Holly Berries in September

It was red. Yes, the dinner that friends Pat and Noel brought on Friday was, as Pat said, “one of our monochrome meals.” It happened to be gazpacho (main course) and watermelon (dessert). Both delicious and a pleasure to eye and palate. I wish I had taken a picture.

We actually had that last meal of summer for lunch the following day. That was yesterday and from our vantage point in the East Room, it looked like summer outside… almost. Blue sky, no clouds, greenery waving ever-so-slightly in just a zephyr of a breeze. But, I knew better from my morning trip out to feed the chickens. There is a definite nip in the air these days and when you look up, there are berries on the holly tree. More red.

Nyel by Noel

While the four of us visited – with just a little marveling about how we got to this point in our lives when just ‘yesterday’ we were forty years younger… – Noel sketched. He always has his sketch book with him, his ‘excuse’ being that it gives him something to do when his deafness prevents him from ‘getting’ all the conversation.

With just the four of us, though, that didn’t seem to be a problem, and he chatted and drew and produced his best-ever portrait of Nyel.   The subject was mightily pleased, as was I. I’m trying to decide where the drawing will ‘live’ and whether I should have it framed to hang or to sit in a place of honor.

What a generous guy Noel is! I can’t help but wonder how many folks have been the recipients of his sketches – drawn so easily (or so it would appear) and then torn out of his notebook and given away. Wow! A wondrous honor, for sure.