Tiny shells, bits of translucent sea glass, and a weathered
shard of pottery rest on the corner of the mirrored box on my dresser, serving
as a reminder of the care-free, beach-combing days of this past summer.
The warm months were dotted with fun moments near the water.
We culled the stretches of sand for the treasured bits that the tide and waves
cast onto the shore. An evening or two was spent gaily tossing a Frisbee with
my family at the waterside park. We picnicked at the water’s edge on several
occasions. And we voyaged on the Washington state ferry across the Puget Sound
to explore nearby islands.
As I peer under the lid of my mother’s cedar chest, I spy
the textiles of autumn: woolen tweeds and plaids, cable-knit sweaters, fleecy
throws, and flannel bedsheets. This is a day to throw my arms wide open and
greet October.
Visits to the beach will be replaced by jolly excursions to
local farms, quiet walks in our woods to collect pinecones and observe the
fauna and flora, cozy Sunday afternoon lunches by the warming fireplace, and
seasonal crafts and holiday gifts produced at my kitchen table.
Guests and family will be welcomed by the small, decorative touches
of October in my home and garden, for which I’ll use stored, scavenged, and
low-cost décor items. Table settings will change over from summer’s light,
garden-inspired themes to the rich, earthy tones of autumn.
The vegetable garden will continue to produce but in a much-reduced
capacity, bearing leafy greens, potatoes, winter squashes and pumpkins.
Meanwhile, my indoor garden of sprouted legumes and micro-greens will come back
to life with the help of southern-exposed windows and grow lights.
Edible manifestations of October will be seen in our Jack o’
Lantern cookies, a cake decorated with a creepy spider in its web, copious cups
of hot apple and spice tisanes, batches of pumpkin-spice granola, plates full
of apple pancakes, sizzling chili and cheese-smothered hot dogs, soups and stews
of the hearty variety, and recipes that remind me of part of my ancestral
heritage.
I may be sorry to see summer go away for several seasons,
but there is a lot for which to look forward in this first full month of
autumn. What seasonal specialties call your name in October?
