One of the good days . . .

I feel amazingly peaceful today, and I do not know why.

It was am amazingly beautiful fall day up here in the North Country -- briliant sunshine and the leaves just starting to coast down the far crest of peak color. Great drive up to Castleton, Vt., this morning to take a picture for the paper, then back home and out -- with alethea_eastrid -- to Salem Gardenworks, where she picked almost six pounds of raspberries.

I was reminded of the cycle of the seasons, because one of the owners was out plowing the fields to get ready for Spring. There were still a lot of raspberries out, though, and Alethea had a grand time. We also picked up cider, apples, cider donuts, squash, pumpkins and cheese. I am really learning to appreciate locally made cheese.

I think the Red Sox are also playing ionto my good mood. I feel very good about the season and incredibly pleased with the last two nights. Things are going right, and I feel positive going into tonight. Today just feels like a catch-your-breath interlude I really believe that we'll win tonight and go on to win the series. If not, the last two nights will have made it almost worth it anyway. If Diasuke Matsuzaka is going to become the legend we are paying him to become, he'll put on a show tonight.

I am waiting to hear on at least one job this week, I have a second interview on another, and I am hoping to get a second interview on a third. I am hoping that something will be wrapped up by the end of this week or the beginning of next.

Great photos and a great story from Falling Leaves . . . .

The Barony of Carolingia (Boston area) held Falling Leaves yesterday at Wellesley College.

Here are pictures taken by my daughter, evilnicola.

I am just blown away.

I have had great luck in taking SCA pictures, but some of these are just flat-out terrific.

But there's also a great story from the event.

Nicola is one of the few folks I know who wears pink armor. Her new glasses are black and pink. She thinks "pink is the new black." We buy pink things for her just because.

She had been really jonesing for a bright-pink sari that a friend was selling at her merchant booth. But she's also a college student, so she really couldn't justify the expenditure. Then, all of a sudden, it was gone. Ah well, she thought.

Later, in court, Baron Jehan is giving out tokens to folks who did extra work at the recent Crossroads at Canterbury. Nicola is the last one left, and the baron reaches behind the baronial throne and pulls out -- yeah, you guessed it -- the pink sari, saying, as Niki put it, something to the effect of "Some things are made to belong to one particular person"

I love my kids.

I love my friends.

Yes, people love me . . .

As some of my friends have done, I have gone through the "Things I love about you" posts and put them together to save.

This was an awesome and humbling experience. It's fascinating to see what specific things people focus on.

Many years ago, I was told to save all the "warm fuzzy" letters and notes I got. artisticphoenix christened this as my "marthom" box.

You should have one, too.

 I go back to the box when I need to. It helps.

If I neglected to put your comments in, please let me know.

( My LJ marthom box )