Wednesdays with Dotty...

Dear Diary,

Back in 1997 the book Tuesdays with Morrie came out and was very popular.  Now, I have Wednesdays with Dotty, my 95 year old friend in town.  I look forward to our weekly chats.  Yesterday she showed me this leaf which she had picked up on her morning walk with her home health aide.  Its appearance shows the depth of our drought as it had turned brown before it had a chance to change color.  She assured me the fall rains would come, they always do, and I believe her.

This leaf also made me recall my Kindergarten art class.  One of their first projects of the year was leaf printing.  They would paint the leaves  with red, yellow and orange, we were learning about warm colors, and then they would print them on black paper.  They were learning the scientific reason for why the leaves turn colors in the fall with their classroom teacher.  I gave them the fairy story.  The little people climb into the trees at night with their wee pots of paint and, beginning at the top of the tree, would paint all night.  Of course they couldn't finish the whole tree in one night so they would carry on the next night.  The children loved the story and this leaf does look partial "painted" by a tiny brush.

So, as Dotty was recalling her 95 years on the farm watching the trees turn colors, I was recalling my many years in the classroom.  One leaf...two stories.  ps. I was assured by the children that they liked my explanation better.  I guess that's why I was an art teacher and not a science teacher!  Interestingly, on this date last year I also posted a leaf changing colors, a large grape leaf in my yard.  'Tis the season I guess.