Nature amazes and delights me!
The ‘simple’ act of the migrating birds flying in formation…
My husband and I LOVE the autumn where we live.
The summer crowds and their noises start fading.
All the reasons we love living in nature
are allowed to begin to exist again.
In October, when we have enough moisture and cold,
the yellows get more intense and we get reds and oranges.
Autumn hikes are the best…
Line dried laundry has an original, delicious scent no product can copy.
Sitting in the firelight…a cozy, crackling fire…with my morning coffee…
…sometimes a good book…often a dog to pet…absolutely addictive.
Like Easter eggs, decorated pumpkins are all over the place!
Our movie theater.
I enjoyed gathering nature’s gifts from our garden and
putting this simple autumn centerpiece together.
As far back as I can remember, I have like tiny things.
Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals.
We honor him around his October 4th feast day
with the blessing of the animal’s ceremony.
Our animals receive an individual blessing
with a light sprinkle of holy water.
My life’s work has been centered on children: swimming instructor…
…Mother’s Day out teacher…Girl Scout leader…stay at home mom…
…a master’s in education…a certified teacher…nanny…tutor…
…children’s book author……grandma…
Here I am enjoying some of my autumn art classes with children…
When my son and daughter were babies / toddlers,
I belonged to a group of young moms.
One of our get-togethers for a while was doing ceramics.
I made the pumpkin below that my beautiful,
sweet sheltie girl, Joy is standing next to.
Fast forward, like real life, decades. In 2023 our daughter and her wife
hosted Thanksgiving for her parents, brother and his family.
I gave Elizabeth my ceramic pumpkin.
The ladies’ lovely Thanksgiving table was in part,
decorated so prettily with my ceramic pumpkin.
This seemingly small act, makes my heart happy.
Share something uplifting to you about October
“Walks in nature are hugs for my soul.” Julie A R Stephens
julie@handsbestrong.com
Julie has a beautifully simple way of depicting the most beautiful attributes of nature, animals, and community. The pictures make me feel like I’m right there with her and fills my heart with autumn vibes.
Awww thank you Theresa for reading and posting – that’s my goal!