Transition #1:
Autumn has come to Dickinson, wrapped itself around our trees, tugged off the leaves, and sprinkled them across our lawns. Some of the neighbors are fastidious about ridding their lawns of leaves: mowing grass that hasn't grown in weeks just so that they can suck up and bag the leaves lying on the surface; firing up their leaf blowers to take turns blowing leaves into one another's yards on alternating days; bending over (as I saw today while walking home from work) to pick up individual leaves from their driveways, even as hordes more blow in behind to replace those picked up.
Me? If I don't like the leaves that have blown onto our driveway or front lawn today, all I have to do is wait until tomorrow when the wind will have carried them off elsewhere. It's a pretty natural process, this cycle of life, this transition of the seasons: leaves will fall in the autumn and blanket the ground before the snow comes; in the spring the snow will melt, and the leaves will serve as mulch for gardens and lawns; and any excess leaves remaining will dry up and disappear with the first mowing of the lawn. Why freak out about leaves? Why not simply enjoy them?
That's what Hillary and Suzanna did today while Suzanna waited for her turn to practice her piano lesson (and while Abigail was inside practicing hers). Suzanna came in to get the camera, and here are some of her pics:
Autumn has come to Dickinson, wrapped itself around our trees, tugged off the leaves, and sprinkled them across our lawns. Some of the neighbors are fastidious about ridding their lawns of leaves: mowing grass that hasn't grown in weeks just so that they can suck up and bag the leaves lying on the surface; firing up their leaf blowers to take turns blowing leaves into one another's yards on alternating days; bending over (as I saw today while walking home from work) to pick up individual leaves from their driveways, even as hordes more blow in behind to replace those picked up.
Me? If I don't like the leaves that have blown onto our driveway or front lawn today, all I have to do is wait until tomorrow when the wind will have carried them off elsewhere. It's a pretty natural process, this cycle of life, this transition of the seasons: leaves will fall in the autumn and blanket the ground before the snow comes; in the spring the snow will melt, and the leaves will serve as mulch for gardens and lawns; and any excess leaves remaining will dry up and disappear with the first mowing of the lawn. Why freak out about leaves? Why not simply enjoy them?
That's what Hillary and Suzanna did today while Suzanna waited for her turn to practice her piano lesson (and while Abigail was inside practicing hers). Suzanna came in to get the camera, and here are some of her pics:
Transition #2:
Faithful readers will recall that my boss and her daughter, who have become good family friends, are moving on to Iowa. Well, the moving trucks arrived and packed up their possessions today, and this evening they stopped by for some quick, final hugs goodbye. The girls were all weeping on the front step as we stood and waved them off for their journey out of town. At least they were able to smile for a photo first:
Transition #3:
Faithful readers will recall that Susan's grandma, Laura, is moving from her house (where she and Susan's grandpa, E.J., lived for 23 years) to an apartment connected to the nursing home where her husband now lives. Some of their kids--including Susan's dad, Roger, and a few of his sisters and their husbands--helped her to pack and move today. This evening we hosted some of the group at our house for supper. Laura, Roger, and Laura's youngest daughter, Candy, and her husband, Stu, came over for baked chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes and creamy mushroom gravy, steamed broccoli, fruit bowls, and ice cream and monster cookies for dessert.
Afterwards there was coffee, a tour of the house for Stu (Candy has been here before), visiting, and entertainment by the girls (piano solos, vocal performances, and general silliness and showing off).
Susan, Candy, Laura, and Stu in back; Abigail, Hillary, and Suzanna in front
nice pictures...Hillary didn't need many leaves to be covered completely! She could have lain in my lawn after my having been gone for a week. The grass was quite high due to the several inches of rain that had fallen during my absence.
ReplyDelete