Remains of the Day

My Mom arrived yesterday with a great big handful of leaves for me to "oooh" and "aaah" over. The kids later stuck them between wax paper and brought some up to put on one of my windows.

The day is gently fading away as I write. Last night a bright glow out the window caught my eye. The scene outside mesmerized me. There stood the autumn-colored treetops, set on fire by the light of the sun, against a slate-colored backdrop of sky. The only things lit in the whole picture were the rich orange leaves of the trees. Somehow the sun had managed to shine only on those spots.

I sat there in awe of this beautiful scene and watched until the light faded. I turned away, but then was swept back in as a huge rainbow appeared between the trees, shooting up into the heavens. All I could do was just sit there, wide-eyed, drinking in the extra-ordinary ending of a very ordinary day.

I am reminded of that deep desire in us to create, to bring beauty out of bits of chaos, to capture what we see in nature and share it with others in a myriad of forms. It is a mark of the Creator on his creatures, reminding us that we were made in His image.

And what gifts these displays of God's handiwork are -- bringing encouragement to our hearts, just when we need it.

We watched "March of the Penguins" last night and it was absolutely amazing! I can't believe how hard their lives are and all the sacrifice they go through to raise their young. I highly recommend this documentary.
And here is Baby Cakes after enjoying his dinner the other night. What a mess! He is all into noises just now and loves to get a book and sit in a lap and imitate animal noises.