Day thirty-eight

I'm well into my second month away from work and just starting week 5 with the kids. I can hardly tell you where October went, but I can tell you that it was wonderful.

The kids made a candy-killing at Halloween, zig-zagging the streets of our neighborhood, running door to door to Trick-or-Treat their way to sugared chocolate bliss. Miles and Margo proudly donned their costumes several times before October 31, showing them off to visitors and grandparents whenever they could. On the evening of Halloween, Miles knew the drill well, having rehearsed his lines many times. Margo trailed along slowly and prospered just fine on cuteness, without having to say a word. I'm curious to know how many seasons our home-made candy bags will last. I'm sure they'll hold up just fine to time, but will be forgotten and passed over once the allure of fake plastic pumpkin buckets draws them in. And should plastic pumpkins fail to attract them, surely adolescence will render grocery bag trick-or-treat containers grossly out of style.

Autumn in Minnesota has been very kind to us this year, and I am thankful to have gotten to enjoy much of it. The wind blew hard and cool yesterday, reminding us that Old Man Winter is packing his bags for his five month visit to our part of the world. Em and I will be outside in the yard again soon, cutting down and trimming back much of what flourished over the spring and summer months. Most of them will lie dormant over the winter months, frozen to the earth, hidden beneath a sheets of ice and blankets of snow...but very much alive and ready to thrive again next year. We will be together inside, ever thankful for a warm home, loving family and faithful friends.