Linking
today to PINK SATURDAY.
Luck
Leaves. The bush out back has long been
our Luck Bush, ever since our oldest Granddaughter Gracie lived with us. She’d go out with Ganner, select a nice leaf,
and hand it to him through the car window, for Traveling Grace and a safe
return.
Then
it branched out to encompass one and all---visitors, the UPS man, the guy who
reads the Gas Meter, and it just became family tradition. When one of us was going out the door,
another one would pick and give a Luck Leaf---about once a month, Chris would
clear the little console spot of all its shattery shards, and we’d begin again.
The
Luck Bush and the Weather Bush. We’ve
had the Weather Bush tradition and name a lot longer, for when it was just a
small shrub, Chris would look out the window and gauge the day’s weather---seeing
if the bush was wet, or icy, or blowing in a breeze. And for several years, it was the home of an
immense lady spider, dubbed Mistress
Octavia, Ogress of the Weather Bush. She
lived way back inside, against the trunk, and I go pay a call now and
then. I could see her peeking out of her
great funnel-labyrinth, and when I’d gently jiggle the tip of a limb, she’d
come to the door to see what was for dinner.
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Some
of the bright trees over in the next neighborhood. The area is much newer than ours, and not so
shady and tree-rich, but the trees give their all to Autumn’s display.
And
my very favorites---these caught my eye as we passed one of the big
cemeteries. We always drive along the
back side, where reside the “above-ground graves” as we used to say in the
South. These stalwart trees, with their
glorious burst of Autumn gold, look like eternal flames, or candles in the
window. Lights lit by loved ones, for remembrance and to light the way home.
My dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteLuck Leaves look beautiful. I love the way you describe their colour as "eternal flames".
There are houses in my neighbourhood that have the red creepers climbing all over the front façade of their houses. When mist and frost come together (as it often does as one lives by the sea), every stalk, every twig, every reed and blade of red leaves becomes the colour of beetroot and glistens in the hazy light.
The winter's holidays are approaching. I hope you are looking forward to it. One thing that I love about your photographs is to be able to see a piece of piercing blue sky even in this time of the year. It's not at all like the solitary landscape with the wind-blown, cloudy and gloomy British sky. It is incredibly uplifting.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for visiting my blog. You've been most generous.
With best wishes,
ASD
Hello Rachel, I am intrigued by your sweet story of the luck bush and of all things the weather bush with a named spider. Your world of great imagination and whimsical stories is something I admire so much. It makes life fun. The luck bush is such a special and thoughtful thing to do. One could look forward to traveling with such a special send off. Smile.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are so perfect for fall. Is the luck bush a burning bush? It reminds me of one.
We will be home in one week and then Christmas decorating goes in to full swing. Love this time of the year.
Our weather in NC is very cold right now. However, it is warm here in Fl. Lucky us.
Wishing you a happy week.
Love, Jeanne
A send off with luck and love is just what we all need. The perfect thing for a smile.♥
ReplyDeleteI am in full on Thanksgiving preparation mode. You would laugh at my daily to do lists.
My very favorite fall memory is of a game. When the Child was indeed a child, we had our favorite neighborhood trees that seemed to begin to turn colors a week or more ahead of the rest. And when we passed these early birds and saw the first hints of color, we'd always point and say "Look! The ladies are getting dressed for the party! They're putting on their fancy dresses!" As the days progressed, the ritual would be modified to "All dressed up for the party" to celebrate the full "bloom" of red and yellow and orange leaves. And for whatever reason, these trees always seemed to lose their leaves top-first and then the nakedness would spread on down. So of course, we'd point and say "Look at that hussy! You put your clothes back on young lady!" To this day, the Child will ocassionally indulge me in the nostalgia of that whimsy as we pass some particularly pretty maple or aspen.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I have a more intoxicating memory of the actual COLOR of fall. It came on a business trip decades ago. We were dispatched to the center of nowhere in Canada several hundred miles north of Toronto. It was maybe the second week of September, and all the trees were in full party dress mode. Just gorgeous, explosive colors that feasted these eyes that just a few hours before had been staring at a sultry southern summer day that refused to give an inch. But fall was in full swing in the north, and I got to play accidental ecotourist when I wasn't inside the conference center. I keep promising myself that I will take my wife and return there and just sit on the porch of some bed and breakfast and just stare at the trees from August through early November. One day I shall take myself up on the offer.
Good morning Rachel. Wishing many blessings to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day celebration.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for your friendship.
Much love,
Jeanne
That is such a sweet story about the luck leaves! Happy Thanksgiving
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI have thought recently that Winter is an imperious season that while waiting too long for its entrance, commands Fall to "Leave" and is annually astonished at how Autumn responds by "leaving" with a glorious final show. Therefore I was quite pleased to read the title to your post, although at first I thought you were wishing us good-bye!!
Naming a plant gives that plant a personality...my 5th grade teacher (a lady whom I did not get along with and who thought I would amount to nothing) gave out a cutting (pass along, eh?!) to some members of the class and one who got the cutting didn't really want it at gave it to me. I named it after the teacher, brought it home and it survived for many, MANY years (my mother was an excellent gardener). My mom and I shared in this excellent joke, that Mrs. Sheitz the plant, was just as unbending as the teacher.
A lady Ogre as Ogress!! Fine!!
Oh dear, this may be a very long comment because I also want to say that the Star Trek K-Cup (Designed by Klingons, you know) is my most favorite kitchen appliance. I so enjoyed your post about your love for this magical coffee machine.
And I am now going to say that you have tweaked my interest in Sylvia Townsend Warner with that Thank you letter...I looked her up on Amazon.com which is my go-to for authors because, when you are lucky, there will be a book that you can click on to read exerpts. I shall have to explore this author more. I need to tell you that your words and descriptions share the same loveliness of Sylvia's writing!
And now I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving (thank you for wishing the same to me!) and perhaps you will have a Sweet Potato Pie, with Vardaman, MS Potatoes....ha-ha!!
hugs,
Elizabeth