i've been up for hours. thinking. feeling. gauging. trying on different thoughts and feelings, turning this way and that in my mind's mirror to see which was most best. the change in seasons does that to me. as i pack away the capri pants and t-shirts, my spirit is also shaking things out and making a pile for Goodwill. or garbage. or To Keep. what still fits...what is best let go of...what will still be good & integral. much like that perfect pair of jeans you can always depend on to fit just right, some things Inside are perfect and wonderful and such a Basic to what makes me Me. some Things have been outgrown, and need to be recognized as such. i'm feeling that now is the time to spend some time quietly...thoughtfully...taking all the gifts of summer, and autumn, and really looking at them...how they've integrated...how they've changed Me...what doesn't ring true, and needs to get metaphorically folded and gotten rid of. cleaning house. space clearing. purging. call it what you may. but it's not so much a getting-rid-of as it is a time to appreciate every Good Thing that has come my way this year. the busy-ness has not allowed for thoughtful consideration or proper thankfulness. and the Goodnesses that have come deserve individual acknowledgement and full attention to how they have helped me on my path. and you have been a part of that Goodness. and i thank you. deeply. truly. with feelings that can't be expressed. you don't realize sometimes how a small kindness done without thinking and at the exact perfect moment can start a chain reaction that makes for an avalanche of Goodness that begins to spread out and reach others. so very cool indeed. i am so damn lucky to have each of you in my life. i must have done something uber-fantastic in another life. L.