About 24 Hours ago Autumn arrived: it was accompanied by strong gusts of wind and a sudden and precipitous drop in temperature (from 21c to 6c on Wednesday night and 5c on Friday morning). There were suddenly leaves in the air and the smell of wood fires lighting up all over the place. The air was crisp and clear. The stars were as bright as aeroplanes in flight.
And all was gloriously right on Thursday afternoon as I slept in a really freaking chilly apartment, under a blanket, a comforter and a sheet, along with a heating pad (for my back, which has for some reason gone out).
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu Melech ha’olam
shelo chisar be’olamo davar uvara vo veri’ot tovot ve’ilanot
tovim leyhanot bahem beney adam.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Who left nothing out from Your world, and Who created in it beautiful creatures and beautiful trees for human beings to enjoy.
(source)
I was reminded that most of the northern world is having Thanksgiving now: the Chinese Lunar festival, Canadian Thanksgiving, Sukkot, Diwali… all fall early in the Autumn, during harvest. Ours, falls in early Winter which makes no sense.
I feel like giving thanks now.
For weather
For scooters
For wonderful housemates
For boyfriends
For vacations
For car rentals
For job searches
For baking
For Buffalo
For Tai Chi
For diurnals
For breviaries
For African bishops
For American monks
For seminary choirs
For readers
For comments
For Fr E
For Fr G
For Fr B
For forgiveness
For bread
For friends in San Francisco
For leaves falling
For stars
For blue skies a colour only imagined
For mountains
For 20-year-old tweed jackets
For Brodie’s Mom - who is awesome
For flannel sheets
For broken aeroplanes
For delayed flights
For Burmese cooking
For Hunan dumplings
For butternut squash with vegetarian chilli
For these and all God’s Mercies, may the Lord make us unfeignedly thankful!
