Life seems to unfold in seasons, doesn’t it?
But tell me…are we supposed to rush though it, or should we slow down? We certainly don’t want to miss anything, and yet I can’t help to feel that rushing will steal the goodness of a moment.
I think October taught me this.
The month started with a return to New Hampshire, and the brilliant show of autumn along the Kancamagus Highway. It wasn’t the goal for the trip and yet one morning my niece called and said she was going to do the Kanc. and I should bring my parents. There was so much to do as they adjust to their new home, and prepare their home of 35 years for the market.
And we stopped, and said yes. The trip became a moment for reliving memories of another time, the deep breath we all needed, and a chance to look forward to what lies ahead.

The return to Arizona took us to Friday Night Lights. It is football at it’s finest…for now. And whatever next looks like for our grandson, we will continue to cherish this most wonderful gift of time.

It is also the season for riding tricycles, and I wonder if someday she will choose a motorcycle like her daddy, or swim goggles like her mama. Just stand by…

There will be that moment when everyone says how cute she is, and then the inner Hulk comes out. That is the gramma in her. Shouldn’t we all tap into our free spirit when the opportunity knocks?

My turn…

But with the changing seasons, I have taken the time to clean out closets and the garage, again.
That job never ends.
And I learned something this year that I never thought about. It is in regards to stuff…my/our stuff. Everything I touch has a memory, my memory. Everything I have saved is because I want that memory to last. I want someone else to find it and remember that exact moment in time, and so I tuck it away for the next time. Ironically enough, I spent a week cleaning out my parents basement and heard my mom mimic my sentiments…What if someone wants it someday?
And you know what I wanted…I wanted that time with them, to last…forever. So when I took some of those someday items, they were the photos and the written words that sound like them. And I left the stuff that was just stuff.
So slow down. Make sure you treasure where your heart is. Life is changing and we all enter new seasons all the time, in our own time.
When I woke up today I noticed my Yucca had bloomed. Big deal, right? Hear this…I have lived in this house for ten years and this was the first time it bloomed.
There is a message here…. in October.

Amirite?
Wind Kisses, Donna
URRite
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Those autumn colours are stunning! I’m glad you and your parents made the time to see them. Stuff can wait but the seasons move on and it’s important to stop to appreciate them imho.
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Indeed. Thank you for reading. Donna
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Wow, Donna. What a marvelous post. Your green granddaughter is adorable, your yucca is amazing. Your road picture is breathtaking. Your advice is so true. We moved last year out of 20 years of stuff. Some of it we still needed, but I parted with some of my parent’s stuff that I had room to save. With no one to pass it down to, I had to be realistic and take only what I enjoy. Old photos (his family and mine) are still part of my garage boxes and closet boxes in our new condo. 🙂 Happy week, Donna. 🙂
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thanks for understanding. What funny was…I have 3 siblings. When I was there in May , I organized the house to make it easy to sort and take items where they need to go. When I returned last month, it was like it hadn’t been touched. They all found it very hard. So I jumped into military mode, making sure mom had what she wanted and then I delegated the rest. LOL. the house went on the market the day I left and it sold in 3 days. It was such a relief for EVERYONE. Sometimes we just have to do it…. Thanks, Marsha.
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You are so right. I am not that person. When we moved, my neighbor came over and she and her sister militarized everyone including me. I couldn’t do it. When people came to buy things, I just visited. Fortunately, I had lots of help. I felt paralyzed to do anything. I was able to pack ahead of time, but to actually part with stuff! Very hard. Also there was so much to do. I spent hours sorting and shreding 20 years of Vincent’s real estate transactions – boxes and boxes of stuff that should have been discarded years ago. It’s much easier to do someone else’s stuff. My teaching stuff and books – that was another story! 🙂
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Yes… tough to do your own. I have found myself going through more stuff at home so the kids won’t have to …someday. As a military family we do weed out occasionally.
Now my teaching stuff…. I just can’t seem to let go of most of that, yet.
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It’s so hard. I thought I might substitute, but I never found the time. I worked with students in Kiwanis, but the relationship is so much different.
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So good Donna. Slow down is good and breathe 😉
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Thank you.
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Love all that painting – both yours and Little Cutie’s. Such joy!
I love the road with the autumn leaves in the background – it sure captures the spirit of travel … so glad you were able to make the trip!
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thanks Ju-Lyn. Perfect timing. Donna
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Oh! 😮 I hope it’s not like the agave (I think) and lettuce and when it blooms, it dies! Free spirit like gramma, that’s the way to be. I love that picture of little Hulk. But I love the first one even more. It’s astonishing, touching and tender. ❤
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I love the bunny photo too. So…we do have agave here, and yes, they die and leave us plenty of babies. A yucca is different from an agave in its leaf type and flowering pattern. Agaves are almost like celery where as yuccas are like leaves with a sword like spin at the tip. They don’t die with a bloom and can bloom every year. I am hopeful. donna (A lot of people don’t know the about agave. I guess Tuscany had them, yes?)
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I realised soon after writing this that your blossoms are completely different and don’t involve shooting up. Here in lower Tuscany there are some agave, but I know them already from Croatian islands, and Greece.
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What a beautiful NH Fall pictures ❤ ❤ ❤ and the Yucca is is stunning and I love that you are finding a message in the bloom.
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Nature…always a message in there somewhere. In my opinion. Donna
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What a post and pictures are full of life.
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