Autumn Accumulation

The hardest thing about letting the blog go for awhile is jumping back in again; so many thoughts and events have accumulated, but it is beyond me to blog them all. I'll just make this about our autumn, which is really not much of a season at all in Jordan, and try to keep going.

I love the weather patterns in Jordan, arid and warm, so I am not really complaining, but I do miss autumn. No stunning golden and crimson leaves to intoxicate my vision, just the lovely fall-ish golden sunlight coming through the windows on a fabric-leaf wreath a dear friend so lovingly made for us when she found out we had no fall leaves.


We do some leaf color changes in Jordan: from gray to green. After a long rainless summer, the accumulation of dust casts a grayish hue over the landscape; everyone rejoices when the first rain falls. We've received a few good downpours in the last 24 hours and this morning, between cloudbursts, I spent some time walking around the garden, admiring the green leaves which have been covered with dust since we moved in. We recently spread bags of sheep manure in the garden, so it smelled fresh, indeed!


With no further aideu, we head into the winter/rainy season, which on one hand we hope will be very rainy, but on the other we hope will not be too terribly cold. Homes generally have poor insulation, and are difficult and expensive to heat, but a beautiful spring will make it all worthy it. Though we don't really have an autumn, the Jordanian countryside puts on a riotous show of wildflower color in the spring if the rains are abundant. It is Jordan's most beautiful season of all.

We are cozily secure in our new home in Mafraq, and now just have minor things to do, such as hanging pictures and painting mirror frames. Tayta and I have been on a creative adrenalin high since being introduced to Pinterest a few weeks (don't click this link unless you have some free time.) After letting myself be sucked into it's vortex and swirled around for a couple of weeks, I found my equilibrium and can now spend a very modest amount of time on Pinterest, and find a lot of useful DIY, craft, garden, recycling, cooking and baking ideas. A couple recent results of all the creative inspiration: this sweet needed-for-ages sewing machine cover that I made from an over-sized European pillowcase I found in the used clothes market. I love the colors!

These simple garden markers were made from a recycled yogurt container:

An then there are the pine cone decorations and some really great recipes we've tried...

We continue to make new friends and otherwise get involved in the Mafraq community. Artist Son has been playing drums for the Arab church we are attending and he and Tayta will go with the shabibi, or youth of the church on an outing this week. I've been spending too many (sometimes angst filled) hours searching out college options for Artist Son as he prepares sit for his last SAT exam and apply to colleges. I can now fill out the online scholarship/financial aid calculators with one hand tied behind my back. I'm thankful that we seem to have narrowed the field to three schools, two of which require portfolio submissions and artist statements. Remembering is important: God has so faithfully and generously provided for Oldest Daughter and Active Son. He will provide for Artist Son as well.