Streets Strewn in Gold

Dear October,

You never disappoint.

You might be the month of my heart.

I've been meaning to write for a long time now and haven't been able to get to it.

Last week, life threw a curveball that has permanently changed life around our house.

We've been adjusting, and I'm finally getting on here to say a word or two.

(Who am I kidding...it's always two with me. Ha!)

This morning as I sit at the computer, leaves line the street outside my front window, and sunshine is spilling all gorgeous across the valley.

Last year, the 30th and 31st of October went down like this and this.

Here we are, one year later.

Funny how much happens in twelve quick months---physically, emotionally, and how the world looks different.

My maple is in process of changing colors in the backyard, and I always love how she does it---never all at once, and all portioned out in multiple colors and shades.  I get to enjoy it for a few weeks solid, because the change creeps over the tree slowly.

Just this morning, running home by the river, I could smell that dead-leaf-autumn smell as I ran on a gold-strewn road.

And then I came home, made a protein shake, and opened up Instagram and saw my sister had posted this lovely gem by Carl Sandburg:

Theme in Yellow

I SPOT the hills

With yellow balls in autumn.

I light the prairie cornfields

Orange and tawny gold clusters

And I am called pumpkins.

On the last of October

When dusk is fallen

Children join hands

And circle round me

Singing ghost songs

And love to the harvest moon;

I am a jack-o'-lantern

With terrible teeth

And the children know

I am fooling.

(Perfect, right?

I thought so, too.)

So.

Umm yeah...October, you've been pretty lovely.

I remember, every year, why I have a crush on you.

Here's what you brought us this year:

A Sunday cemetery walk at dusk

Mountains aflame

Hospital stays

Canning tomatoes and apple butter

Cozy nights with fires and reading

(or working at night by the fire)

Karate tournaments

A sleepy baby

Saying goodbye to my grandpa and thinking a lot about the beautiful, full, rich life he led

Pumpkin carving with a dear friend

Apple pie with cold cream

Two sisters merging to sharing a bed

Afternoon swinging and reading

("Mom, look at me way up in the sky" as she swings)

Lots of holding this sweet gal

(while I'm doing research reading for articles I need to write for work and also at night when she falls asleep as I snuggle her)

Baking bread

Watching the geese in an early-morning sky after running

All 5 of us thinking about this

This handsome son of a gun on his scooter

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

(no justification needed)

My little raccoon with her dance class

This.  Just this.
LOVE:

The way the light falls this time of year,

leaves strewn everywhere.

October, you are gorgeous.

I'm headed out to run an errand, then home to squeeze in a shower and an hour of work.

I've got chicken thawing in my sink.

I'm going to throw it in a pot with onions and salt and pepper, rosemary and thyme.

I'll let her sit, soak and simmer until that chicken falls apart.

Then I'll add carrots and celery and noodles and seasoning for warm soup tonight.

I'm making two round loaves of artisan bread, and gonna bake it hot.

Cousins are coming so we can eat and head out to trick and treat in my 'hood that I love so much.

Happy Halloween, folks.

xoxo

E