Odds & Ends, Seasonally Adjusted

Dear Maria,

Well at least two weeks just up and disappeared and then with Thanksgiving week, and oh that seems to be how it goes these days. At some point I ought to apologize for the lags and as an excuse have some tale from Madagascar or Bolivia to tell. But no, just hunkered down here in South Carolina.

Spent several hours raking this year’s crop of leaves and some pine straw into piles that were bundled in an old sheet and dumped on the front beds. That I was in short sleeves makes the things-I’m-thankful-for list as some of my friends way up towards Canada will not be so fortunate this week. Lunched today with the roses still making flowers, and even a few late blooms on the plumbago, and the sun warm and my foster dog rooting about out back. Another few ticks on that list.

Thanksgiving went well—a gathering of the clan—and to be among the 32 for a four-generation sit-down dinner was to be in a whirlpool of energy and to bathe in a sublime embrace of love. And a very particular kind of camaraderie that exists between family members. The tally was not the total that might have been—3 nieces and a nephew were elsewhere.

Of the many sweet moments, perhaps my favorite was holding the newest little addition to the family—a delicate and pretty little girl—while I was in a rocking chair, and one of her older brothers—older, two maybe—dragged his rocking chair next to mine, and we settled into an easy rhythm while taking a good long look out the window at the autumn scenery. Like I said, sweet.

Now that my desk is at the front window, the front beds daily remind me how I managed to take a simple concept and turn it into some kind of personal war of the weeds. Of course, this time of year I also am able to watch a sunset nearly every late afternoon. Tick.

The desk where I am writing this letter has been with me since I was 12. So many high school writing assignments, college essays, love letters, I’m-sorry letters, attempts at fiction, scads of poetry—should that be or is it already a literary term, scads.

But, the world is at gallop, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are nigh. I will try not lollygag so much through this season to be busy. Tra-la-la-la.

Hope the family is well and the holidays are warm and kind.

Yours, srk