A Day of Miracles (& Pumpkin Carving)

I am feeling so grateful tonight that I don't even know where to begin to tell the tale of today's wanderings and blessings. So many of my days are limited and difficult do to the challenges of chronic illness. My mind still wants to be active and involved. As a matter of fact my mind is filled with brilliant creative ideas most days but my body just can't keep up. So when I have a good day, I mean one of those rare, miraculous, energy filled, happy, creative days, it feels a bit like I have woken from a bad dream and that my healthy active life has returned after 17 long years of struggle.  Today was one of those wondrous days.  A miracle day. The EBV/H-6 protocol I am on is working,  I'm continually feeling better and am able to get more accomplished that I have in a long while.

It also happened to be one of those stunningly beautiful fall days that make you feel like you have stepped off the planet and landed directly in heaven. I decided to go for a ride but didn't know where I was headed. I drove over towards Westminster West and the wonderful display of pumpkins at High Meadows Farm caught my eye. I wondered if I would have enough energy to carve pumpkins. I used to carve very elaborate ones but after I got sick I never seemed to have the energy. I really felt like I could do it today, I had the energy and I found that so exhilarating. So I bought 3 of their lovely organic pumpkins. They have a little cash box where you pay by the honor system.

Then I headed north and came upon the Vermont Shepherd Farm. I just had to stop and snap a photo of the sheep grazing in the field.

I noticed that the farm store was open so I pulled in and it turned out that I was happy I did. I bought some carded wool to dye with my black walnut dye and a 1/2 leg of lamb. Like at the High Meadows farm stand they too had a cash box where you pay via the honor system.

The roads home were mostly dirt roads and they all were beautiful. I was escorted part of the way by an old black lab who was unsure just which direction he was heading in, stopping and turning often. 

When I got home I put the pumpkins out on the deck and got ready to carve them. I received a call from my Mom letting me know that a procedure she had undergone had turned out well. I had been praying about it all day so this felt like another miracle. 

Then I began gutting and carving my new pumpkins

I told myself that I would be happy if I had the energy to complete gutting and carving  at least one. I was extremely happy when I completed carving two. I was very rusty after not having carved any for 17 years. I made some structural errors on my first design but I realized it in time to save the design.

When Don came home I was still carving. He took some photos of me in my happy place!

 My goat pumpkin being lit up by the afternoon sun.

Both my rooster and goat pumpkins lit up with tea candles. 

 It would be wrong of me to say that I accomplished this all by myself. The boys were by my side the whole time I was carving those pumpkins. They were eating every pumpkin morsel that I dropped on the deck. The little hoovers!

 Don had quite a scary tale to tell when he got home, (and a cut and blackened eye to go with the tale). The final miracle for today was that my hubby did not lose his eye when he had an accident with a bungie strap that let go under pressure as he was tightening it. The metal hook came back at him and hit him right below the eye. He is in a fair bit of pain but at least it did not hit the eye itself. So very grateful!

Oh, I almost forgot with al these exciting things going on. Our chickens laid their first egg today!