I cannot believe our October festival is coming to an end.  I realize we have November that is suppose to carry on the Fall season, but we all know over the past years November has become more of the predecessor to Christmas than the completion of Fall.  I have taken these last days of October to count all my blessings that have been given to me in these days.  A dear, dear friend reminded me of these blessings this week.  October has brought so many!  It has been easier lately to focus on all the things that can lower our hope and focus on negative things and happenings, rather than seeing all the things we are blessed to have.  I am so blessed with family, friends, a home, freedom of worship, freedom of speech, meals, puppies, clothing, and the list could go on forever!  In addition to all of these, I am also given this beautiful, amazing, natural world to enjoy!  So take the last few days of our amazing October festival to say I am so blessed!

October Festival

Oh! October!

Touch my cheek with your whisper.

As I watch your wondrous colors dance,

My joy fills the landscape.

The fruit of your life,

The gourds, pumpkins, and apples,

Bring the taste of the fall spice

To my lips.

Your sunshine warms me.

When I sneak from beneath the shade,

And the sprinkling leaves,

Fall upon my shoulders as I walk among your brilliant flowers.

As your light sky turns to dusk,

The crackle of the fire draws me near.

Your chilled energies

Cuddle my soul to let me know I am safe.

Your leaving silently slips away.

The trees become bare and the grasses brown.

But you always exit in a blaze of glory,

With grinning jack o lanterns, fun, and treats!

Oh!  October!

I look forward to the surprises you give each year.

Acorns and gumballs to keep

On days when you are gone.

As I sip my warm cider,

You provide me a backdrop of oranges, reds, and yellows.

The musky smells blend with my cider,

And take me back to days of my childhood.

I take in my last days of a cool outside.

The joy that circulates in the veins of your leaves,

Run through mine,

Letting me know I can never forget what you offer.

Squirrels prance through your jewels.

Your berries spring forth among the colored leaves,

Just waiting for the deer.

Also giving one more dimension to your landscape.

As the bright moon sets through your cool air,

The crispness of your soul assures me of hope.

Your tree branches sway in the moon’s light,

And you guarantee a snuggle under my plaid comfy will soothe me.

Oh!  October!

Never leave us alone!

Always bring us your festival with all its gifts!

Because your time and gifts are so precious to us!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Thank you so much for joining me this week.  You are certainly one of my blessings this week!  And every week!  May this season open your eyes to all you have and all that you are blessed with.  Happy October festival and blessings to you and yours!

Love,

Rennae

Blessings

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been presented with death from all angles, as many of us have during this time.  I have been given previews of what it means to move on from this life.  I have found sadness, heartbreak, smiles of memories, cherished experiences, celebrations, love, and so much more.  However, this touch with life and death has made me understand and know every second counts.  We have this precious time to enjoy all these blessings given to us.  It has certainly made me realize I want to be present between that beginning and that end.  Living is hard, but it is precious.  We never know when that end will be, so we must caress every second!  This week evaluate your dots between the beginning and ending dates.  Let those dots be your celebration and your purpose for living!

Dots Between The Dates

Is this all that makes up life?

A beginning,

And an end.

With moments between.

Is there not more?

There are the big moments,

Like learning to walk or talk,

And then there are little ones like sleeping.

We are usually protected by family early in these times,

And our days of play go on forever.

New foods are experiments,

And all the senses are heightened.

All sorts of happenings begin to occur.

In the space and time we call life.

New friends are made.

A lot of learning builds in these moments.

These little spaces are filled with socializing and growing.

The next thing we know we are no longer depending on family.

Then we are not looked upon as a child anymore.

We are seen as an adult, and the days still seem so long.

You have been given all the time in the world.

Jobs present themselves giving you purpose.

And you find a love of your life,

Which brings a family with more hearts.

Then little by little the days shorten.

As the middle age approaches, the holidays start meeting each other.

Children grow to become their own persons.

Retirement seems to be at your fingertips.

Before you know it,

7 pm disappears

And 7 am reappears very quickly.

The day passes in a blink.

It is during these times that the darkness tries to beat you down.

Over and over and over.

Our only saving grace

Is for those that love us and lift us up.

You fight,

And get up cherishing the air in each of these spaces.

You are knocked down again,

To only get up and go again.

So here you are.

No time left.

Barely a moment for a goodbye.

Your seconds are gone.

This life appears to be so complicated.

But indeed it is very simple.

The space, time, and moments are up.

And your experience in this realm ends.

Those we have held and loved are left behind,

And we are sent toward our next space and time.

So—-love while you can.

Make every moment count.

Let your spirit hope.

Hope that one day you will find these loves again.

You can say yes there is more to life,

And I will make all the space, time, and moments count.

There is a beginning,

And there is an end.

And there are many memories, celebrations, and experiences between,

With all the love one can stand!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

My prayer this week is that your time will be used wisely.  I hope you can spend your moments on the many blessings we are given.  Thank you so much for being with me this week.  I respect your time, and I am so thankful you spend that time with me!  I will venture to the mountains next week to be with our son (making those dots count!), so please join me again in two weeks.  Now go out during this blessed Fall season and celebrate your time on those dots!!

Love,

Rennae

Journey

Boy—Do we all need to dance right now!  I know I need this bright season to energize me and lift my hope.  I need to be swallowed up in the colors, the smells, and the feels that are so amazing this time of year.  I would not miss this season for anything.  I hope you do as me and do not just sit back to enjoy all of these offerings of this season but hop up and get out there to be in this amazing season!  Do not take this season for granted.  Try to be lifted up and let your hope rise to the occasion.  Come on out and dance with me in the leaves!

Fall Waltz

Come dance with me.

Let’s tippy toe,

And float,

And dance among the colored leaves!

Let’s make our hearts sing,

And our souls recite what we believe.

Picking up acorns,

And waltzing with the squirrels.

You and I need to caress the pumpkins,

Touching every orange shade.

Even the ombre ones.

Following the curve of their stems with our fingers.

Let’s smell all the apples.

The sweet, the sour, the vibrant, and the dull.

Being tempted all we can stand,

We will nibble and bite away!

We will gather the cornstalks,

Bundling them with a sweet ribbon.

They will be our partners in the serenade.

Tickling our checks with their tassels!

The tall bronze grasses will take my hand.

We will leap and jump for joy.

As the cool, fall breeze wipes away our fears,

Their soft sheaves will cascade along with me.

As I sit below the colored oak,

My voice will wander through its branches.

My voice will say rejoice!

And dance to the heavens with the oak’s limbs!

The goldenrods will lure me to the dance floor,

With their colors and swaying.

And the ironweed will guide my way in each step.

Both of their colors encouraging me with hope.

Hope for another dance!

Maybe for another season.

And even hope with old and new partners.

A waltz that shows me hope deep within my soul.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I hope your week is blessed!  May the Fall experience lift you up and encourage your soul.  Thank you so very much for being with me and sharing your time.  I appreciate you being open to the inspiration I have to offer!  God bless you and your family this week.  And don’t forget grab a partner and dance!

Love,

Rennae

Blessings