Dear Reader:

Half of the pleasure of reading is finding innovative expressions or thoughts. Some of these really stir my imagination. In Book 12 of the Penny Louise detective novels, Armand Gamache, makes an observation that Three Pines is in a time and place called Netherworld.

In the novel it is early November, late fall in Quebec, yet the first snow is lightly falling down….it is still officially fall, but Old Man Winter is knocking hard on the door to be let in and the first early snowfall is the initial warning of the next season to arrive. Winter beats out fall there… coming early and staying late.

Here in the Lowcountry we all woke up to our own colloquial “Netherworld” with the coolest temperatures of the fall season to date. It got down in the fifties last night/early this morning…the high will only be about 70 today…For our semi-tropical area fall has come!

In our “Netherworld” summer and fall fight it out every year with summer winning all the matches (at least in the past few years)….we have a long extended summer that can last into November. (We have all witnessed some hot Thanksgivings and even Christmases!)

Netherworlds do feel out of line….the summer flowers are exhausted and finally just give up the ghost, most of the fall mums burn up too quickly. Nature knows when things are out of sync…eventually they adapt but not before some very puzzled flowers, vines, and bushes suffer the consequences of changing weather patterns.

Another metaphor in the book describes Chief Inspector Gamache (main character) with a revealing metaphor….a facial map with lines.

“His was a care-worn face. Most of the lines, if followed back like a trail, would lead to happiness…a face made when laughing or smiling, or sitting quietly enjoying the day. Though some of the lines led elsewhere. Where terrible things had happened…horrific sights, unspeakable acts. Some of them his. The lines of his face were the longitude and latitude of his life. Anyone looking at him would see a deep scar at his temple that just showed how close he came to dying….but the most observant people wouldn’t see just the wound, but the healing. And they’s see, deep in his eyes, beyond the scar, beyond the pain, beyond even the happiness, something unexpected…

KINDNESS.

This creative metaphor got me thinking about my own facial lines and scars on my body from so many breast cancer related surgeries. Yet sometimes when I get a passing glimpse of the scars criss-crossing my chest I remember a quote I once read about scars.

“There is something beautiful about all scars of whatever nature. A scar means the hurt is over, the wound is closed and healed, beautiful life has continued .” Harry Crews

So until tomorrow…Thank you life for every minute and moment I get to spend with you…what a blessing you are!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Doodle has made a large pink poster with a place for names of loved ones with breast cancer (or any cancer) whom you would like to honor or place in memory of….for the race.

If you would like your friends/family’s names on the poster (I will take a picture and put on the blog after the race) please email, text, call or comment the names to me by this Friday at noon. Doodle, Lassie and I will be heading over to Daniel Island in the afternoon to start getting things set up. Thank you!

Donation Link: http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/CHS_SouthCarolinaAffiliate?pg=entry&fr_id=6930