Another stunning Autumn has arrived. We, northern Indiana, are at our peak season and we are not disappointed. The weather has been exceptional for working in the garden during the day and sitting by the fire late into the night. I love the business of my neighborhood as we prepare for winter…one house at a time. Folks are mowing…yes, one more time, and putting up storm windows, raking, painting, and just sitting on lawn chairs letting the sun’s warmth sink into their bodies and soul.
This Autumn has been an extremely busy one for me. Along with the normal school and storytelling, I have done a full outside restoration project. My house has reverted back to the 1800’s. It has become a neighborhood project. Folks line up in the evening with lawn chairs to watch the progress. My neighbor and friend, Lee, has been the foreman and advisor for this project. He has said all along t hat underneath the old white particle board siding, there must be visions…clues…or even the actual clapboard siding of once-upon-a-time. Nervously, I let him talk me into ripping off pieces of siding and there it was. The House. She stood with the original wood just waiting to be brought back to life. Amazingly enough, there was very little repair to the old wood…just lots of scraping and sanding and painting.
I love knowing that I have restored this old house to a piece of art work, a house of beauty. Folks drive by endlessly in this small town, as this makes big news! The outside colors are lavender, butter cream, and bits of hot pink. As Aaron, my son, said, “It is definitely a girl’s house.”
I have taken to painting the white picket fence as well. If I am home and if the weather is over 50 degrees, I am working my way around the garden fence. Late yesterday afternoon I finished the outside perimeter with a holler from my neighbors as well as they were watching the final project.
Tampa Bay Rays. How can I not talk about them? In truth, I am a Yankee fan from way back, I can’t tell you why…but I have always been a Yankee fan. But how can I not help putting forth my emotions for this Tampa Bay team. I even pulled out the television from the closet to watch the playoffs. It was amazing that the television even worked! Aaron and I spent many nights watching this team play. I decided to make my time productive and knit during the games. I have a cache of scarves after the season. It is hopeful and American that a team can be the underdog and win and win with gusto. If you were watching last night, you know what I mean.
Without getting too political or too sentimental, I can only say that I am so excited about the upcoming election. I am excited that we spend our free time talking about it wherever we go. Last week end at the Hoosier storytelling festival, it was a main topic among tellers. It is the main topic around the water coolers, the kitchen table and over the tailgate of the pick up. Don9 9t forget you can vote early!!
Time Passes. Leave fall. The beauty of Autumn is so rich this year. Yesterday afternoon while I was painting a lovely orange maple leave fell into my lap. I spent ten minutes admiring this leaf before picking the brush back up. Life is extraordinary.
As for me? I am in the midst of teaching children how to be creative in the areas of photography, water colors, dance, poetry, sketching, miming, storytelling and yoga. We have our photography exhibit at our local library here in Angola and I was able to take a few students down to Indianapolis to perform last week end. We stay after school to write shows and have our first dinner theatre of the year on November 14th. Please drop on by…my house is big lots of room for company.
To you who read my passage, my intent, my mission statement is to uplift, open eyes, and enjoy this language of writing to those of you who enjoy words and images.
Pick up the leaves… let them fall upon you and yours wherever you live.
“Everything runs backward now. Like matinee films sometimes, where people jump out of water onto diving boards. Come September you push down the windows you pushed up, take off the sneakers you put on, pull on the hard shoes you threw away last June. People run in the house now like birds jumping back inside clocks. One minute, porches loaded, everyone gabbing thirty to a dozen. Next minute, doors slam, talk, stops, and leaves fall off trees like crazy.”
Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine
