When the pumpkin yellows
And the standing corn
Is pale with frost, and cobwebs
Hang silver in the morn,
When Orion rises
Over fields cut bare,
And the fallen apples
Smell cidery on the air,
Then comes the witches' Sabbath
Of the flocking crows;
Standing by the barn door,
Every farmer knows
When he hears that clangor,
Hears that windy flight,
Winter soon is coming,
Cold, and early night.
~Elizabeth Coatsworth
Hello, dear readers! It's been several days since last I posted, owing to the fact that it's been a very busy season and besides that I've been sick for the past few days (yesterday I watched Lonesome Dove in its entirety-- it was completely epic!) Thankfully I'm feeling some better now and hope to be back to feeling like myself very soon.
The weather in my neck of the woods has been just beautiful these past few weeks! The leaves have turned every imaginable shade of red and orange and russet and yellow, the pumpkin patch is ablaze with color, and the cornfields have turned brown and glow almost gold in the sunshine. Everywhere I look there is a reminder of God's glory and power and creativity in creating this beautiful earth. I've been toying around with ideas for a post about why I love autumn so much for about a week. There's really not one single reason why I love it, but many reasons, and so this post is dedicated to all the things I love about my favorite season: Autumn.
Hard from the southeast blows the wind
Promising rain.
The clouds are gathering, and dry leaves
Tap at the pane.
Early the cows come wandering home
To shadowy bars,
Early the candles are alight
And a few stars.
Now is the hour that lies between
Bright day and night,
When in the dusk the fire blooms
In tongues of light,
And the cat comes to bask herself
In the soft hear,
And Madame Peace draws up her chair
To warm her feet.
~Elizabeth Coatsworth
Things I love about Autumn are.......
~The chilly weather. Something about the change in weather from summer to winter makes me feel so exhilarated and excited! This is the season to begin wearing sweaters, boots, scarves, hats, and mittens.
~All the beautiful colors in the landscape. I think this is the most beautiful time of the year, with all the leaves turning colors and falling through the air and the fields changing from green to brown and gold.
~Reading novels in the woods and in the haymow. There are few things I enjoy more! : )
~ Chrysanthemums and other fall flowers.
~Pumpkins! I love pumpkins! From carving them into "pumpkin moonshines" to decorating them or even just looking at them, I just love them! : )
~Apples of all different varieties and apple cider. These days I eat sometimes two or more apples a day, and I can drink almost a half-gallon of cider in a day. By myself. : P
~Nutcracker rehearsals! Most people think of The Nutcracker season as being in December, but if you're a dancer performing in it, it really begins in October! This year I am really excited because I have better parts than the two previous years I've been a part of it. (It's rather a long story....) : P
~Writing and receiving letters from friends. This is something I do year-round, but since I took up writing to my cousin again last fall after a few years of not writing letters, and around the same time I started exchanging letters with another friend who is away at college, it seems extra special to me around this time of the year.
~Hayrides. I'm not sure if we'll have one this year, but I really hope so! : )
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| Sylvie Ann with her pumpkin moonshine from the Tasha Tudor book Pumpkin Moonshine. |
~Thanksgiving! I know that isn't until November, but I still count it as part of fall. Every year we go to my aunt and uncle's house with my grandparents and several of my other aunts and uncles and cousins for a great big meal and celebration! This year Sadie has it in her head to make pies (one gluten-free for me- isn't she sweet?) and other contributions to the Thanksgiving meal. I love getting together with my family, and besides Christmas, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
~ True Grit and The Blue and the Gray. It's kind of become tradition (cue Fiddler on the Roof music) to watch True Grit in October, and I'm looking forward to watching it again because it is the best western I have seen to date. And believe me, I've seen a good many westerns! We watched The Blue and the Gray for the 2nd time last October too, and right now I've a hankering to watch it again, since it is my favorite Civil War movie (or miniseries, if you prefer) and war movie in general and basically one of my favorite movies ever. Am I the only one who associates movies with certain seasons? : )
~Scented candles. Several weeks ago I finally worked up enough courage to light a match, something I've long wished I could do, and now I can't believe I was ever afraid to do it because it's the easiest thing ever. I love candles even more now that I can light them myself! Someday I hope to make my own candles.
~Walks through the cornfields and the woods and romps through the creek, getting wonderfully dirty and not caring in the least.
~Indian corn! I am the head of Indian Corn Bundling at my family's produce stand, a task to which I find I am very well suited, and one I thoroughly enjoy as well. I love un-husking the hears and the surprise at seeing what colors each one is, because you can never tell until you unwrap it!
~Dressing up in costumes with our cousins and going to my grandparents' house on Hallowe'en!
This was two years ago, taken in front of our sign with one of our wonderful employees. Molly dressed as a cowgirl, I was the Phantom of the Opera, and Sadie was Constance Mozart. The picture below is from last year, taken at my grandparents' house. Back row, from left to right: Peter was Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, I was Mattie Ross from True Grit, Mary was Edward Scissorhands (her costume was spot-on, was it not?), and Sadie was Mary Boleyn. In the front row are Henry and Molly, who didn't really dress up. As for Henry, I'm not really sure what he's supposed to be. : )
And those are just a few! 'Twould take far too long for me to list them all, but these are a few of the many things I love about Autumn.
Here is one of my favorite Bible verses, from the book of Ecclesiastes:
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the succesive autumns." ~George Eliot
"Every leaf speaks blisss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." ~Emily Bronte
"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!" ~Percy Bysshe Shelley
Have a wonderful day and a wonderful Autumn! : ) God bless!
What are some of your favorite things about Autumn?
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