...this time of year here in the upper midwest that I have always connected to. It seems crazy. It’s getting cold, the leaves are turning brown and blowing away. It’s gray... but I love it.

Go figure.

I think part of it may be that since I am just a little bit colorblind, colors don’t seem to have the emotional impact for me that they seem to have for other people. If I see a guy in a pink shirt, I hardly notice, where others have fits.

I have always worn mismatched socks (you can do that when you are an artist, and don’t have “the Firm’s” reputation to keep up. I AM the firm, and the reputation has long ago fallen down!). Growing up with seven kids, Mom had more important things to do other than sort socks, so all the socks got thrown into a big hamper in the laundry room. It was always easier in the morning when I was late for school (on those mornings I actually WENT to school!) to find two socks without holes in them than to find two socks without holes AND that matched. It just didn’t seem like all that big a deal to me. I mean, who actually pays attention to socks?

Apparently a lot of people. By the reaction of some, you’d think I had accidentally put on my underwear over my pants! I just thought it was fun, and after a while it became sort of a trademark for me. Now everyone always asks to see what color socks I am wearing.

I guess my lack of attention to style may explain why I never appeared on the cover of GQ. Well, that, and the fact that I actually LOOK like the cartoons I draw.

Anyway...


Where was I? Oh yeah. November. I am just thinking that because color is less important to me, it’s the linear quality of a November landscape; the lacy weavings of bare branches against a gray sky, the textures of harvested fields, the patterns of fallen leaves scattered on the ground; all the different shades of gray that I seem to resonate with.

All of which to explain the photo at the top of the page!

I took this picture (again, with my fairly inexpensive, and now outdated, measly 2 megapixel digital camera) the other morning down by the river that runs by a block away from our house. The odd thing is what appears to be the cusp of the sun peaking over the trees. It’s not. At least as far as I can remember. When I saw the picture on my computer for the first time I couldn’t figure out what the heck it was! A mystery.

But I write all of this just to remind myself how great and wonderful God is. Something I so easily forget, especially when things get a little difficult. Even on a cold, gray November morning, there is still incredible beauty in God’s work.