W3 Wednesday

This morning I awoke feeling more alive than I have in the past week. Since returning home from my sister’s several weeks ago I haven’t felt really well and last Wednesday I was hit with a cold that has knocked me down hard. For the better part of the past week I have felt, along with all the discomforts of a serious cold, as if something foreign has attached itself to me draining out life. But this morning, even with another restless night, I feel so much better and as I lay in bed watching dawn's light grow brighter I wondered what, if anything, I had to learn from this down time.

As typical for me the response to my wonder was very simple: aware, be more aware, awake, attentive, conscious and thus becoming more appreciative, grateful…

With this simple, and yes reoccurring thought of awareness in mind, I chose to acknowledge what I have noticed over these shut in days as I look out my windows; Autumn, change, but the thought led me to as much as I love Autumn there is always a sense of sorrow, passing, a crossing over, now mingled with a sense that I did not celebrate with any more than the ‘glancing of and a bow of gratitude toward’ the harvest moon. Even though it wasn’t a sloughing off I sadly realize there will be the crossing of seasons and 12 full moons before I arrive to her again…Really, Jules, come on....

What else have I noticed these past few shut in days as I've looked out my windows? The Creeping Virginia across the way has evolved, stretching her colors, growing richer until reaching her full crimson red

 

The Box Elder tree out back altering his colors as well, slowly, releasing some of his leaves, and the early transition, had I not been so shut in, would have gone unnoticed

 

Oh, yes, the delphinium and lavender out front have re-bloomed, beautifully re-bloomed, and gratefully, this morning I recall over the past few shut in days noticing their tender buds emerge and swell and beautifully re-bloom

Wheeling into the kitchen, my home filled with morning quite, there is a gentle brushing sound. A leaf, from the bouquet of New Harmony Autumn which I was graced with by my dear friends, Brent and Monica, this past weekend, fluttered down, gently reminding me once more….