Autumn Serenity

As I look around, I find it hard to believe I have been blessed so much as to be able to sit in a place like this and write. I am in the middle of a cleared out field, probably about seven glorious acres. Beyond the field, everywhere I look, trees are on fire with orange leaves blazing. Even further still the Blue Ridge Mountains are beginning to light up as well, in various shades of reds, yellows and orange.

Better still, I sit here in work out clothes..a short sleeve shirt and Capri pants, a feeling I can't get used to having come from Massachusetts. According to the computer, it was 38 degrees there this morning and will be a good 13 -15 degrees cooler for the next five days at least. How grateful I am that God put it on our hearts to move here. And not just for the weather but for many reasons. The pace...slower than a turtle waking up from a deep nights sleep. People may question that being a good thing, but coming from New England where I always sensed a need to be on the go, fighting to finish a never ending list of things to do, this is heaven.

The people...hard to believe, but they still give pedestrians the right of way, allow folks to pull out in traffic, and possibly the best part, people always give a considerate wave after the good deed has been done. Most times, I even find strangers driving down the road waving at me over their steering wheels, even though I have no idea who they are.

I can breath here. Maybe it is the trees, maybe it is the pace, or the people, but I have such great peace and the children are so filled with joy in this place. Not a day goes by when hubby doesn't look at something outside and say, "Look at the mountains this morning." or "Look at the deer." Often I get, "Honey, come see the way the fog is rolling in over the mountains this morning."

So, even though sitting here, the serenity fills every bone in my body like an optimist whose glass is half full, I know I must take the hike back to the renovated barn we call home, leaving this peacefulness for writing deadlines, job searches for hubby, dinner preparation, and real life. I must face the fact that as I sit here, the real world goes on, the economy is failing, elections continue and a good number of Americans continue to be fooled by evil and turn the good candidates into villains. I can't help but think if everyone could just take an hour to sit here among these open fields, fiery trees, and colorful mountains...if they could sit here listening to the cows, bulls, birds and crickets allowing themselves to wallow in the peacefulness of it all, praising our Lord for creating this place, the world just might be ok after all.