.... and, breathhhhe

What's that scent? From where I'm sitting, pretty sure it's the lavender cleaning spray that I just used in the other room.  Ahhh... so good.

The season of Autumn awakens my senses.  Everything has an extra buzzy energy. True? Yes? No? Or maybe it's just me.   Seems this time of year my body and mind are more receptive to sights, sounds and smells, not to mention taste and touch.

Sights ~

Past few days, photos of leaves turning posted on Twitter via links from NASA, Vermont Public Radio, and 9News Denver have been such a treat.  See...

New England Fall Colors
Image by NASA Earth Observatory
via Mashable

Vermont Fall Foliage
Image by Vermont Outdoor Guides

Roosevelt National Forest CO
Image by Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post

Sounds ~  Puppy snores! Shhhh... Shadow dog and Sombra dog seem to be sleeping more soundly now that the evening temps have dropped a bit. I love my dogs.

Scents ~ Irresistibly yummy oven-baked goodies... I've already had a few too many.  Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip cookies, Spice Cake, Apple danish, etc.  Oh boy, this has got to stop already.  Can't wait for that first batch of pumpkin pancakes to come off the griddle. They don't even need a drop of syrup. And applewood smoked bacon... oh my! Good thing Mom's diabetic fall favorites are on deck for tomorrow's baking.

Flavors ~ I fittingly covered spices above, so in this category, it's gonna have to be cinnamony, mexican style hot chocolate, spicy herbal teas, and anything cranberry.  Savory or sweet, bring them all on.  We are in the third day of October and the house has already been filled with the scent of Spice cake baking in the oven; topped w/ cream cheese frosting... and various sweets mentioned above... delish.  I decided this morning that chili would be on Sunday's dinner menu.  I'm looking forward to picking up ingredients and bringing together all the wonderful spices that make my chili hard to pass up. Giant dutch oven is out and read for business.

The Feels ~ Puppy snuggles, soft cotton flannel throws at night - with a/c and fans still running of course. The wonder and awe that overcomes while gazing at sparkly stars against especially dark skies while enjoying the much cooler night air.. and it's only going to get better as the weeks roll on.  I'm hoping for an especially unusual and lengthy cold season. I still feel a bit homesick for Colorado during this time of year; I'm hopeful we'll have a family road trip back as soon as we have a larger place to live so that we can bring our household belongings that are in storage there back here to California. Someday.

Tell me what Autumn brings that fill up your senses.

Sources: 

• earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=84460&eocn=home&eoci=iotd_image
• mashable.com/2014/10/03/fall-colors-space/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link
• voga.org/
• wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldi

Sounds, Thoughts & Things

Sounds ~

I am in the mood for some, well, mood music. You know, the beautiful music that you imagine playing during a charming movie scene that takes place during Fall. No lyrics, just music, and today specifically, Vivaldi's Allegro from The Four Seasons ~ Autumn... just listen and feel. Also nice is Tchaikovsky's piano suite The Seasons. Listen.  Oh, and I'm sure I am not the only one who cannot wait to enjoy the sounds of Peanuts Thanksgiving Special, right? Listen.  Good stuff, Charlie Brown.  What music fills you with warm memories of the season?

Thoughts & Sounds ~

After yesterday's blog post, I haven't been able to get thought out of my head the fact that I can't remember when I last heard that rustling sound of fallen leaves tumbling along the ground as if dancing in celebration of Autumn.  The season makes my heart dance, or at least it did at one time.  Desert temps here hit 100f again, so no dancing today, but I did sweat a lot.  Appears same daytime highs will continue into next week, as will my crummy mood.  Are you a warm weather lover or a do you prefer a reason to bundle up a few months out of the year?

Things, Thoughts & Sounds ~

Today came with reminders of good things... people doing good things.  People making a difference.  People reminding others that they matter.  What stands out for me during this time of year - when importance of expressing gratitude comes into focus - is the contributions of many purposely living their lives with the intent to make things better.

A few years back, strangers and long lost - and found again - friends came to my family's aid.  It was early Fall, and my husband had just lost his job.  When I mentioned this to my daughter's friend's mom, without question, she arranged through her church, food rations and utility assistance.  When I tell you her church women's group assembled a complete Thanksgiving dinner, I mean right down to whipped cream, candles & a centerpiece for the table.  Gift cards sent from friends and family provided additional relief.

Grace.

Christmas that year was the last time we decorated the exterior of our house. That year a bus load of strangers, on a home holiday lights tour, took up a collection and brought it to our door. We were told that house brought everyone so much joy that they wanted to help with our electricity bill. It would be two years until my husband found work; by then we had lost our home and were forced to ask family to take us in.  Recalling this time still leaves me breathless.

Grace begets Gratitude.

So, maybe, when you hear those special sounds of the season, be it music, singing, mealtime banter and laughter, or those rustling leaves, know how grateful my heart was for these gifts when I needed them most.  It is with gratitude that I share some of my favorite causes and organizations doing good works for the good of all.

Grace begets Gratitude begets Generosity. 

Give A Goat!

Celebrate Socktober
with
Kid President!

Near and Dear...
The Boardman Family
& Matt's Mates

Sources: 

• wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldi
• wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_(Vivaldi)
• wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky
• wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seasons_(Tchaikovsky)
• wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tchaikovsky_the_Seasons_October.ogg
• VinceGuaraldiVEVO  youtu.be/4KJeS1MdYWc
• www.heifer.org
• Matt's Mates at www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk/Chapter-HoustonGulfCoast4644?team_id=150489&pg=team&fr_id=3887

Hey October, Where'd September Go?

October 1, 2014
High Temp. 98 degrees.

Crunch?  Unless I'm munching on extra crispy corn flakes with no milk, there is no crunching to be heard around here. Raking Autumn leaves into piles was one of my favorite things in Texas; even better, the laughter of neighborhood kids jumping into those just gathered leaves. I love that memory.  No crunching of leaves in the desert.

.

This is what 2014's about:  Hey September, what happened?  You slipped away from me, didn't you. Well, October is here and I'm giving BlogHer NaBloPoMo another go. It is no coincidence that the golden tickets from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory had admission date of October 1st, it means I get to give my Roald Dahl tribute a second chance, right?

*****

I found the crunch!  It's in today's vlog.