Today was anything but a normal autumn Saturday. Instead, today brought some interesting surprises. Though these surprises may not have made me smile on first glance, I find that I can only laugh about them now!

• steady snowflakes falling from morning to night
• going to the attic to break out the winter coats and boots
• a massive hibiscus plant arriving in the midst of a snowstorm
• preparing for conferences by candlelight
• routinely distracted by tree branches cracking
• taking 2 black labs and all of their needs to spend the night at our house
• my husband called out to shovel before our calendar shows November