Finally some pictures

Overdue, but better late than never. The girls got together for Thanksgiving, their annual pilgrimage to the Sierra foothills. Jasmine is extremely social and loves her cousins, so much so that I am cast aside like an old worn-out doll. This from a girl who clings to her mama like bees to honey.
Jasmine is sporting her new hat and scarf, my foray back into knitting. Tis the season, after all. J never accepted wearing a scarf before, but this one she watched me knit and repeatedly reminded me that it was hers. It's all about investment...

If you look closely at these pictures, J has a permanent smile on her face. Oh, but she adores her oldest cousin.
A thoughtful moment.
And here we are, on the tail end of our morning walk. Jasmine intimated that she was tired, knowing full well that someone may just offer to give her a ride (At 30 pounds, she is no easy load to carry, even if you are a tough 9 year old).


And please, while you are perusing the pictures, please take a minute to appreciate all the fall leaves littering the ground. Yes, we are embedded in tall oak trees and for perhaps 3-4 months of the year, these trees cover the ground, roof, walkways and deck with leaves. Then in the spring we are hit with pollen for 6 weeks. Oh, and did I forget to mention the 6-8 weeks that the trees deposit acorns ubiquitously on every square inch of surface, thudding loudly on the roof for most of that time? Let me add that when 80% of the neighborhood then burns their leaf piles, we are left gasping for clean air. Just a side note.

A lot can be accomplished in 36 hours in terms of securing relationships and reinforcing the bonds of family. I deeply appreciate these opportunities, short-lived as they may be. But how many of us really live close to our families? How many of us can drop in on a sibling to share a cup of tea or a glass of wine (or both)? I am grateful that I have a brother whom I deeply cherish and whose family is an essential part of my well-being.