Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Sunday afternoon, we went to Isom Orchards in Athens, Alabama, because the apples are ready. We met Baby Boy there and got to spend some time with him.  We sampled some apples and brought a few home with us. The apples are so good!  I think I'm tasting sunshine. . .

  About the first of October, we bought three pumpkins, some hay, and some mums to brighten up our front yard.  They looked good until last week, when two of the pumpkins rotted and collapsed.  I brought the third one to the kitchen while it was still firm and good. We like pumpkin bread and muffins, so I wanted to save some of the pumpkin.  I cooked the smaller half, and gave the other half to the birds.  Mama used to give them to the hogs, but we can't have any hogs unless we move, so I'll just give it to the birds. Look at the size of those seeds.  People with more energy than me pick them out, clean them, and roast them.  They say they are very tasty. Here is how I cook pumpkin.  When it is clean, cut the pumpkin into chunks, like this. Put them in a 6 quart crock pot.  I cooked it for about 5 hours on high.  In the past, I have put it in the crock pot on low and let it cook overnight. It will look like t...

Autumn is not just pretty leaves and pumpkins. We had a perfect weather weekend here in North Alabama: sunny, cool, and a nice breeze.  On Saturday, we could have gone to the Bell Buckle, Tennessee, arts festival or the Kentuck arts festival.  I could have gone to a meeting on Saturday or attended a fall festival on Sunday afternoon. We did none of these things.  We worked in the yard, cleaning the detritus of summer and getting rid of things we won't need for the coming winter.  Seasons are the stuff of life, the ever changing cycle that never stops, and no matter how hard it is to let go,  we have to accept it and move on. When I am grieving, angry, frustrated, sad, and/or overwhelmed, I find   the best therapy is doing physical work outside.  I can better deal with things when I'm breathing fresh air and working in silence. Many years ago, a therapist told me the best thing for emotional management was getting a plastic bat and hi...

First of all, it was October, a rare month for boys. ~Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes

Nothing says October like pumpkins.   They can brighten up the gloomiest rainy day.   They decorate our porches, our tables, and our yards, bright against the dead leaves on the ground.     After we have enjoyed the pumpkin's outside for a while, the inside gives us pumpkin bread, pumpkin biscuits, and pumpkin muffins. We freeze the cooked pulp in two-cup bags for these things all winter.  The pulp of one average pumpkin goes a long, long way. And who can keep from smiling when we see all these globes of radiant color?   Oh how we love pumpkin season. You did know this gourd-ish squash has its own season, right? Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin.... We anxiously anticipate it every year. ~Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer , October 2010