Kathleen's Korner at TheStidhams.com

After the first hard frost, if there were still leaves on the trees — the big-leaf maples, my medlar, the quince and others — they turn bright, lemon-yellow.  And they seem to rejoice in this last burst of color before the trees begin their hibernation.
Driving along on a day like today, when the sky is gray and dripping silver threads of liquid sunshine…  the world more than glows, it radiates, it beams, it hugs you with its mantle of light.

In a few more days, with the wind and the rain, the remaining leaves will have rusted to a burnt sienna, and then they will be gone, leaving the silver-bare peeking through the dark green cedars and firs…  with bits of rosy-brown from willow branches in the riparian zones.

But for now, the medlar brightens the living room, casting warm highlights on all the  clothes that need folding…

Unfortunately, the grandparents were not able to attend, but we had a good time.  It has been rainy the last several days, and we were expecting wind as well, so we left in plenty of time, and got there with about 50 minutes to wait.  So we read in the car for a while before going in to the old Seattle Town Hall.  A lovely building with a feeling like a church.

Here are the menfolk waiting for the ceremony to begin:

And one of each of the award recipients:

And up on stage… with apologies for the bad picture quality, the flash couldn’t quite reach far enough:

The older one received his award for demonstrating the quality of “respect” and the younger for “caring.”  I’d say the camp counselors divined their personalities really well.

 On the way out, I couldn’t resist getting an “establishing shot” that really captures the mood.  Want to have fun, make friends, learn a lot?  Go to Y camp!

But the day wasn’t over yet!  It was just lunchtime, and we were only a few blocks away from http://www.fryemuseum.org/ which has a small cafe.  We were pleasantly surprised to learn that the artist Trimpin, who had installed his wonderful “ConloninPurple” at the Tacoma Art Museum had also installed “Klompen” at the Frye Museum.  Very different types of music from sound to mechanisms, very very cool!  And then we spent over an hour looking at and enjoying the primary exhibit, “Spectatorship and Desire: Love.”

Following this, we made our way south to the Tacoma Art Museum to share Trimpin’s other installation, the marvelous tapete (which will disappear tomorrow) and the Eric Carle exhibit with Tom.  It was his first time to visit both museums, and he enjoyed them as much as we did!  Second time through and I still want to go back.  An exhibit we hadn’t seen last time was “Symphonic Poem” by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson.  Wow.  It is amazing and powerful — sad in places but demonstating very strong family and cultural ties.  She does a lot of fiber art — quilts and such, and incorporates sewing and many items, collage-like, in the numerous books on display. 

Leaving the museum, there was a river flowing down the driveway to the parking lot!  The van swam easily upstream for several blocks…  and we made our way to the Trader Joe’s in University Place — which is not the same as Lakewood, I discovered.  But still sort of on the way.  A few provisions later, and a quick drive to home.

What a beautiful afternoon.

And more rain predicted on the morrow…

Well, the poem was a bit sappy.  You can’t win them all!

It was cold again overnight.  When I went to pick up one of the children from his Halloween celebration with a friend’s family it was very cold.  By the time we got home, it was freezing…  Not much left now of the dahlias, just a few of the tougher stalks and the gooey slime where leaves used to be.  Same with the tomatoes. 

A few light clouds are teasing the sun this afternoon — perhaps we will have some rain in the next 24 hours — cloud cover to keep us warm. 

The Halloween decorations are put away for the year, the candy stashed in various locations…   the cobwebs will be the next to go, though after I finish drinking my tea.  No need to be obsessive!

My house is a mess.  Despite my good intentions over the summer, and in the weeks since school began again for the children, I have managed to get through only a few small boxes.  I have spent my time in other pursuits — costume making, visiting with folks, dreaming.  One dream I have is that I will be able to keep two steps ahead of the laundry, the dishes and the dog hair on the floor.  Two out of three most days seems to be my limit.

Reality is that my energy level continues to lag considerably.  When my routine is upset I have trouble getting the basic things done.  I can get things done — I just have trouble. 

AND I am choosing to create a new reality:  I am going through a stack of papers and books today, and clearing 2 square feet of table space next to the sofa.  I am taking the children to the Tacoma Art Museum after the trumpet lesson is over.  I am going to get the load of kid clothes from the dryer folded and distributed before I leave.

So I’d better get cracking, only half an hour to go!