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.