Image Crafting

Leaves every shade of the rainbow.  I'm not sure if there's ever been a fall so brilliant and magical as this one.  I keep thinking, this must be the color peak.  Only to discover that I'm wrong.  Some of the maples are starting to lose their leaves, but then the elm, chestnut and sycamore are doing their thing.  Quite nice.  Makes for some lovely morning walks. 

I've been doing a lot of thinking on the subject of Image Crafting.  It's a term that's been used in reference to Facebook and the impression you can give simply based on your profile statuses.  I know that it's something that can easily happen with Twitter and Blogging as well.  There's a strong desire to put the best foot forward, be optimistic, to give the impression that you've got it all together.  There's also a conflicting desire to keep it real, to let it all hang out.  It's pretty fascinating--the dueling inclinations.  I'll be honest, I like posting happy things, pretty things, good things, funny things, because it helps keep my mind in a better place.  I've struggled with depression for so long that I try and utilize everything I have to keep the movement going forward.  But, I also don't want to give the impression that my life is pure bliss.  I almost laugh at the thought, just recalling this past week.  The kids were fractious, particularly near the end of the week, and I was weary.  I think I even remember locking myself in the bathroom so I could order a cheese pizza for lunch--they were clamoring for my attention to such a pitch (read: screeching and crying).  Oi.  We struggle.  We despair.  We make horrible decisions.  We are momentarily brilliant.  We laugh at each other.  We learn to be kind.  And soak up those special moments of beauty. 

I'm a big advocate of marking Great Days(s) on the calender.  So you don't forget when you're in the trenches and ready to do something drastic--like duck tape your children to the wall.  You can look at the calender and think, oh, that's right, not every day is like this.  I think my blog is another way for me to mark those beautiful days.  When brother and sister are kind to each other, sharing their toys, smiling and happy.  Sometimes it's fleeting, and they fall and bonk their knee, or push each other over.  But, that picture, snapped that second, is a keeper!

Chilly Morning Walks

 

I love those morning walks when the kiddies need their blankets with them--for the extra warmth!  I usually walk out the door with mittens and a scarf.  They prefer "ka-chow" and "bankie".  Whatever makes them feel cozy enough to keep the layers on!  Anyone with a toddler will understand the frustration of keeping the warm stuff on their little hands and feet.  

Autumn is my favorite season.  Hands down.  The leaves, the pumpkins, the butternut squash soup.  The ease into chillier temperatures.  Temperatures that demand blankies, mittens, and multiple cups of tea.  I cut out leaves from a sheet of water color paper I had my way with and assembled our fall door decoration.  Also, those mini pumpkin muffins?  William will grab one in each hand and call it breakfast.  M will grab one and leave a trail of soggy crumbs throughout the apartment--which no one will know about until we step on them. 

Pumpkins

Pumpkins!  Heaps and bunches of them.  Bright orange pumpkins the size of Madeleine.  And muted green pumpkins next to warty peach colored pumpkins.  Crazy!  These pictures were taken the other week.  As there were a mountain of them to go through, they took a while for me to post.  The babies and I started the day out with a box of doughnut holes, then met up with our good friends and their little boy.  We hiked and explored all over Maple Acres.  Met turkeys and friendly tractor drivers.  William helped me pick apples for our fruit bowl at home while Madeleine secretly stuffed flowers into her pockets.  I think we were fairly mud-encrusted by the end of it all.  I had to literally round the babies up to get them back to the car--they had no desire to leave. 

Foliage

Although we have the air conditioning on today-way too humid and sticky for me--fall seems to have arrived in Chestnut Hill.  At least in the form of changing foliage!  Maple trees are always the first to start the transformation.  The rest seem to follow suit shortly after.

With my shop closed for the fall I'm finding my creative energies being channeled in other directions--making Happy Birthday garlands, hanging pictures, writing letters for my Correspondence Project.  Feels good.  Like a deep breath that fills your whole body.

Sending love,
Jewels