Gathering Graces 9/28/2017

*I returned to my office from lunch and two students were sitting in the middle area of the counseling center.  They informed me that they saw two baby mice go into my office, and one larger mouse go into our counselor office.  I informed our custodian Sally, who promptly came and set some traps.  Later in the day, I was sitting doing some work and “SNAP!!”, the trap in my office sprung.  But no mouse in the trap.  Dan was now the custodian on duty, so I went and informed him about our mouse problem.  He came and checked the trap and determined it was defective, and would put another one in my office.  As I was sitting at the table in my office doing some work, I could see the door to the counselor’s office.  Out sauntered a little brown field mouse.  It explored the middle office area for a bit, then went back in the counselor’s office.  On my way out the door as I was leaving for the day, I let Dan know I had seen the mouse.  I hope they get rid of the mice over the next three days when I am not at school.  For whatever reason, this has been a bad mouse year.  I think our new cat Clark has kept our mouse population at bay at our house.  I am tempted to let him hang out in the counseling center for the day if they continue to visit.

*Paul took Sadie outside last evening, and he asked me to come outside and listen to a toad who  was back by our back door croaking away.  I loved the sound!!  And the sky was magnificent tonight.  So many stars!!! There were no clouds, and it was beautiful.

*I got out a couple of steaks from the freezer for Paul to grill, since our days are limited to grilling time, with the weather getting colder, so we need to take advantage of grilling while we can.  Paul had also bought an acorn squash at the store the other day, and I found a new way of making it, called Roasted Parmesan Garlic Acorn Squash.  If you want to try it, the recipe is here.  I also roasted some potatoes in the oven, and it was a delicious meal!

*It was a glorious fall day in the Silver Valley.  I love days like this when the days are sunny, but not too hot, the leaves begin to turn color, and the sky is bright blue.  What a beautiful place I get to live in each day.  Each season has its’ own beauty here, and right now I am embracing the beauty of autumn. I love the images of autumn in the poem by Rainer Maria Rilke below.

Autumn

A poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,
as if orchards were dying high in space.
Each leaf falls as if it were motioning "no."

And tonight the heavy earth is falling
away from all other stars in the loneliness.

We're all falling. This hand here is falling.
And look at the other one. It's in them all.

And yet there is Someone, whose hands
infinitely calm, holding up all this falling.