"Lost time is never found again." - Benjamin Franklin

I am so blessed (as most of us are) and each time I am reminded of it, it is a surprise.

Yesterday, late afternoon sitting at the kitchen table I look again at the backyard. It's been a strange day. Sunshine, pelting rain, more sunshine, light showers. But at this moment there are dark clouds shading the left side of the yard where the leaves are magnificient shades of yellow, red, orange and decreasing shades of green. Over the pond on the right, the sunshine squeezes through from the west. The lighting is so incredibly beautiful - as if a special spotlight is shining just for us to see the beauty it brings out on the brilliant red leaves of the sumac bush bending over the pond, and shades of orange, gold, rust and changing greens of the trees behind. And look, he says, look up - a brilliant rainbow! My heart swells with so much emotion. This is what joy is!

And it gets better. Looking through our glass front doors the light of the setting sun shines through. Stepping out into the wind and cool air we see again, light on the autumn leaves as it brings out the depth and beauty only that time of day can bring. The sky has the most unusual cloud formations I have rarely, if ever seen. This is Russ's favourite time of day on a day like this. And it's something we enjoyed and appreciated, in the moment, together. Another gift. It is another moment for giving thanks.

Every day has something wonderful to offer if we only take the time to notice. Usually all we need to do is get out of our heads and see the beauty that surrounds us. It's always there...