OFFICIALLY AUTUMN!

Yes, Monday the 22nd was officially the beginning of the Autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere. If you're a purist, you may have noticed the sunup and sundown times didn't match. Me, I had to quit being that kind of purist a long time ago--too much to keep track of.

Instead of stressing over the exact moment of the Autumnal Equinox, I've focused on signs of the new season. I'm calling them the Blessings of Autumn.

Trees - if you remember the photo I published a time or two ago, one that was the epitome of Autumn Tree, well, I have to report that said tree is now almost--like 98%--bare. There's a little rim of leaves on the very lowest branches; the rest are on the ground.

But! The good news is: yesterday my daughter and I drove through the countryside to visit a friend in Fort Wayne, and we were entertained all the way along the county highway by the tree colors in the distance. Still a lot of green, but, oh! The reds! The golds! I celebrate them while I can, because I know in a very few weeks, maybe only days, most of the leaves on the deciduous trees will have fallen. The only green will be the conifers. And they'll always be welcome.

Crops - Here in farm country we keep track of seasons by the crops we grow; corn and soybeans are everywhere. Yesterday we saw bean fields in various colors: green-turning-to-gold, gold sliding into tan, and pewter (yes, really), Corn was also going through it stages: leaves green but fading, turning brown, tassles fading out to pale gold.

Another type of crop is also sprouting up: housing developments. Since I don't travel that road very often, I was momentarily at a loss to know where exactly I was. What was formerly a field I'd swear had housed nothing more than crops and field mice was now laid out with a road and some empty area where, one surmises, houses will sprout. I do know that people need houses, but I admit it's hard to see farmland disappear.

Other - Blessings are found in many places, not just in the countryside in Autumn. One blessing I call perennial, and that's friendship. We spent a couple of hours with a long-time family friend and her dog. Life-affirming time. Trips down Memory Lane. Sharing our current challenges. And laughing at the outlandish things friends can say to one another.

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Do you have blessings that pop up at certain seasons of the year? I hope so. Cherish those blessings. And while you're at it, see if you can find a way to be a blessing yourself, to someone who needs it.

Blessings be on you,

Thursday's Child