Over the Backyard Fence

Wow, last week was a busy one! All good stuff, mainly a few days in the southwest part of our state to visit my brother and sis-in-law, and then coming home to cram a week's worth of work and chores into the remaining three days. And a little golf thrown in for good measure.

I'm taking a few minutes to slow down and relish the moments that grounded me through it all, because even when busy times are good times, it can be taxing on a person, and it's food for the soul to take a few moments to look for those moments in particular when God is at work.

Colors! That seems to be the general theme. My sense of color is heightened in the fall, when the sun's rays bring out the vividness and temperatures of color like at no other time of year. The mountains are in their glory with changing foliage. During our drive to Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado, we drove through mountains where the changing leaves showed all shades of green - mossy, olives, deep forest -- and beautiful hues of gold -- saffron and glittering yellow -- and bright reds and glowing oranges. I'm thankful to live in a place where Autumn is displayed so beautifully.

One day we drove to Taos, New Mexico. We visited a number of shops displaying the most beautiful artwork. One of my favorites was a weaver's shop. I fell in love with these pillows -- just a bit lot outside my budget. The rugs were gorgeous, too, and I made up my mind that somehow I want to introduce more color into my home. I'm thankful for artists who share their gifts and inspire me.

We had a delicious lunch out on the patio at a Mexican restaurant. I had shrimp enchiladas that were some of the best I've ever had. It was a tiny restaurant and the employees really had to hustle to keep up with the crowd. I'm thankful for good food, talented cooks, and the people who worked so hard to provide a lovely experience.

We stayed at my brother and sis-in-law's home for two nights. They have a beautiful log home in a place where there's not much city light, so you can really see the stars at night. We sat on the back deck until late in the evenings. The planet Venus was so bright, and each night I watched as it sunk slowly to the horizon and out of sight. I'm thankful for my family and the time we share together.

It was on the second day of the trip that I realized I had left my credit card at a coffee shop where Dan and I had stopped on the way down. The shop was closed, so I went online and deactivated my card until I could talk to the proprietor the next day. She was such a nice woman, in fact the reason I left it behind was because she and I got to talking so much, that we weren't paying attention when I left it on the counter. She apologized, I apologized, but it all worked out. After trying to chase us down, she put it in the shop's safe. I'm thankful it was all taken care of so easily, and that for some reason I was able to let go of worrying about it one bit.

Sharing gratitude this week with the lovely women at Friday's Fave Five.