Fall Fever

The temperature was a delicious 58 degrees when we set out just before 7:00 this morning for the 60 mile drive to Howard's eye doctor for a final check up on his cataract surgery. "I'm going to start getting out earlier!" I announced as I saw the beautiful countryside unrolling before us. The picturesque landscape of undulating pastures and valleys with little farmsteads nestled cozily in clumps of trees were out of a storybook. In the early chill, feathery drifts of morning fog settled like downy fluff comforters over awakening households.

After the brief, satisfactory appointment and a late McDonald's breakfast, we checked out a mall (there are none in our town), buying only an amazing pretzel before heading home. The fall like weather had given us a drop-dead gorgeous day, and domestic stirrings within made me eager to get home and accomplish something around the house.

"Howard, let's clean the front porch when we get home!" I suggested, to which he gave an agreeable grunt. Since it felt like fall, I thought I might as well get an early start on sprucing it up with autumn decor. I knew of some flowers I had stored in the basement, so when we got home I enlisted his help in prowling through things stored among the boxes from our move last year.

I pulled out a miscellany of junk, wondering if I could make something of it. I found my garland of sunflowers, so I took away the roses woven into the lattice of a porch etagere and put them up instead. "Where is my big copper tub?" I wondered when we got upstairs. Howard said he had seen it down there, so he was dispatched to retrieve it for me. I had decided to put it in a porch wagon as a prop for an arrangement.

That done, I dusted and filled shelves with seasonal accents, putting patchwork pillows on the white bench and generally pulling the look together. It was turning out well, surprising even me! I love it when a new season sparks new interest and energy every year! It seems God does not want us to be bored, creating a fresh outlook (and look) just about the time our patience has run thin and we have lost interest in the present season.

He is the Master Painter of the sky and earth, and even lets us enjoy a bit creativity, too!