I'm a little weird

When it comes to Halloween (and sometimes real life, too)...

Other girls want to be a disney princess.

I want to being an elf.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I hope you all get to be whatever your heart desires!

For the Beauty of the Earth

So I live in Provo, and it's October. For all of you poor seasonless Arizonans out there, let me clarify. It's autumn, and not the lame 85 degrees kind we get in Arizona. Allow me to describe it to you.

As I walk home from the library at night, the chilly air fills my lungs with new life. I zip up my jacket a little, shove my hands in my pockets, and wiggle my toes joyfully in my plush, fur lined boots. I take a deep breath, savoring the musky smell of rotting leaves and coming rain. The air feels about the same as a January evening in Mesa, but the glorious smell is something I've never experienced.

I take my time walking home. Even in the dark, the mountains look majestic. Their nearness is something I haven't quite gotten used to. I follow the vague shadow upward until the peaks meet the night sky. Overcast means no stars tonight, but it also means a good chance of rain tomorrow. At least until it's cold enough to snow, clouds are a good thing.

The next morning, Emily opens the blinds and exclaims "It's cloudy!" with the usual Arizona excitement.

I join her at the window and admire the impressive scene. The tree across the street is one of the only trees whose leaves have already completely changed colors. Rust colored leaves dot the grass below the tree, which, typical of Utah, is kept green as long as the weather allows. The overcast sky doesn't let us down, either. When it starts raining a few minutes later, Emily and I immediately run outside like we've never seen autumn before (because, well, we haven't).

The tree behind our house is loosing it's bright yellow leaves rapidly. The leaves chase each other around the lawn, enjoying the protection from the rain that the large branches provide. I enter the whirlwind of leaves and rain, feeling light sensations on my skin as the leaves brush against my cheeks and hands. I reach up and pick a few bright leaves from the tree and think to myself...

So this is what autumn feels like.

Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.