Spiders?? Day...whatever. I'll count them up later. :)

That's right...today's LIMFAC is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Spider. Experts agree that generally speaking, we are all within a few yards of a spider most of the time, and frequently considerably closer than that to LOTS of them. Today it is finally cooler outside than inside, so I am facing my fear...this has been a particularly good time for Chesapeake's spiders, I guess, since every window seems to have this funnel-type web with a nice big healthy arachnid in it. I have avoided opening the windows at all for a while, but finally realized it was a ridiculous fear. What's the spider's plan for me? So armed with a shoe, a fly swatter, a roll of paper towels (I prefer Viva...) and a bottle of some type of citrus-y fruit wash, I attacked. Yes, fruit and vegetable wash. It smells good, and I know ants hate it. I was hoping spiders did, too. Since that or Lysol are my only choices.

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By the way it turns out that fruit wash will clean the windows, too, and smells like oranges. Mmm. Good to know, huh? I am full of useful tidbits like that. And... I am still alive (though only finished with a quarter of the downstairs windows) and was so happy to be killing my LIMFAC without spiders jumping all over me that I thought I'd post quickly. And guess what? Some of them are already dead... it was, in part, an imagined LIMFAC! I had made it out to be much worse than it was.

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I have also already run five miles this morning. (Yay! To the school and back... this cool weather is elevating my speeds a notch. Now instead of slower-than-my-walk I'm sure it must be only as-slow-as. And today I ran faster than that, so hooray for me. ) I was thanking God for my Emerald stretch of the run, so cool and green and shady. It was wonderful, even with one side littered with orange cones and utility workers. Does that mean they are going to start cutting down my shady trees and spitting out houses?? I hope not, but I didn't stop to ask. I'd rather remain oblivious a while longer, if that's the case.

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I wrote this last night, thinking about those bright red leaves my friend posted on his facebook wall. It seems so early. I am ready for cooler temperatures. (And by Spring I will be ready for open windows and warm sunny days! Change is nice sometimes.)

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The eloquent language

in which the leaves speak in September,

the secrets of color and hue,

a spirited pattern of gold, bronze, and copper,

and cranberry crimson, or a bright scarlet fire,

paints a lovelier more honeyed sweet alleluia

than any dear saint ever drew.

This time we listen with eyes open wide

and let them inspire us,

as boldly they live out each hour,

vividly spending their last days in laughter.

Listen, and we can hear music in this splendid riot of color,

a giddy goodnight to the world that we will remember long after they fall.

Such intense voices they speak in that whispering quiet,

where all sound is color

and all color speaks with a power that can't help but enthrall.

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I am ready for fiery colors along the highways!!

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This weekend is disappointing for me, but next weekend I will be with some of my high school friends at the beach. I don't know if ladies should be allowed to spend a weekend together after 25 years... we get kind of silly. Okay, it's actually me. Not them. But it is so nice to be together again. I am looking forward to it, ladies!!! (But you have to help me with the whole LIMFAC thing!) And now...off to battle my spiders, and my limiting factors.