Paint the Town Red

Autumn was a little slow in coming here, but it has (finally) officially arrived now. The signs of the season's arrival are all around. We have a jack-o-lantern on our patio. The basil plant succumbed to the cold; all the leaves are shriveled and black. Jackets and scarves (hooray!) are needed in the morning. Soup season has started. Fresh cooked pumpkin has overtaken the kitchen and is finding its way into many recipes (pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, and pumpkin pie). And there are fallen leaves everywhere that MUST be walked through. (I think I might have some kind of deficiency of fall leaf crunching because I grew up with mostly pine needles). Before the trees are completely naked, the horticulturist in me begs to give voice to the colors of the season here.
Many of the trees in this area turn yellow/brown in the autumn (ie, poplar, aspen, willow, green ash, honeylocust, linden, sycamore, most of the oaks). But, there are a few trees worth mentioning individually that are real stand-outs amongst all the golden leaves. Maples are often wonderful showstoppers in the fall. Sugar maples in the northeast provide most of the stunning color. Sugar maples aren't very plentiful here, but other types of maples give quite a show. For example, both the Acer rubrum 'October Glory' (red maple) and Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' (a cross between a red maple and a sugar maple) have brilliant orange-red fall color. The 'October Glory' maple has a nice rounded form and grows to 40' or more, and its fall color can persist for three to four weeks. The 'Autumn Blaze' maple has much more deeply lobed leaves, similar to a silver maple and has extremely long-lasting color. It grows rapidly and is hardy to zone 4 (ie, Iowa wind-chill hardy), and is also quite drought tolerant. Another tree that really caught my attention was the Fraxinus americana 'Autumn Purple'. This is a cultivar of the white ash with a spectacular range of fall color from deep purple, to maroon, to red, finally to yellow-orange. I enjoyed seeing this tree slowly make its color change over an entire month. Another added perk of this tree is that is is male, so there is no messy fruit dropping everywhere (ash trees have a fruit that looks like a canoe paddle).
Finally, a note on one of the lovely native trees with great fall color. Acer grandidentatum (big tooth maple) grows as a large native shrub or small tree from Montana to northern Mexico and is found in Colorado at elevations between 7000-8000'. The leaves are 4" in diameter with blunt edges and nice red-orange fall color. It is often found growing in association with gambel oak, chokecherry, and box elder.

Reason no. 24

Dear Dallin,

It started simple enough. You were interested in finding a more convenient and accessible place for my cookbooks. Your kind thought soon evolved into a total reorganization of a portion of the kitchen, with amazing results. I love your way of thinking, the kind of thinking that focuses on finding the better way to do something. I love that your way of thinking is so often focused on how to make my life sweeter. You show me your love by your actions, and it means so much.

All my love, Liezel

Nesting

Our neighbor downstairs moved in recently from upstate New York, and the third day after her arrival she was fixing up her outside patio space. She pulled all the weeds, washed off the fence and concrete, put down new rocks, and set out a fancy outdoor dining table with a stone top. The table is now decorated with an interesting seasonal display of gourds, pumpkins, watering cans, and flower pots. I am intrigued by her creative impulse to make her living space, even a 6' by 6' patio, more beautiful. My mom calls all those instinctual efforts to beautify and create and make a house feel like a home nesting. Birds build and pad their nests mostly for the comfort of their young. In a similar way, I believe these creative desires, these "nesting" efforts are part of the divine character of a woman. It is part of the nurturing nature of women, whether or not they have children, to create an environment for learning and growth. A home that has the feeling of home is one that emulates the feeling of the temple. The temple, of course, uses the very best materials and the finest fabrics and furniture, but the feeling comes by the holy work performed there and the devotion of the people found within its walls. However simple the home, the feeling of holiness is there when creative and inspired efforts build a loving and nurturing place. No creative effort is wasted because creativity toward worthy ends has divine origins.

A Room with a [Gilded] View

Every day for the past two weeks I look out ANY window in our apartment and have this gorgeous golden-leafed view (from a Honeylocust, Gleditsia triacanthos):













Life is simple, really, and so is this little blessing, but even still, I see many reasons to give thanks. I am grateful to be alive. I am grateful for color and sunshine. I am grateful for windows that help me to see the good right in front of my face. I am grateful for the influence of the Holy Ghost that helps me to choose to recognize my abundance and tend that garden. I am grateful that after the fleeting glory of autumn there still exist the unchanging truths of life: God lives, Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son, we are each beloved spirit children of our Father in Heaven, and there is victory over death through the Atonement.

Upward Ever Upward

We went on a hike that started in the Chautauqua Historic Park on the northern edge of Boulder. Our end destination was near the top of the mountains pictured below. The day was absolutely picturesque, which I am discovering, happens a lot here. I never expected a Colorado fall to be this fantastic, but I keep being surprised. We have had weather in the 70s and 80s for the entire month. At night it cools down to 35 or 40 so we are still getting the coldness required for good color.
These mountains are called the Flatirons and have very interesting steep-angled flat fronts that are immediately recognizable. The hike was only 3 miles and was marked in our guidebook as "moderate", but it gained considerable elevation in a short amount of time. We started at 5710' above sea level and went to 6950'. This low-lander with southern gills was huffing and puffing like a chain smoker, but I did it! Pictured above is the view from the mountain down to Boulder.The triumphant team after about 6600 steps and lots of climbing over rocks (they don't call this Boulder for nothing!). The "Royal Arch" is the entrance to the final ascent and the sort of gateway to completion of your journey. Hoorah!

Paint me a picture

A recent conversation with some women turned sort of unexpectedly to memories of childhood play. I was fascinated to hear the accounts of each woman; each had a unique picture to paint. One woman reminisced over her pet June bug that she kept in a shoe box padded with cotton swabs. Another woman grew up with chinchillas and chickens and had adventures with her brothers in the empty lot behind their house. Another remembered having Saturday afternoon picnics on a grassy knoll in a small bit of forest close to her house where she would read for hours. My childhood play memories include trying to catch tree frogs and lizards, collecting cicada skins in yogurt cups, hide-and-seek with my brothers and the neighbor boys, creating aerobic-exercise obstacle courses on our driveway, bike rides, playing "house" in the fort my dad built, or going on "camping trips" in tents made from paint drop clothes and PVC pipes.

And so, reader, I am curious--what memories do you have of your play time as a child?

The Power of Association

The 180th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held last Saturday and Sunday. I love listening to the conference broadcast! I look forward to it for weeks in advance, but despite all the anticipation and preparation I always feel like I come with a one-gallon bucket to receive a veritable deluge of teaching and testimony. So, I play happy little sponge and absorb what I can in the moment.
One of the talks that made an immediate impression on me was Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk, "Reflections on a Consecrated Life", which he gave in the Saturday morning session. In particular, the idea of the power of association has made me ponder quite a bit. The ultimate association, of course, is with our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, as expressed in a quote by B.H. Roberts included in Elder Christofferson's remarks:
“The man who so walks in the light and wisdom and power of God, will at the last, by the very force of association, make the light and wisdom and power of God his own—weaving those bright rays into a chain divine, linking himself forever to God and God to him.”
In addition, Elder Christofferson notes the power of association here and now with our fellow men. He taught:
"A consecrated life is a beautiful thing...Of particular significance is the influence of a consecrated man or woman upon others, especially those closest and dearest. The consecration of many who have gone before us and others who live among us has helped lay the foundation for our happiness."
From The Book of Mormon we have the example of Amulek's association with Alma and the potent power of their missionary companionship. Surely the 40+ years of association with the brethren helped men like Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson more fully polish their characters to become Prophets of the church in these latter days.
My own life is so full of powerful and influential associations that it seems unfair to even make a list because I would inadvertantly leave someone of by accident. But, to bring this down to my life and station, I did want to site just one example. Several years ago I worked with a woman about my mom's age named Mollie. She and I became fast friends almost instantly. She adopted me as the daughter she never had. We talked about everything, including religion at great length. She grew up Catholic and was a modern-day saint. On her days off she went to the homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta and worked as a volunteer washing stranger's feet.
In time we talked about all the gospel principles, The Book of Mormon, temples, prophetic authority, and the plan of salvation. I bore my testimony to her on many occasions. She did more than just hear what I would say, she began to incorporate the faith that I expressed to her into the way she spoke to me. For example, I sometimes expressed my concerns about dating and my desire to find someone to marry. Without missing a beat she would say to me with complete conviction, "You know how to pray and you know how to receive answers. You have faith. Why are you worried?" On another occasion I was being hammered by my boss to work on Sundays. Week after week he would call me into his office to see if I would change my mind and just work this one Sunday. I always said no, but after so many confrontations I was beginning to waver a little in my resolution. Just before I was called in again to see my boss, Mollie pulled me aside and looked me straight in the eyes. With incredible fervor she said, "Don't you dare give in. You know the blessings that come from keeping the Sabbath day holy. Don't you dare let him sway you." With her words of courage I was able to tell my boss in no uncertain terms that I could not, nor would not ever work on Sunday, and then I told him why. He never bothered me again.
How grateful I am for Mollie and the power of her association. She taught me. She listened to me. She encouraged me. She had a wonderful way of praising my personal convictions. I know the power of a righteous influence and have been richly blessed because of this influence.

Mouse Musings

I found a dead mouse on the sidewalk near my apartment yesterday. My very first thought was, "I wonder what kind of mouse life he lived?" Mouse characters abound in children's literature and I immediately started an internal review of every such creature I could think of.
Perhaps he was a mouse like Gus or Jack in Disney's animated version of Cinderella who were all kindness and helpfulness to their trapped friend. Or a Stuart Little type who was on vacation from New York with his human family and tried to befriend the birds here--with sad consequence. I could imagine him as Despereaux from Kate DiCamillo's book with large ears and eyes wide open and courage enough to save a Princess Pea.
These little animal creatures are so appealing to little children because they can see themselves in the character; they relate to someone small and weak, someone with big ideas, but perhaps lacking in courage or strength.
My mind next turned to little children and then with gratitude to the many people of my acquaintance who teach or nurture them. My sister, for example, is in her second year of teaching fifth graders and puts her whole heart and soul into giving them the best possible education.
One of the women I visit teach in my new ward has a very heavy case load teaching elementary aged children with special needs (physical, emotional, and behavioral), and has a depth of passion and compassion for them that is truly humbling.
My friend Katie took a teaching job in a school 40 miles from home in a disadvantaged school working with children with learning disabilities because she hoped to make a difference.
Of course, I also thought of all my college roommates, most recently Heather, who are now mothers and doing such an amazing job at building the next generation.