Did I mention that I love Fall?

Actually, I am addicted to Fall: crisp air, that “autumn blue” sky, raking leaves, freshly picked apples, dried corn stalks, and pumpkin patches. (Note: I could be genetically predisposed as my birthday falls on the first day of Autumn most years.)

My house begins to fill with the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice. Around the end of July, I begin scouring my old magazines for Fall arts & crafts and decorating projects, comfort food ideas, and new baking recipes. I am a woman obsessed! I go down to the basement to begin sorting through my Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations, all carefully packed in plastic storage boxes (I’ll spare you my obsession with Christmas and how I put up 3 Christmas trees each year).

This past Sunday, in honor of my birthday, my husband took me out to breakfast, my favorite meal to have out and also to cook. As we drove south on Hwy 1, along the coast to Moss Landing, overlooking Monterey Bay, I spied my first pumpkin patch of the season. My husband of 30 years knows well my reaction to seeing the pumpkins for the first time and pulled over just in time (he’s really as bad as me) to take in the gorgeous sea of orange and white. Pumpkins of every size imaginable, as far as the eye can see, rolling down to the water’s edge.

Did I mention that I love Fall?

Touched by an Angel

So, yesterday morning I was hurrying through the library (where I work) to the upstairs cafe, trying to get my morning cuppa before the line got too long. A little girl, maybe 2 years old, was being strollered through the security gates by her Mother. I had a lot on my mind and do tend to furrow my brow when deep in thought, but looked up just in time to see her beam me a smile. It stopped me in my tracks. I gave her a short, somewhat embarrassed little smile in return and hurried on my way. Ten minutes later - short line for a Wednesday - returning with coffee in hand, I heard a child yelling "hi" over and over again. Annoyed that some slacker parent was letting their child yell in the library AGAIN (and thinking why weren't they in the children's room instead of the adult browsing area), I looked around for the source: that's when I realized the loud hi's were for me. The same smiling angel was trying to get my attention. Did she know I was going through some difficult times? How did she know I needed a smile and a friendly hello at that moment? So I gave her my best smile and a wave in return because you never know when you're going to be Touched by an Angel.

Riverbend has left Iraq

I have followed the blog of an Iraqi woman who calls herself “Riverbend” since August 2003. She has not written since April 2007. A new post appeared today! Riverbend and her family have made it safely out of Iraq and are now refugees in Syria.

It shames me that it is this country’s fault they were forced to leave their home. I wonder if they will ever forgive us, or if it makes any difference to them that so many of us have been against that ugly invasion from the very beginning.

I'm sorry, Riverbend, for what my country has done to you, and done to Iraq.