good things

My husband loves candles during the fall/winter. He doesn't like them any other time, really, but about this time every year he starts smelling candles in every store we visit. Yesterday, we were in TJ Maxx and Target and he was sniffing his way down the aisle of candles, trying to find one for fall. He likes the house to smell like pumpkin pie and baked goods, and around Christmas I like the cranberry ones or pine scented ones.

Let me also admit that finding a candle is a challenge for us, because I am extremely sensitive to scents. Anything really strongly floral or fake smelling (like beach scented candles?) give me a headache. It's one of the major reasons I don't wear perfume. Usually, citrus scented things are okay, but those aren't the scents for fall. We normally compromise a little and don't burn them for too long, but just enough to get the smell.


I was trying out my new camera lens (sigma 18-200 OS, in case you care) and took this photo of some sticks in a vase. I love the way the warm wall color makes me think of fall, and trees losing their leaves. If you've read my blog for any length of time, or even think really about the title, you know that I love trees, in any state, except chopped down. Each season with trees is interesting for me, from the sprouting to blooming to lush green summer fullness to the warm colors they display in fall. I love trees. Seriously.

I love pumpkin pie and chai lattes, mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, carving pumpkins, decorating my Christmas tree and shopping for presents. Fall is full of fun and cooler weather, my birthday (and the New Moon movie), and shopping. Did I mention the shopping?

Oh, and the most amazing thing happened the other day. After reading the Nester's guest post from a blogger who was having her house foreclosed upon, I wished there was something I could do. There really wasn't, of course, since I don't know this person in real life and my little contribution wouldn't have helped them keep their house. BUT, when I went to the grocery store a couple of hours later, the Urban Ministries program was collecting food for their food bank and listing the kinds of people they helped. People who had lost their housing was one of the groups they mentioned! So I shopped around the store and included several extra cans of things I was buying for the Urban Ministries. And after I bought my groceries, I took my bag back to the little man who was manning the table and he was so cute! Old and crinkled, but talking to people about donating to the Urban Ministries. I felt so good about helping, even though it wasn't helping the Nester's Guest Blogger, but it would help someone in my community. And it's so easy when stores put out collection baskets, because you can shop and hand the stuff off right then. Such a great idea!

Maybe that wasn't the most amazing story you've ever heard, but it made me feel good to help out a little. It didn't cost me much and I felt so good about contributing. You can too, you know! Buy a can of soup for someone in need, if you can, of course. There was a time in my life when I was on the other end and the church was bringing our family groceries. It all cycles around. Do what you can, when you can.

That's a good motto: do what you can, when you can.