gratitude

the way i see it, november is the year's golden afternoon. it's the final hours of sunlight shining through technicolor leaves, projecting the world through an amber-colored lens. it's not as dramatic or moody as october, which excitedly blazes and smoulders, but it doesn't quite have the dusky magic of december either. it is warm colors that make up for colder temperatures; it is the last of the leaves silently falling on the ground; it is gathering and taking stock; it is gratitude.

the other night, after an evening of songs and games, bathtime and bed, andy and i laid stretched out on the couch exahusted, staring at the tv, but not really watching. it was an ordinary night, like any other day, and i couldn't help but think, man i feel lucky! i love this little life we have. the ups, the downs, and the small moments of happiness found in between. there's another week (to the day!) until we celebrate all that, but since there's a slim chance of me staying ahead of holiday shopping, i might as well get a leg up on thanksgiving at least.   

lately i've been grateful for no less than FIVE parks within a one mile radius of home (weee!). for an extra hour of sleep and an uncle/aunt-to-be who made that happen. for 4pm closes and leaving work while the sun is still out. for fluke 70-degree weather and bare legs. for cousins that are more like brothers and sisters. for old toys that get new life. for the isty-bitsy spider performed by an 18-month old. for the word "turtle". for two arms wrapped around my knees. for falling into youtube spirals that lead to this and for a husband - who dispite those late night reruns - is up at 6:30 so i can get a couple of miles in (and for an espresso machine that also helps to make that possible).



life is full of miracles and mysteries + all kinds of other challenges, but sometimes you can't appreciate good without the bad and for that - all of it - i am grateful.

happy halloween!

this costume was a risky choice. august has never liked having things on his head and he doesn't really like things around his neck much either (many a onesie has been stained beyond the powers of bleach because he won't keep bibs on), so i had my doubts - the bandanna and the hat kind of make the costume. without them, it's just a regular white thermal and overalls, which although practical, are not very festive. last week i tried the whole ensemble on to see if august would actually keep the two essential accessories on for trick-or-treating and wouldn't you know it, he didn't mind them. ALL ABOARD! NEXT STOP HALLOWEENTOWN 

have a fun night everyone and save us your twix bars, we'll trade you for our butterfingers.  

fall things

the past couple of weekends have been a fall frenzy: apple orchards, pumpkin patches (or rather, heaping bins of pumpkins conveniently placed at the entrance of country stores), long walks in the woods, leaf piles, bonfires, and after the little one has gone to bed, scary movies. the changing season always makes me a little bit anxious: WE MUST DO ALL THE FALL THINGS!  but with andy in grad school and the shortened daylight, our weekends have been as fleeting as the fall itself - thank goodness october is a long month.  

a few weeks ago, andy and i started a list with all the words august knows. there are rules though because august repeats most anything you ask him to say, so a word only gets added if he uses it on his own, without prompt. also, since we are trying to raise him bilingually, both spanish and english words count and sometimes, the two languages converge in surprising ways. take the spanish word for fruit, for example. now before i go on, a quick lesson in elocution: the "f" sound is a challenging one for new talkers to make. so is the "r" sound. put the two letters together and it gets really tricky. SO instead of saying fruta, august pronounces it as [poo-tah]. i will not translate the word, but let's just say that it's not appropriate for a spanish-speaking child's vocabulary. still, august knows what fruits are and he uses the word exclusively to refer to them, so on the list it goes!

speaking of words, the one august uses for pumpkins sounds a lot like "bath time". don't even ask.

THIS is one of my favorite places in the world: the c&o canal. i feel closest to my dad whenever i'm on the tow path and taking august there is like taking him to visit his grandfather. 

when we got home, i raked up a big pile of leaves to play in. august wasn't too sure about it initially and even after i fell backwards into the pile to show him it was safe, he still tensed up and gave a nervous laugh before requesting up! we tried a couple more times together until he got comfortable enough on his own. after that, you couldn't take him away from the leaves. he went well into the evening marching through it, kicking up leaves, and tossing them in the air. he smelled like rotting leaves, and i mean that in the best way possible.

a few more fall things you should check out if you haven't already:

+ arguably the best scary movie ever and it's just as good as the book

+ you can buy this version of my favorite fall treat, or you can just pop some popcorn and toss a handful of candy corn in it. either way, it's delicious

+ some other funny translations from bilingual kids

+ love this family costume idea, now i just need to get andy on board

+ apparently, i'm not alone in finding the nostalgia in the smell of rotting leaves

POP! POP! POP!

confession: i jumped the gun on fall. a few weeks ago, we had one of those late summer days that actually wasn't anything like summer, but hinted of autumn instead? it way cool, dry, and there was that thing in the air. you know the one. anyway, i got all excited and made the first seasonal batch of caramel popcorn.

i don't really eat popcorn any other time of year and even in the fall, i don't make it much anyway because andy doesn't share my appreciation for caramel corn - mostly beacuse of the candied pot that soaks in water overnight - but he was out of town and what andy doesn't know won't hurt him. so i set august up on the kitchen floor with some wooden spoons and tupperware, while i got to work.

now, august has become accustomed to playing in the kitchen while i cook and usually doesn't pay much attention to what i'm doing, but this time when he hear the ping! of kernals bouncing in the pot, it captured his curiosity. he came over to my feet and reached up my leg, requesting maaaa!, which usually stands for "mas" (the spanish word for "more") but sometimes also means "can i?" so i lifted him up to watch the kernals burst into fluffy corn. there was a curious smirk on his face and his head jerked back in suprise every time a white puff flicked against the clear lid. we repeated pop! pop! pop! together until all the kernals had transformed and when he ate them, oh boy! they disappeared faster into his mouth than they burst into their puffed forms. then he requested maaaa! (used in the traditional sense) and ate handful after handful. so now that he is outnumber (our duck dog also loves caramel popcorn) andy will have to put up with a full, sticky sink because this fall we will be having maaa pop, pop, pop!

scroll through the delicious photos for the recipe for our favorite noshy fall treat.

those chipmunk cheeks! he hardly finished chewing before reaching for another.

this is a salty, sweet caramel popcorn. i really like the added crunch and flavor of the nuts, but if you have allergies or just aren't that into them, go ahead and leave them out. also, i highly recommend pairing this with a cold cider (i'll leave the alcohol content to your discretion) - it's like having a crunchy caramel apple!

SALTED CARAMEL CORN + ALMONDS 



INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unpopped kernals

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup almonds
lots of coarse sea salt

in a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. add the kernels, cover and keep the saucepan moving until all of the kernels have popped, about 5 minutes. transfer popcorn to a serving bowl, removing any unpopped kernels. toss with almonds, if using.

in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and syrup. cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until the mixture has melted, 5 to 10 minutes. remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the baking-soda (the mixture will bubble up). immediately pour over the popcorn. working quickly before it hardens and using a spatula to toss, until the popcorn is well coated.sprinkle with sea salt and toss some more. let it sit to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. dig in!

full moon rising

last night i watched the the full moon rise over the ridge. there was a slight wind blowing in the aspen trees and their leaves softly clapped. to me, it sounded as though they were applauding the her grand entrance. i make no pretense about my fascination with the moon; her tidal force pulls at my soul and it is never stronger than in september when she assumes the title of harvest moon. even though the equinox on the 22nd marks the first official day of fall, it is the harvest moon that ushers the season in for me. i love the summer with its long days and warm nights, set to the song of the cicada. but i come alive in the fall. autumn is my season and october is my month. remarkable things always happen in the fall: birthdays, anniversaries, and inspiring feats of endurance. but more than the celebrations and festivals, the costumes and candy is the diffused grey of a low hanging fog, the swirl of leaves at your feet, and the earthy bounties. yes, autumn is my season.

hi november

welp, so long october. you were good while you lasted. now it's on to the holiday season. macy's is already on top of it, having decked their halls with boughs and what not. starbucks didn't miss a beat either, paradoxically dressing its paper cups in their seasonal red while the kiddos were peeling off their halloween costumes. i'm pretty sure gourds are still in their prime but, no, the pumpkin spice latte is gone and has been replaced by peppermint mochas (coffee & mint? ew.)

i mean, i get it. when the last bit of summer's heat burns off, yielding the first crispy fall day i'm all, yeay! halloween and cider and pumpkins! but thanksgiving hasn't even passed and shelves are already stocked with ornaments and candy canes? i guess the line of thought is: november means thanksgiving; and thanksgiving means black friday; and black friday means holiday shopping; and holiday shopping means HOLYCOWCHRISTMASISRIGHTAROUNDTHECORNER

well i, for one, am not letting fall go that easy. the leaves are just now hitting their peak (at least south of the mason-dixon line they are), cornucopias should be brimming with the harvest's endowments! so before i {reluctantly} let go my favorite month, some photos from our hallowed eve:

just three halloweens ago my nephew was floating in this dino costume

my sister was at the sewing machine - pedal to the metal - hours before this little owl took flight

the goggles and tool belt lasted approximately two houses before my nephew took them off and asked for candy just wearing a white tee and jeans. highly suspicious. but who would deny a child candy on halloween?

there. now onto this glorious month of gratitude and bounty.

Harvest Festival and an Indian Summer

October is a big month in our family. It kicks off with such a bang that it physically cannot stop after the first few days. Once in motion, October says in motion until the calendar says so. And if you think that’s ridiculous then go right ahead and challenge Newton. He’s only one of the most influential scientists OF ALL TIME. I, however, tip my hat to the man. Well done, old sport. Brilliant! And being the (scientifically) law-abiding woman that I am, I have no intention of disputing Sir Issac. So the month’s festivities continued over the weekend as my sister and I packed up our three pints for a day on the farm to reap some of the season's early goodies.

As we got dressed, the dark foggy morning tricked me into believing a crisp fall air would greet us at the door.  My visions of a cool fall day, dressed up in jeans and a chunky sweater, while sipping on a steaming latte melted into a disgusting sweaty puddle at my feet though as the temps were already in the mid-seventies. That there is what they call an Indian Summer.  And to think, some parts out west, got their snow fall last week! Methinks there is a huge disparity in Mother Nature's take on Autumn these days. ANYWAY. After a quick wardrobe remix, we made our way to the outskirts of suburbia and stepped into historic agricultural Maryland. This Harvest Festival had it all: corn mazes, pumpkin decorating, scarecrow stuffing, animal feeding, and even old-timey laundry washboarding - kind of random, but totally cool.

I keep falling into this new mom trap of thinking that just because my son is a baby he can’t appreciate things the way his three-year old cousin (or even his 13 mos old cousin) does. But every time, the little guy proves me wrong. I had him standing on my lap during the hay ride from our car to the farm grounds and the road was lined with the most stunning tress. I saw his eyes widen as we passed the deciduous reds that were just entering their prime and in that moment knew that nothing gets by him. Then, as we walked through the gardens, he reached out for flowers, touching them so gently as if he already understood their delicacy. Even the laundry hanging to dry in that sweltering sun, was a sensation. He is so observant and curious that I wouldn’t doubt it if he one day says to me that he remembers it all.

Autumn Puzzler

I'm going to take the silence as an indication that my riddle was, in fact, quite the brain buster. Haha! Take that Will Shortz! The folks at Mensa got nuthin' on me. I am so smart. I am so smart. S-M-R-T. {Sigh} That was fun. OK, I won't keep you waiting any longer. The answers:

 1. Auburn patchwork under canopy trees 

2. A depiction in spume of woodland fern leaves.

3. Fairytale carriages awaiting their rides

A touch of magic will bring them alive.

4. Harvested stalks yield handfuls of seed

5. Disguised in stripes and crispy puffed feed.

 1. Fallen leaves

 

2. Latte art rosetta

 3. Cinderella pumpkins

 

4. Corn stalks

 

5. Candy corn

 6. Kettle corn

 

Enjoy the lovely fall day and be sure to celebrate National Coffee Day with a big ol' cuppa'.

Autumn

It's heeeeere...! The Fall is by far my favorite season and each year I'm itching to jump right into it, the same way I did as a kid - piling up leaves and canon-balling right into the huge mound. It's always tempting to get all season-y a few weeks early when September rolls in. But, no, Fall does not being until late in the month, so I patiently waited. Now that it's official though, there's no holding back. From now until Thanksgiving, our house will have a constant supply of candy corn and apple cider.

Basic psychoanalysis will, of course, trace the attraction back to my childhood. It makes perfect sense really; October essentially kicks off with my birthday and Halloween ends it, so the whole month is a celebration. As a tot how couldn't I be anything but enchanted by the opportunity for so much candy? Sigh, another helpless child succumbs to consumerist America. And sadly, it didn't go away with age - apparently there is a strong emotional connection between the unconscious and sugar - I was one of those kids that still got dressed up for the holiday well through high school. To my credit though, I wore legit costumes and earned my candy. (I was obviously distracted with the material charms of the season when I was younger.) Now, older and wiser, I'm thrilled to have a child of my own... to use as an excuse to get back in the game. No, seriously. Under the disguise of my little one, I can trick my neighbors and will have a good four year until my son realize Mama is the one who's been stealing his treats. But children shouldn't have all that candy anyway, so I'm really just doing what's best. That's how deep my love goes. I'll do that.

All silliness aside, the season has evolved (as they tend to do) and now, it's more about nostalgia and a "feeling" I get with that first crisp-cool day. You know the one; it makes you want to pull on a fuzzy sweater and ride some bales of hay while holding a warm mug o' cider. Guaranteed you've already felt it. And if you live in a warmer climate, I weep for you. But just got to that place in your mind. It's lovely. Even people who hate the cold and coming winter, can't deny the beauty of a fall day. We've only just entered this glorious time of year but it's fleeting as the changing leaves make evident with each day, so get out there and enjoy it. Here on our end, we've got pretty much every weekend planned with leaf-peeping, nature hikes, birthday dinners, anniversaries, visits to pumpkin patches, costume parties, and road races. Pictures and stories to capture it all will soon follow.  In the mean time, I leave you with this sneaky riddle I made for my twin sister a couple of years ago for our birthday. I'm not a very good puzzler. Or poet. But, any takers on what fall things inspired each line? The answers will be revealed on Sunday.

Auburn patchwork under canopy trees

A depiction in spume of woodland fern leaves.

Fairytale carriages awaiting their rides

A touch of magic will bring them alive.

Harvested stalks yield handfuls of seed

Disguised in stripes and crispy puffed feed.