Red Tinged Autumn

"O Extravagant God, 

in this ripening, red-tinged autumn,

waken in me a sense of joy

in just being alive,

joy for nothing in general

except everything in particular;

joy in sun and rain

mating with earth to birth a harvest;

joy in soft light

through shyly disrobing trees;

joy in the acolyte moon

setting halos around processing clouds;

joy in the beating of a thousand wings

mysteriously knowing which way is warm;

joy in wagging tails and kids' smiles

and in this spunky old city;

joy in the taste of bread and wine,

the smell of dawn,

a touch,

a song,

a presence;

joy in having what I cannot live without-

other people to hold and cry and laugh with;

joy in love,

in you;

and that all at first and last

is grace."

-Ted Loder, Guerillas of Grace 

I dropped Anna off early this morning downtown to meet her friends so they can drive back down to CA together. We are still pinching ourselves at the glorious 36 hours we got to have with her here! These pictures show how the fall colors were showing off for her visit at the Arboretum and on UW campus yesterday afternoon. 

the Arboretum in all its fall glory 

UW campus Saturday afternoon