Actually I’m crazy about this time of year.  At least I can breathe again for a week or two.  The air is crisp and fresh and mold spores haven’t yet taken hold.  Unlike Maxine, I enjoy a blanket of leaves on my lawn.  We have an old Black Walnut tree in the center of the yard, that rolls out a lovely carpet of gold and gives a whole new definition to beauty.

There are other things to do this week beside raking.  First and foremost is putting away bulbs which will bloom again next year if stored away.  Then there are all our lawn ornaments and the porcelain  wren houses and bird baths that must be stored inside.  I’ll be doing some trim painting and plan to do a little Tom Sawyer action on our little patio fence.  There are plenty of things to dispose of at this time of year.

On the inside, I’ll be adjusting my closet and moving summer clothes into crates for storage and winter flannels will replace them.  Deep cleaning on the inside – like cleaning the oven, refrigerator and getting into the corners of cabinets and neglected spaces – can all be done during our long winter expanse.  Although I  probably will procrastinate on some of those jobs this year.  It seems with age, most of those tasks seem less important. Now I’m a lot more concerned about my inner shell – the heart and soul of me.  I know that I have a new life ahead when this one ends.  It will be free from the dismal duties we place on ourselves.  It will be full of blessing, no tears, with peace and joy abundant.  I look forward to that, but I still have some time left to enjoy the beauty that God has created for the right now too.

So I’ll do what I can this week.  Next week begins a time filled with extra rehearsals and performance venues.  Then all will be quiet on the western front for a little while.  Enjoy the moments God has given you.  Be blessed by them and hold them tightly in your heart.  The little treasures are the greatest blessings.