November 1, 2013

Stepped out on the back porch this morning to a blustery 64 degrees... wind chimes dancing merrily, tinkling loudly, my scarecrow collection huddled, braving the gusts together where I gathered them out-of-rain-range in one of the porch chairs. The woods is soddenly naked this morning, silhouetted against a stormy backdrop, dark clouds scuttling across the sky. Skeletal trees sway precariously in the wind, the smaller shrubs and saplings bend in harmony. Remember all those leaves and pine needles? They are no longer where I piled them. Need I say more? [sigh]

The mouselings and all their fellow classmates had great difficulty finding their way to Big Rock School this morning. The wind picked wee Bitsy right up off the ground and flung her smack-dab into a puddle. She was so stunned, she just sat there squeaking in alarm for several seconds before her chivelrous brothers--well, sometimes--came to her aid. Dripping and cold, she shivered her way between them, back to the path, one on each side protecting her from the cold wind. Miss Winklesnout keeps a supply of dry shirts and cast-offs for just such a mishap, and Bitsy was quickly helped into dry clothes. Tiny thing that she is, the shirt she is wearing is big enough to drag on the ground, and the sleeves had to be rolled up numerous times.

"Alright children, settle down now and get in your seats..." she tapped her desk loudly. They were unusually noisy and boisterous with all the excitement--several of them had to have dry clothes, or a compress applied to a bumped head. Such wind is no small matter when you are so wee!

All is well now though, and their first assignment of the day is to tell about their Happy Halloween adventures. It's a lesson in patience of course, waiting your turn, and being considerate of others, not taking too long when you talk. Miss Winklesnout is a wise teacher, using life-lessons to teach these important matters: courtesy, patience and consideration. Book-learning is necessary of course, but think of the lessons that can never be taught without the experience to back them.

So it's November. Time to draw the drapes tightly, huddle closer to the woodfire, and begin the chairside projects put off all summer. The yarn is at-the-ready, several quilting projects await, and three comfy-cozies (double fleece blankets) wait to be tied and hemmed. Fivelina is busy as well, sitting by Walnut Woodstove, needle flying as she works on her projects too.

Now that I have the time, I wonder where my ambition went. Ah well... guess it's time for another cuppa.