“Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple.” ― Natalie Babbit

My darlings, do you remember the excitement in collecting fall leaves?

As a child, I couldn’t wait for Autumn—as it meant our elementary school class would take a trip to the local Nature Preserve. We’d wander for hours through those forest trails—taking pencil etchings from the bark of Maple trees, unwavering in our quest for ‘just the right leaf.’

Sassafras was always my favorite—with mittened hands, ready for winter, it was her sweet smell that drew me in.

My teacher knew the best technique for preserving leaves—pressed between two sheets of waxed paper, with the heat of the iron causing the colors to burst.

Come to think of it, I may still have a few of these fall masterpieces…set aside for posterity, a reminder of much simpler days.

My darlings, there’s such greatness in simplicity; when a mountain stream can carry a symphony, and these woods…keep us company for hours.