Speckled gold is the autumn landscape; speckled gold with dots of brown, shades of crimson, rust, and fading sienna. On lanes with rust-colored leaves, I notice the waning colors, and flaky papery leaves falling brown to the ground.

Pumpkins aren’t bountiful anymore, the patches are picked clean.

And my mind turns to those things that are not dying or falling, but to the graces that fall like autumn leaves. I look for those things, big and small, that He’s given, provided, graced.

509. Thankful for a wonderful visit home, in autumn! My favorite season!

510. A tall sunflower.

511. Thankful that despite missing my flight, I still made it home on time.

512. That despite getting sick after coming home, I was better after a day.

513. My grain order arriving and dividing up the order with a friend.

514. Planting tulip bulbs in the ground, because my kids asked for them. I also added some hyacinths, crocuses and daffodils. Thankful that I have the privilege of saying “yes” to this request.

515. A quick trip to the park to try to catch some photos of a sunset.

516. A hawk resting on the table in the backyard for just a minute (couldn’t get a picture in time!)

517. Planning a Seder dinner and writing a fairly complete Messianic Haggadah for our homeschool co-op. It’s not the right time of year for the Passover feast, but it is what we are studying in history right now. It will be my third Seder.

518. Seeing my daughter smile.

519. Dark chocolate. (I haven’t already mentioned this, have I?)

520. Three carved pumpkins on the front porch. The kids did a great job, didn’t they!

521. Taking my middle son out for a burger in a small but well-known mom-and-pop burger place in my hometown.

522.  Thankful I found snow boots that fit that same son. His size is hard to find.

523. Meeting old high school friends! And running into two more unexpectedly! That’s what happens in a small town! So much fun. And the food was good, too, in the Mexican restaurant.

524. Thankful I don’t need gloves and a hat yet. Can’t always say that the beginning of November.

525. Thankful for GPS, which got us to the airport last week, and has helped with directions so many, many times.

526. Thankful for nowhere to go on Sunday night. After planting bulbs, I felt like watching a movie with the kids. And so we did.

527. For my hearing restored after the sinus infection.

528. Hugs. For others, and myself.

529. For reading some sweet things in other places.

530. For seeing marvelous pictures of fall scenery taken by other bloggers out there.

531. For the smallest of answered prayers.

532. For people who say they will pray, and then do.

533. Persistence… for the right things. For when I see it in others, and in myself.

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