Tuesday, October 2, 2012

My Autumn Joy



Around me the lush beauty of autumn flourishes. The evening drive home from work finds the sun beginning to set behind me, and the tips of the trees ahead catch the rays.  As the days pass, leaves shed their summer green to reveal shyly, first, a pale yellow, then boldly, deeper reds, and shades of brown that add the richness of age as they curl into themselves, finishing their summer jobs of home to wildlife, shade and nourishment.  

Often, deer graze an early evening meal at roadside.  Further along, families of wild turkeys strut, safe from the hunting season within the confines of Buckhorn Island State Park.  Large nests, home to birds and squirrels begin to show themselves through thinning forests, previously hidden by the lush density of summer.   

At home, the crockpot simmers a roast I put in before work.   Opening the door, the aroma welcomes…come in, relax…we have all evening.  October, November and beyond is the time for comfort food.  Casseroles, baking bread, and slow roasted meals fill the menu.  All day weekend preparations of Coq au Vin or a batch of homemade bagels fill the house with a good feeling.  They feed the body, heart and soul with slow, lazy purpose. 

Unpacked from the attic are coveted and favorite pieces of the wardrobe.  Turtlenecks (promised to co-workers to not make an appearance until after October 1st), sweaters, sweatshirts, flannel nightgowns and fluffy bathrobes fill dressers and closets.    Hand sewn quilts, flannel sheets and the “warm like butter” throw from the Pottery Barn aren’t long to follow for beds, couches and over the back of chairs.   

My men, hard at work!
When daylight savings time hits and the day loses the sun by 5 pm, it’s open season on coming home from work and immediately changing into pajamas for the evening.  After all, it’s dark early – a time to celebrate the long evening ahead, curled up with your favorite book … or lover.  Weekends offer crisp and shortened days, a heightened sense of urgency to get the work and play done in daylight hours. Leaves are raked, wood is split and stacked, hikes provide an opportunity to revel in the beauty of the season and an annual trip to the cider mill and pumpkin vendor send us home with brown bags full of goodies. 
   
At home, the fireplace beckons.  Crinkled paper, a layer of kindling, graduated wood pieces, small to large (cut on a crisp day earlier in the season and stacked, a thing of beauty in itself,) wait for the strike of a match.  The paper catches, spreads the flame that works its way to a full burn.  The flames dance, flickers that reach the corners of the room. It’s an old house – the chimney rises through the center of the upstairs and gives off heat enough to make the two rooms there quite comfortable on the chilliest of days.  On a weekend, when the fire has been going since noon, it warrants opening the upstairs windows just a crack, a cool whisper seeps in to offset the blazing heat inside. 

This is my autumn.  This is my joy. 
“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly 
about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”
- George Eliot

16 comments:

  1. I love you, Amy and I tried really hard to get into this lovely tribute to your season. It is so well written, but I just cannot share most of your comfort things. I love the food of winter, the thick soups, the crock pot meals, the casseroles and the biscuits, buns or garlic bread. I also love summer foods! Maybe more.
    Everything on the grill...roasting vegetables. I also love the fire roaring, I just dislike that I need it because the house is cold.
    *sigh* Well, it's here so I may as well try to find something wonderful about it...like the stoups and soups and maybe the breads. I'm trying here......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Close your eyes, think those lovely summer thoughts and before you know it the crocuses will be pushing up through the snow to herald spring and the coming summer. Thanks for trying so hard to work with me on this one! You're a trooper! :)

      Delete
  2. Brilliantly written in a very crisp and precise manner. I loved your poetic description of minute things that carry so much pleasure. Certainly, this post liberates positive energy. I am your new follower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amit, thank you for the kind words. Autumn gives me a peace & energy that no other season does. Love your writing and am honored to have you sign on as a follower ~ welcome.

      Delete
  3. This is wonderfully written--so descriptive--and you've just put some magic into my favorite season of the year. For that I say thank you!! LOVE THIS ♥ Jenn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're quite welcome Jenn - glad to share the magic. Thanks for reading and commenting.

      Delete
  4. Oh, this is so me. Must be the writer in me.; fall and winter are great excuses to hibernate. As to pajamas, even in summer I'm in those before sun down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I write SO much more in the fall and winter months and I do believe it's in part due to the hibernation factor. And I admit, I've hit the pajamas long before sundown as well in the summer only in fall/winter when it's dark, it eases the guilt of doing so... ;-)

      Delete
  5. Oooh, lovely post! I adore autumn, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Erin - glad you enjoyed it!

      Delete
  6. Experiencing a bit of seasonal envy here in So Cal. Still being able to still swim is nice and all that (and we've been having a HEAT WAVE, on and off, last coupla weeks), but I do miss the nice autumn crispness in the air. Nobody wants a roast when it's 102. :-(

    And the smell of the latest local brushfire ain't quite the same thing as your crackling fireplace, BUT... you painted such vivid word pictures I felt I was there, enjoying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We were out in CA for about 10 days a few years ago doing a coastal drive from LA to San Diego and loved every moment of it, but I must admit I do love my seasons. Pleased to provide a little of the season for you!

      Delete
  7. Ah, Amy, I'm one of those who always mourns a little when September comes and the air starts to cool, but you have pinpointed some of the truly lovely things about fall. I have to admit that October is one of my favorite months (after summer) and can be really beautiful, as long as it doesn't get too cold too fast! I do like to enjoy the last days of mild weather before the real cold hits, but then when the "hunker-down" days of winter roll in, I'm so with you on the fireplace, the warm throws, the hearty meals, and the increased time for contemplative activities like reading and writing. Wonderful essay, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  8. As always Elaine, your reply "warms" my heart. :) Love those long evenings with a good book or when the writing is flowing. Of course, some food and a glass of wine never hurts either! Hope your autumn/winter holds many enjoyable nights.

    ReplyDelete