Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen

Today brings an interesting phenomenon:

it is 11/12/13. 

When I saw the date on my calendar, 

I thought there must be something significant about today.

It turned out to be the weather.

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The wind whistled at my office window, 

a small tree outside whipped to and fro from the gusts,

the sky was dark and ominous.

Then about 5 o'clock this evening, 

it started to snow!

In mid-November...

in Tidewater!

Fortunately, the air is dry and warm, 

so the snow came straight down in tiny white flecks.

I could hear it "fleck-ing" against everything outside.

If speckle were a sound, this would have been it.

Since it's all melting as soon as it hits a surface,

we don't have to worry about accumulation.

At least not yet.

Maybe it will come later, or maybe not at all.

In Tidewater, you have to be prepared for both possibilities.

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Stained Glass for Autumn

People are so wonderfully creative.

Artistry shows up in lots of unexpected places--

like windows.

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Friday when out with a friend, 

I came across the most charming stained glass "sun catcher."

It is exactly like the one in the photo above.

Three oak leaves and an acorn.

I usually don't put these kinds of things in my windows 

since I prefer a clear view of the outdoors;

but I was so delighted with this one I had to put it in my kitchen window

for the duration of the season.

I wondered if there were other examples of autumn-themed stained glass,

and I found quite a few in Google images. Here's a sampling:

This first one is a delight:

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This one from Schuster Glass is beautiful,

but I would think you'd really have to love autumn

if you were to display this in your house all year:

www.schusterglass.com

On the other hand, here's one by Anne Ryan Miller, Hoosier Artist,

that I would leave up all year.

I love it's graceful lines and earthy tones:

www.hoosierartist.net

This last one, which is by Brenda Valentine,

is exceptional in its detail, but I don't think I would want to display it year round.

Now Thanksgiving, that's a different story.

www.brendavalentine.com

I wonder if it's for rent?

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The Wind and the Leaves of November

November in the Shire is one of my favorite months

because that's when our leaves turn colors 

before dropping from the tree branches.

I love to see them showering down after a sudden gust of wind.

Other times, a single leaf will glide down to the ground

and rest on the grass in complete silence.

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When I was driving home Sunday morning,

I noticed the movement of the fallen leaves

as the wind sent them scattering across the road.

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Some turned cartwheels as they crossed the road in front of me.

Others swirled in a circular dance.

Some of them would hop and skip across.

Others rolled like wheels.

It's amazing what you can see when the wind blows in November.

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