Your Golden Opportunity

The world is wrapped in gold and kissed with bronze this afternoon. Even a thick cloud cover can't keep the beauty of autumn from shining through. This is still my favorite time of year, cold enough for a fire in the wood stove and a sweatshirt, warm enough for a hike in the woods, and perfect for a steaming hot cup of coffee or bowl of spicy chile. ( I spell it with an "e" on purpose, because that's how they do it in New Mexico.)

It's a perfect day to bake an apple or pumpkin pie for someone special who just might happen to have a birthday today, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow so it will be fresh when it's time to eat. Actually, Bethany chose pumpkin pie which makes me smile because it's my favorite. She is twenty-four today! (I turned twenty-four just a couple days ago...)

I'm still enjoying yesterday's trip to the farm market. The little ones had such fun feeding the animals and running through the crisp autumn air. I wish I had the money to buy them all a pumpkin just for the fun of it, but instead we went to Burger King for lunch where Emma informed me that she does not like meat and refused to eat her hamburger. I learned to pack a lunch next time.

If the weather turns nice again, maybe we can take the kids out to the fish hatchery or visit the animals at Lollypop Farm. Maybe there will be a chance to take a quick walk in the woods before the hunters take up residence in the trees. Maybe we can scuff our feet through the crunchy leaves like Mom and I used to when I was a little girl. If nothing else, surely we can toss those bits of gold into the air, sweep them into big, fluffy piles, and jump into their middles.