life of love and gratitude: Grateful for one more...weekend of beauty

We are supposed to despise the global warming. And I do for all of its damage.

But this fall, I'm pretty OK with it and El Nino...

Every weekend for the last four I have written on the TO DO list to put the garden to bed for the winter. But we have run into one obstacle that has pulled me back.

It has been 60+ degrees every weekend. Last Sunday it was 63. I had windows open. On the 15th of November. In the NORTHERN Mid-west, not far from the Canadian border! I was in a t-shirt and the hubs in his shorts. The pups ran in the yard chasing mice who were still running through the leaves in the woods.

It was Heaven!

That heliotrope that I wrote about over a month ago is blooming fuller than in July. My petunias are still there and the geraniums need to be deadheaded again. The grass is green despite the leaves all being down, including many of the red oaks.

In a season that has torn our hearts apart losing a loved one and dealing with family pain and drama, the beautiful weather has hung on to fill our souls with days of sun and warmth and beauty. Even the last 3 days of rain were 58 degrees and smelled more of spring than coming dark days with snow and bitter cold.

We have gone for rides with the pups with the sun roof open. We have blown leaves and planted bulbs to await their faces announcing spring next year. We have cut and stacked firewood in the sun preparing for warming fires scented with an occasional piñon log in the winter.

We have stood outside with the music from the radio blaring taking in the beauty of a season that is hanging on to give us its last smile before sleep.

Simple post here today but this was the corner we turned this morning. The temperature is now 36 and when the pups ran across the deck to get into the yard I saw frost. Our first now with more to come. Thanksgiving is next week and while it will be, as always, one we are grateful for, I will be extra thankful that we have had such an amazing fling of warm and sunny weekends to fill my soul with brightness and the last blooming of my beautiful space.

This weekend we will finally put the garden pots to bed until spring. Each of the last several weekends I have gone out with the intention of emptying the pots of their blooms and storing them for the winter. And each Sunday, I have stood in the sun and told the hubs I just can't yet...those beautiful red and purple and pink blooms are begging for one more weekend. The vinca vines look like Rapunzel's flowing locks. The beauty needed one more week.

And now it's time.

I am grateful for one more..weekend or week or day of the beauty we've had. Of watching the pups run in the sun. Of seeing my blooms tell me that they are there to make me smile and remind me of renewal and healing. Of having the music and game on Sunday to listen to as we puttered in the sun cleaning the garage and putting furniture away and tucking the fishing boat in for the winter. Of the piercing blue sky and warm air gently flowing through the house.

Of standing on the deck as the sun goes down and the cool dramatically comes back for the night as I have a glass of wine and continue to take in my space and it's love and beauty.

And I remember how blessed I am to have the weekends of beauty and smiles and flowers and green grass and crisp leaves. And recall the days of late where my space knew my heart needed a boost and continued to bloom and keep me in the days of the season I love best where it all is in full bloom and my space lifts me to Heaven.

Thank you space, I am so grateful for one more, one more, one more weekend for the last 7 or 8 weeks. Until we connect again next spring when my bulbs announce planting time and we begin the renewal again.

Until then, it will be warm fires, cozy blankets, puppy cuddles, red wine and good books mixed with sewing time.

But... I'm already dreaming of daffodils...