my family

Living away from family is mostly a bummer, I've decided. I love my family. I love seeing them over the holidays, playing with my nieces and nephews, and talking with my parents, brothers, and sisters. I love every second of it.

And I think being with my family reminds me that I was created for community. But my family is only part of my community. My friends in West Virginia are also part of my community. My friends spread out across the globe are also part of my community. And I think I'm craving more community right now. There's this deep-seated desire I have to connect more with people, to love them somehow, and receive love and friendship from them as well.

I want to work harder on recognizing and celebrating community, however it looks in my life. Today, one of my friends here in West Virginia helped me move a coal stove into my house. (My propane bill last year was incredibly high, so I'm hoping coal will be cheaper and more fun for me to use to heat my house.) Anyway, he always helps me out when I need stuff done around my house that I can't do. He's like a big brother to me in a lot of ways. I'm thankful for his friendship!

Feeling the vibe

I bought a car last month, but never showed what it looked like, so here he is.

His seats fold down, so you can stretch out in a sleeping bag for the night. He's great!

little brown sign

I was driving home from a conference/class today and was about 2 hours from nowhere...when I noticed a sign. "Kanawha State Forest" It was brown.

I think I love brown signs. For one, they're not afraid to look ugly. And, what's more important, they point you toward possible unknown adventures. The Federal Highway Administration websites states that brown road signs direct us to areas of public recreation and cultural interest. It could be a snow-mobiling trail or an art gallery...You never know what you'll get with a brown sign.

So, I followed it. 20 miles later, I had driven through a tunnel of orange and yellow leaves, past numerous trails and camping spots, into valleys, alongside a stream or two, and decided that I would come back next summer for the full experience of Kanawha State Forest.

Thank you, inconspicuous little brown sign.

a loitering autumn

The beginning of October is really pretty in West Virginia. The leaves just start to turn, and every once in a while a burst of red maple leaves shout at you as you drive past. By the middle of October, most of the leaves have begun to turn. I would wake up thinking about how beautiful it was outside. By the end of the month, it was everywhere. Orange, red, yellow, brown, in the trees and on the ground. Just incredible.

By now, almost all of the leaves are falling off. Almost. I'm still waiting for these two trees in a neighborhood near me to turn yellow. They're holding on to their green-ness for dear life. but when they die, it'll be an amazing grand finale to my favorite season of all.

I love seeing the change all around me - I love watching this 'death' take place year after year. I love that it means spring will come again.