goodbye summer

yesterday i smelled burning leaves in the air. of course it smelled delicious and conjured all sorts of moods and feelings for me ... but it also meant (along with the glorious crisp, cooler and clear blue skies) that summer is waining. we are seeing a few more leaves (crackled and dry) on our lawn out back. i wore a fleece while we ate dinner outside by the grill. there is just something different about outside. the summer hydrangeas are starting to look dried and antiqued. when i went to walmart the other day there were aisles devoted entirely to school supplies. sharpened pencils, crayola markers and crayons and chubby pink erasers. they are all on sale so i am going to restock our art supplies (we go through water colors and markers at an alarming rate around here!) let me say that it is a bittersweet realization for the plasters. summers are our favorite. having lived in hawaii and san diego we are just used to the sunshine and the warm days. now summer days are a luxury. since the beach is the best place for kids we'll have to find more haunts as the days grow shorter and chillier. i think that we will still have adventures - in fact i am sure of that fact - we'll just have to get more creative. we joined the redwood athenaeum children's library. i think this might help things tremendously in the months ahead.

but for now i will savor the cherry tomatoes as they pop in my mouth (the ones from our very own backyard garden).

good night all ... and christ's peace be upon you!