mrr design

great photo from slow love life

reminded me of my girlhood.

every autumn we would make a pilgrimage to the chestnut tree

and collect dozens and dozens of chestnuts

then store them like squirrels.

i even found one lurking in my desk drawer recently.

it dates back to one of my early hunts;

hard to believe, but true.

i never wanted to throw that chestnut away.

it would be like giving away one of my fondest childhood memories.

and then

two weeks ago

miss is, dh, and i were walking around the city campus

and we

found a chestnut tree.

such fun.

we stuffed our pockets,

filled empty water bottles,

and took our stash back to our respective rooms.

mine sit on my desk.

miss is ... has her stash too.

we think of our walk when we look at our stash.

they are nice to hold and roll around in your palm

and the color brown is wonderful, warm and rich in tone.

my stash also reminds me of my favorite book:

pride and prejudice

remember elizabeth's aunt, mrs gardiner,

in the book she reminisces about running to the horse chestnut tree at lambton

and mr darcy recalls his fun boyhood runs to the very same chestnut tree.

i will hold on to this recent chestnut stash for a long time

because i am an empty-nester now.