November 9th and Looking Toward Christmas

See?  We've kinda already had Thanksgiving at our house - 

but we'll have it again - modified.

Sarah was home last week - a whole week.

Monday through Yesterday, Tuesday.

She rode the train.

That's right.

From New Orleans to Birmingham and back again to New Orleans on Amtrak.

It's like a car ride and the cost is about the same as gasoline for the car.

I would like to get with the city planners in Birmingham and suggest that they dip into their budget and give their train station a makeover.  

It needs it badly.  Sarah had warned me.  She said the New Orleans Station is pretty nice but the Birmingham Station was a bit of a shocker.  

So we had Thanksgiving on Thursday, last week.

Laura Beth drove home with John and Ada.   

Scott had to stay in McDonough and work.

This little guy and his friends were all over my house all week.

and the pink chair (can you see it?)

stays by this tree.

Luke, Ellie, and Ada use it to get themselves up in the tree.

So far Ada is the champion climber.

She goes up and up and Luke is very impressed.

Ada has a little bit of "monkey' in her.

Like Curious George.

I never stopped to take a lot of pictures.

But Sarah took some on the last day

which I've just seen

and the colors are brilliant.

So I'll close with Sarah's images.

We're moving into active days, aren't we?

I want my brain to absorb these warm colors which will evolve into Christmas reds and greens and glitter 

and then like a screeching halt

the world turns gray and still and cold and often damp.

Snow might happen.  Freezing Rain.

In all of these seasons and days and hours and minutes,

how do you live?  How do I live?

I want mine to count for eternal glory.

I so want it to count for that.