today holds but tonight better involve some wine. Happy trails all.

Don't eat that

Yesterday a child arrived to school in a firetruck and the class got their picture taken infront of it. My morning got started out on the right foot when one child looked behind him to take in the massive splendidness of the large metal beast and said with awe "Wow. That's a whole lotta firetruck!"

The day only got better from there as we had an ice-skating fieldtrip and I love ice-skating. I didn't fall once. I usually don't fall on ice. I think somehow my body remembers bygone days of trial and error on a couple pieces of sharpened metal tippiness and tries it's best to stay upright. The children, on the other hand, looked like fish out of water flopping around. One child informed me that he was the best skater in class. Shortly after I saw him sail across the ice, narrowly missing his face smashing into it. I guess confidence is half the battle.

I lost count of how many times I had to tell children not to eat the ice. What do parents teach their children these days? In his younger days, my Dad was an 'ice cop' and drove the zamboni (my parents actually met ice-skating) so I realize I have gotten a superior ice-education: do not eat the ice, it will make you sick; if you fall, get up quick so you don't get run over; when you fall, make a fist immediately because someone could run over your fingers (my Dad actually witnessed this first-hand back in the day...that guy lost his digits); and, if Dad takes you ice-skating, you're bound to get hot chocolate. But children eating the icerink ice?! A popular line for me yesterday was "Don't eat the ice. There are chemicals in it and they will make you sick." The children all acted very surprised at this information.

So as my public service announcement, I urge you: Do not eat the ice.

Shock and Awe

I have a 5-day weekend coming up. Today is my last day of work until Tuesday. Tomorrow morning, I'm not setting my alarm. I think I might only set my alarm Sunday, and even then, only for church. I get to have 2 turkey dinners and 1 random dinner this weekend. The 2 turkey dinners are courtesy of both sides of Mike's family. The random dinner is courtesy of mine because my Dad had to work in Edmonton for 2 weeks and it doesn't seem worth it to do the whole Thanksgiving scence with him away so we're trying to find some way to still have a sort of family dinner in liu of the actual turkey. And did I mention that I get a 5-day weekend? As Miss Universe, I will use these 5 days to kick mono to the curb.