bitter wind

The wind is howling outside my window.

After a brief stint of unseasonable warmth, the wind has born down and is chilling me to the bones.  This rain and wind has set me off and I am quite tired from it all.  Maybe it is the lingering cold that has settled in my chest, maybe it is the waning sunlight but I just seemed to have the wind out of my sails.

I see the only solution is to kindle my heart and stir up some good moments from the past few gloomy weeks.

 Stella warming my side of the bed.  As lovely as it is to have a warmed bed to get into she's a bear to move once she's settled in.

 One walk home from school the other day was guided by the falling leaves.  I love the crunch of leaves underfoot - maybe a texture thing.  It made me REALLY miss the crack of the live oak acorns that littered the walkways of Savannah.  There is nothing like a good acorn crunch.

 I got to watch Zachary and his classmates perform in the Fall Chorale Preview.  I also was privileged enough to be working at the middle school when his Vocal Jazz class spent the day performing for the kids.  It was a special moment sitting next to one of my students enjoying the music in the same "language" as her peers.  That doesn't happen every day.

 I found this big old frog on the path and scooped him up into a one cup measuring cup that I had on hand before the dogs could make his acquaintance.  [Maybe he wanted a smooch.]

   

 There was beauty in the silhouetted country-side waiting for the sun to make its morning entrance.

 Katherine and I caught the afternoon sun while we sipped our tea and had a much needed life catch-up.  I was so grateful to have a good sit with this kindred spirit of mine.  

 Digging into a loaf of Dad's sourdough is always a pick-me-up.  He has began baking it the old way with just starter, flour, water and time.  It gets better and better every batch he makes.

 The misery of sitting through another soaking wet, cold football game was taken away by watching my baby brother's team defeat the team that had beaten them the week prior.  The boys were so excited and we were so excited to see their joy.

 The next week's game would not prove so joyous.  Samuel joined Mom, Dad, Jason and I in being the best fans we could possibly be.  

When our desolate team trudged off the field after a neck and neck game it warmed my heart when Zachary stopped and pulled us all close and asked us to pray.  Most games he is quick to head to the locker room and we have to sneak in a pat on the back.  At this final moment of his last football game we pulled our family huddle around our youngest and brought God into that embrace - that was such a special moment, far different from the moment hoped for but beautiful all the same.

 In the winds of the auditorium Zachary ran over his few loose lines.  He will play the titular character in Sherlock Homes in a few weeks.  It feels so good to be back with the drama department for another season.

 Saturday morning was spent applying coats of paint to set pieces.  I was so grateful to have Zachary there along with a freshman thespian Zachary.  That big wall in the background will be this week's accomplishment.

 Abliging the request of my brother, we made up a few propaganda posters promoting his campaign for No-Shave November.  I was proud of his wit and vision.

 After finishing that last one - all then feet of it - I felt like a rock-star.

 Dad made this season's premier batch of iced ginger cookies.  He did a first - dairy-free icing.  I have eaten far too many to think about counting.  

As a stood munching one after school memories of eating these cookies as a child at my paternal grandparents house came flooding back.  These would have to be one of very few food memories I have of visits to their house.  I remember the ice cubed water from their refrigerator and the off chance grandpa would offer us a few of his Wheat Thins or Tiscuits if we sat still and quite while he watched Bonanza, 'the game' or golf.  Then there is the white cake of many, many birthday cakes eaten in their dining room and these cookies.  Grandma kept them in a white Doughboy cookie jar and they were always rock solid.  The icing had to be minded as to make certain it didn't stab our mouths - that was always kind of the fun of eating them.  The first time my dad brought them to a family function my cousins, sharing the same memories as us, all snatched them up and scarfed them down.  They then marveled at how soft they were.

 It was over a plate full of "chips" that I caught up with Whitney.  She went out west when Rachel and Josh (her brother) left and it was so nice to sit and chat with her.  What lovely celebratory embraces we shared.

There it is.  Plenty of reasons for my heart to be warm and happy.  Oh, wait - Thanksgiving is little over three weeks off and I will be anticipating the arrival of dear Rachel and Joshua.  Now my heart-fire is just roaring!  The brothers will come to town as well as my sister-in-law to-be Laura and the sister of my heart.  Roaring!