I haven’t been to New England in October since 2015, but my heart is often there.

I’m still in Colorado, barely traveling at the moment, but others are. Courtney flew out for a weekend this month, which went by way too quickly.  I do hear about her girls and see a few pics every now and then, like these from Homecoming.

Love how smart they are about footwear! Let’s face it, though, they are too far away. I don’t get to see them often enough. I do see this little one a lot, since I’m still his nanny.

He may occasionally be a bit too near, since I tend to catch every bug he catches. Small price to pay for all the smiles and hugs. I even get a few from Beckett every now and then, but he’s pretty busy.

Brittany and Andy are about to be very far indeed. They’re moving to Australia in a couple of days. It hasn’t completely sunk in yet, but I’m already imagining Christmas without them. Far fewer games, I’m afraid, so I’m grateful for technology, which will allow us to stay in regular contact. And I’m very happy for them to have this opportunity. The adventures David and I had during our nomadic year will always be some of my favorite memories.

So I’m thinking about dear ones and favorite places, near and far. I’m trying to appreciate the near, while treasuring memories of–and staying in contact with–the far. Even though New Hampshire leaf peeping couldn’t happen for me, Colorado has had an absolutely gorgeous fall, with way more reds than usual. I’ve been drinking them in.

There are a few hillsides on the way to Chelsea’s that this year looked almost like New England. Almost. But I’ll take what I can get. Which is all any of us can do, right?

Here’s hoping you’re finding plenty to appreciate these days!

I remember this excellent advice from elementary school, so it seems appropriate for September.  I’ve mostly mastered street crossing these days, but it’s actually not bad advice for life. I had a chance to do all three the other day at the Butterfly House at The Gardens on Spring Creek. Maybe I can tempt you to check it out yourself, if you’re local. Either way, take a deep breath and imagine yourself here soaking in a bit of butterfly peace and beauty—

Plus a bit of hurricane-free tropical foliage—

Remember my misadventures in the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory?  This was nothing like that. I was super calm the whole time. Well, at least until I got back outside and encountered a guy bellowing into his cell phone loud enough that I could hear him from fifty yards away, but eventually he wandered off.

Mostly, it felt like a reward for finally obeying a persistent God-nudge to let someone else benefit from David’s clothing, especially coats, as we head into fall and winter. Not easy, even after nearly five years–and I’ll admit a few favorites still hang in the closet–but it felt right.

Somehow I imagined the actual moment of relinquishing to be a bigger deal, but it took no time at all. I said nothing about David–hard to believe, I know–and the guy simply put everything into a bin and rolled it away. So there I was a few blocks from The Gardens on Spring Creek with time on my hands before my poetry class. I’d always meant to check it out, but somehow hadn’t. I didn’t even know the butterflies were there. What a treat.

I hope you remember to stop sometimes to listen for the still small voice of God, and I hope you respond to his nudges more readily than I do.  Maybe you’ll be rewarded with butterflies. Can’t we all use a bit of gentle beauty about now?

Here’s one more treat to make you smile, little man Brooks discovering the joys of playing music . . .

One final note: If you are thinking of those affected by Hurricane Ian, as I am,  here are a few links so you can help: American Red Cross and Samaritan’s Purse.

It’s been a hot one. Much as I like the play on words of “Summer Simmer,” it’s often been more of a full boil, even a raging inferno. Several wildfires in France this summer were in areas I visited in 2019 with my friends Pascale and Jacky. One of the worst was in the forest at the base of the Dune du Pilat. Here it is before the fires.

This was part of our trip to the Bassin d’Arcachon.  Many thanks to Pascale and Jacky I saw it when I did.

Even here in the states, it’s been hot. No AC at the lake house, but this worked . . .

I’m home now and my phone reminded me yesterday of another kind of summer simmer: our worst day ever in France. Usually I love slideshows of the same day in years past, but theses photos were of Saintes, 2014, after various boating misadventures and the ensuing heated words. Yikes. This is about as close as David got to me that day . . .

. . . at least until we had to get back on the boat. We worked it out, of course. We always did. But I didn’t really need that memory today. This is also when David’s cancer was discovered in 2016–discovered the 24th, confirmed the 29th–so reminding me of the date was less welcome than usual.

Time to think of better moments. Beckett just turned three on the 20th, and he’s so much fun.

One of the gifts I gave him is a French-English visual bilingual dictionary, and he loves it. He still has trouble pronouncing “L” which complicates learning the proper articles (le, la, les), but he’ll repeat things like, “C’est un serpent.” (It’s a snake.) Chelsea says he even wants it read to him at bedtime, but since she won’t attempt French pronunciation, it’s considerably less interesting, reduced to “Frog, toad, tadpole, . . . goldfish, swordfish, dorsal fin, gill,” admittedly a pretty weak plot line for a bedtime story. 😉 I’m just glad he’s still enjoys learning French, and of course I love when he’s says, “Je t’aime.” That’ll brighten any day.

Here’s hoping the heat lets up, both words and weather. And I’m praying you get to hear and say “I love you” frequently, in any language you choose.

Once more to the lake, as E.B.  White so eloquently wrote, and here I am, back at Lake Sunapee. The waves aren’t quite this dramatic . . .

. . . but enough to make Brittany and Andy’s dog, Bega, very excited as wake from passing boats swells into waves that crash against the shoreline. Also enough that I sometimes use the seated kayak option on my paddleboard, rather than standing, especially when the wind picks up.

Brittany’s post-chemo waves have resulted in hair that’s getting rave reviews wherever she goes . . .

Andy needs a little help to sport waves . . .

We’re also riding a new COVID wave. Just after the 4th, I had news of 19 friends and family who tested positive within the span of about ten days, including Chelsea’s family. Since I spend a large part of most days holding this little one . . .

. . . I was surprised not to catch COVID from him, but somehow didn’t.

Today would have been David’s 70th birthday, so that produces its own waves: nostalgia, wistfulness, and certainly joy and gratitude to have shared so much of his life.

And finally, we all know only too well these days how easily poorly-chosen or poorly-timed words can make waves, even–sometimes especially–with those we love very much. I wrote a poem a while back called “Warm Honey and Daggers” about the trouble and the sweetness of words, the impossibility of “taking back” words, however much we may wish we could.

So today I’m wishing you unsinkable watercraft, good hair days, strong immunities and/or speedy recoveries, comforting memories, and especially unending grace and forgiveness when words run amok.

Praying for you peace like this . . .

. . . and this . . .

May the waves never take you down!