The wind is whistling around the corner of the house, rattling the shutters and bouncing acorns off the roof.

Today I spent six hours blowing and raking leaves to the curb. The giant oak drops a mighty carpet of leaves each year. Tomorrow I think I may find them all back in the yard once again.

This morning began with a sleep-in, listening to the wind and rain. I love a good thunderstorm! The leaves from the maple trees were plastered against the windows.

Now the afternoon is balmy with blue skies, and the maple filters the sunlight.

Tonight I’ll celebrate with family and friends. Turning 50 isn’t so bad–and as both my husband and my father have reminded me, it beats the alternative!

This morning when I left the house the rising sun was filtering through a variegated canopy of oak leaves.

This evening when I returned the aptly named flame maple, which just yesterday was mostly green, was glowing red in the setting sun.

The house is peaceful, with a candle lit on the mantle and leaves drifting by the window. A doggy snore or two breaks the silence, but otherwise I am enjoying the stillness, which is so very rare and so very good for my soul. Felix is leaf-watching too.

Finally, a few days out of the office after months of insanely busy work. Since the temperature is supposed to dip below freezing tonight, I decided to scrounge around the yard and see if I could join in on the Flowers In The House party over at SmallButCharming. There are lots of lovely flowers there; go take a look!

My lavender is having a last hurrah, so I rounded up some sage, thyme, Thai basil, dusty miller, a few tiny spirea blooms and one last lovely aster and squeezed it all into a blue mason jar on the windowsill.

Felix stopped by for a sniff. It is a very fragrant bouquet!

I can’t resist the gorgeous leaves that drop like gems onto my walkway from the flame maple we planted a few years back. Here they are on the mantle along with some snips of coleus, sweet potato vine, and fading sedum. The long-stemmed dish was my maternal grandmother’s; I love the golden glass with the autumn leaves.

Today is Boss’s Day, but I didn’t remember that at all until my staff surprised me with lovely flowers and a gift certificate for a massage.

How fortunate I am to work with such talented and thoughtful people!

Can’t find any words today, but Kasey and I did find a lovely field of yellowed soybeans and some blue, blue sky on our walk.