Soul Carving

"Autumn.  The excitement of it beat in her blood. Every morning she woke with a new confidence and buoyancy she could not explain. In October, any wonderful, unexpected thing might be possible."  Elizabeth George Speare  from, The Witch of Blackbird Pond     You remember that overpowering tingling sensation you had as a child while you stirred restlessly under the covers on Christmas Eve? Or that mixture of excitement and anxiety bubbling inside as you laid out your clothes in preparation for the first day of school? That's the feeling I get when I smell the first hint of Autumn on the breeze.      Every season has its redeeming qualities, I suppose. Winter, when it's not too menacing offers an opportunity of rest for all living, growing things. Yet, when the dreary days drag on, limp and gray, as if the sun can only manage to open one eyelid, I sometimes wonder why we don't spend the season in hibernation as many other creatures choo...