This will not be the longest Thought ever written, but it is a banner day for me and merits mention. Today I got a package in the mail. This was no ordinary package. It came bearing October goodness. With the help of the United States Postal Service and online shopping, a goal that has been in the making for at least 12 years, possibly even longer came true today.
You see, ever since I was a wee thing, I have had somewhat of a "thing" about socks. Some may say that the suit makes the man. For all I know they may be right. But for this gal, socks make the woman. You can be as fancied up as Eliza Doolittle at the Ascot races. You could be an Oscar winner on the big night. You could even be the President of the United States, but underneath it all, you could have on Daffy Duck socks.
Wearing sneaky socks is a quirk of mine. Why wear plain old white, when you can wear neon green with monster eyes. I call them sneaky socks, because unless you are the type who wears socks with sandals, most people can't tell or don't even bother to look at what you have crammed into your shoes besides your feet. Sneaky socks can really showcase your personality/emotions. Maybe you have a hard test that day. Why not wear Einstein socks or Superman socks. Maybe you are going out on your first date with your crush. Perhaps kissy face socks with hearts are for you. Perhaps you are dealing with your arch nemesis who is scared of spiders. Well, you can pretty much guess that one.
October is the perfect month for me to let my sock ridden freak flag fly. But they can't be just any socks, they have to have some sort of meaning. They have to stand out in some way. Which when it comes to October is not that hard of a goal.
Oh right, about that package. Today I got 8 pairs of socks. This put me over the limit on my lifetime goal to have one pair of Halloween socks for every day of October. Now to my knowledge, no one has yet made a pair of Pumpkin Spice Latte socks (and when they do, you know I will be buying them) so most of my socks are scary. But I don't' care. I love every one of them.
Sadly, with the weather being really nice this year, I have not had a chance to wear my socks every day, but I have taken them out and fondly looked at them. I have socks of every hue, but mostly orange, black and purple. I have cats, candy corn, bats, vampires, the Bride of Frankenstein, people dressed up like the Bride of Frankenstein, scarecrows both tame and scary, haunted houses, spider webs, witches, Frankenstein himself (though now that I think of it, why don't they make a pair of socks with Frankenstein on one and the Bride on the other? I would totally buy those, anyway) I also have pumpkins, leaves, ghosts, skulls and my new favorite, a dancing yeti with a disco ball. I wish they hadn't used Christmas colors on that sock, but yeti with disco ball trumps my preferences. Besides, it just means I can justifiable wear them at Christmas too.
Some socks have been given to me by dear friends. Some I have bough at pivotal moments in my life. I can tell you the story behind almost all of my socks. Some are funny, some not so much. Some stories are a bit heartwarming and some simply are "I saw these cute socks online and had to buy them." Thankfully most have a better story than that.
At 34 pairs of socks, I can wear one every day of the month if I so choose. I can even change them multiple times a day and still have some left. Will I stop collecting October socks now that I have reached my goal? Heavens no. Maybe I will make a new goal, 365 October socks. With such a lofty ambition, it could be October all year round on my feet. What a treat.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Day 5: Comfort and Joy Early
October is many things. It is beautiful, aromatic, spooky, chilly, whimsical and more. Everywhere you turn, there is a new part of October to experience. But today, today I focus on the comfortable. There is something to be said for the many ways in which October can go right to ones heart and bring comfort.
There is something about October that makes me feel cozy and happy. Beyond Halloween, decorations, corn mazes and pumpkin lattes at Starbucks, this feeling I think, is the reason that I love this month so much. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the weather starts to turn cooler (YAY). The days aren't quite so hot anymore, and the nights have a pleasantly chilly bite to them. Fans and ice packs get put away for another year while snuggly blankets and fuzzy slippers are dug out from the backs of closets. Or maybe it is because it starts to get dark earlier and there is more time to star gaze or take strolls in the twilight.
Really everything about October is cozy. The colors are richer and warmer. Snuggling by the fireside is that much better. Comfort foods come out. Thick and rich things like stews and hot cocoa, or sweet like pumpkin bread and cider. Then there are the soft things like quits, coats, gloves, sweaters and knit hats. If summer is a nice cool dip in a lake, then autumn is an exuberant leap into a snuggly feather bed. Whoops, I'm getting sleepy just typing that.
In autumn/October I have a deeper enjoyment of cooking. Breads, soups, hearty meals with vegetables straight from a farmers market. Food and sharing it is so much more enjoyable to me when you don't have to fend off bugs or melt from the heat of the oven on an already hot day. In October gardens are coming in and people are either canning or sharing the bounty of their hard work with friends and family to enjoy. This year I tried my hand at my own garden. While the fruits of my labor produced more weeds than edible bounty, it was fun and I plan to try it again. But just because my efforts failed many of my friends didn't. I have been blessed with zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and squash till they are almost coming out of my ears (hey, that would make a great costume) October is all about sharing and bringing in the harvest. Time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
October is the perfect time to curl up in a snuggly chair and read. To me, it is sheer bliss to slip on some fuzzy socks, grab a cup of tea and lose myself for hours. I have a few books that I have saved this summer specifically for October snuggle reading. I am waiting for the perfect day. When there is sunshine but a chill in the air. When the world is a soft amber color and there is a slight breeze in the trees. I get a day like that every year. I have no idea when it will come, but it always shows up. Today is close and I have my books and magazines at the ready.
October is when I can finally wear my scarves, mittens and hats and not look weird or be on the verge of passing out from heat stroke. Besides it just looks odd if you have a hat and gloves in the middle of summer. October is when I get to slip on my furry boots to tromp up to the mailbox. When I can start wearing sweatshirts in the early hours of the morning as I watch the sun rise and the fog lift. October is also the time I start to wear socks again. It may be because the weather is turning cooler and I no longer can wear flip flops, or it may be because October is when they come out with holiday socks. It's too close to call really.
I am just more at peace with things in October. I am content to just be. The mornings are brisk and when I wake up I enjoy staying in my nice warm bed cocoon and daydreaming. Some of my favorite memories are from October. Specifically I like to recall sitting in my bedroom back home and watching the rain fall down onto the leaves on our back porch. My favorite position was with my nose pressed almost up to the glass with my chin resting on the wooden frame. I would sit with my feet on the heater wrapped in my moms old yellow bathrobe. I could do it for hours.
I also loved to sit in front of the fire place in our front room and do my homework at night. There was something about the twinkle of the city lights through the window, the smell of wood smoke and the crackle and pop of the fire that soothed me. I could read about the Industrial Revolution or the conquests of Charlemagne while wrapped in a fuzzy orange blanket with a dog at my feet. I miss that fireplace.
Now that we have moved, my new favorite memories are of being in the church at dark looking through the atrium windows at the orange sodium lights. It is the best feeling in the world to sit and listen to their hum and watch the sway of shadows as the trees move outside.
See, October really is the coziest month, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Really everything about October is cozy. The colors are richer and warmer. Snuggling by the fireside is that much better. Comfort foods come out. Thick and rich things like stews and hot cocoa, or sweet like pumpkin bread and cider. Then there are the soft things like quits, coats, gloves, sweaters and knit hats. If summer is a nice cool dip in a lake, then autumn is an exuberant leap into a snuggly feather bed. Whoops, I'm getting sleepy just typing that.
In autumn/October I have a deeper enjoyment of cooking. Breads, soups, hearty meals with vegetables straight from a farmers market. Food and sharing it is so much more enjoyable to me when you don't have to fend off bugs or melt from the heat of the oven on an already hot day. In October gardens are coming in and people are either canning or sharing the bounty of their hard work with friends and family to enjoy. This year I tried my hand at my own garden. While the fruits of my labor produced more weeds than edible bounty, it was fun and I plan to try it again. But just because my efforts failed many of my friends didn't. I have been blessed with zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and squash till they are almost coming out of my ears (hey, that would make a great costume) October is all about sharing and bringing in the harvest. Time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
October is the perfect time to curl up in a snuggly chair and read. To me, it is sheer bliss to slip on some fuzzy socks, grab a cup of tea and lose myself for hours. I have a few books that I have saved this summer specifically for October snuggle reading. I am waiting for the perfect day. When there is sunshine but a chill in the air. When the world is a soft amber color and there is a slight breeze in the trees. I get a day like that every year. I have no idea when it will come, but it always shows up. Today is close and I have my books and magazines at the ready.
October is when I can finally wear my scarves, mittens and hats and not look weird or be on the verge of passing out from heat stroke. Besides it just looks odd if you have a hat and gloves in the middle of summer. October is when I get to slip on my furry boots to tromp up to the mailbox. When I can start wearing sweatshirts in the early hours of the morning as I watch the sun rise and the fog lift. October is also the time I start to wear socks again. It may be because the weather is turning cooler and I no longer can wear flip flops, or it may be because October is when they come out with holiday socks. It's too close to call really.
I am just more at peace with things in October. I am content to just be. The mornings are brisk and when I wake up I enjoy staying in my nice warm bed cocoon and daydreaming. Some of my favorite memories are from October. Specifically I like to recall sitting in my bedroom back home and watching the rain fall down onto the leaves on our back porch. My favorite position was with my nose pressed almost up to the glass with my chin resting on the wooden frame. I would sit with my feet on the heater wrapped in my moms old yellow bathrobe. I could do it for hours.
I also loved to sit in front of the fire place in our front room and do my homework at night. There was something about the twinkle of the city lights through the window, the smell of wood smoke and the crackle and pop of the fire that soothed me. I could read about the Industrial Revolution or the conquests of Charlemagne while wrapped in a fuzzy orange blanket with a dog at my feet. I miss that fireplace.
Now that we have moved, my new favorite memories are of being in the church at dark looking through the atrium windows at the orange sodium lights. It is the best feeling in the world to sit and listen to their hum and watch the sway of shadows as the trees move outside.
See, October really is the coziest month, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Day 4: Getting Lost is aMAZEing
So far, my October has been pretty traditional. I have sipped Pumpkin Spice Lattes till I am sick of them, which is a bit alarming since this is only the fourth of October. I have listened to spooky music, watched some scary movies, decorated, written my October Thoughts and today, I went to the Corn Maze.
I was a little worried this year. There has been a drought of sorts where I am and irrigation got cut off really early this year. The farming community knew that water would be scarce so a lot of folks opted not to grow corn this planting season. Last year there were drought like conditions and the corn in the maze wasn't very high. What would happen this year when the water was cut off even sooner? As October got closer and closer I didn't see the usual signage that told when the maze was coming. I looked on the website and it was blank. Then the bad news (of sorts) a new farm stand was opening up a mega maze and I thought for sure my little maze was done for.
But a week ago the status on the website changed. They said that they would be open on Saturday the 4th at 1pm. I was over the moon excited. My maze lived. I kept my eye out for the usual signs but still none were forthcoming. I even drove by the maze and didn't see a thing. So when Saturday morning dawned, I kept the faith and got ready. I have specific maze traveling gear. I bring a water bottle, sturdy shoes, wear layers, and have my phone fully charged. I take my maze going very seriously. Some years I bring headphones and listen to music, other years I bring snacks and have a middle of the maze picnic. I have yet to brave the maze in the dark, but if I ever grow a backbone, I will bring two trusty flashlights that can act as both critter deterrent and light sources.
Once sufficiently geared up, I grabbed my mother and together we drove off to the maze. I was so giddy I could have bounced right out of my vehicle. There weren't very many people at the maze when we pulled up. Only 2 other cars, but that suited me just fine. There was a new set up to the compound and I was happy to see that the corn wasn't as short as I feared it would be. But alas, there was to be no pumpkin patch this year.
Before I set off on my solo adventure through the corn (mom won't go, she prefers to sit outside the maze so that she can direct the National Guard in the event that she has to call them if I am lost) I met a farm kitten. It was a Siamese and it almost went through the maze with me. I coaxed it out from under the office steps and we spent 10 minutes snuggling and cuddling. It climbed up on my shoulders and acted like a scarf and then it followed me down to the goat pens. I was thisclose to taking it home with me, and then it dashed off. I suppose that was for the best.
Kitty shenanigans aside, I said farewell to my mother and entered the maze. Now, let me say this. Of all the times that I have gone to the maze in the past years, I think this was by far the best. The maze had just opened 3 hours prior to me showing up and it was in pristine condition. The ground through the maze was like walking on beach sand. The dirt was piled high and loose. You sunk down into it and really had to work to keep your footing. Before when I have done the maze there has been so many that have gone before me that the ground is tamped down and hard. Not so this time. There was only 1 other set of footprints in the maze which made it extra amazing. If I had to backtrack, there were my own footsteps to follow.
The maze was built over where the pumpkin patch was last year, so every once in a while, there would be random pumpkins and vines in the middle of the corn. It was super cool. The usual amount of critters were in the maze with me. On this outing I saw many, many black birds, many quail, a whole quail family, a pheasant, a rabbit and some spider webs right across the path. Because the maze was so new, there weren't any broken stalks on the ground or litter (which there shouldn't be in the first place). There were tire treads from the tiny earth mover that they use to even out the walkways and it was great to walk in the tracks.
But what I liked the very, very best was the fact that there were no signs up yet. In this maze, they like to put up sign posts and have you answer trivia to guess which direction you should go. They had #1 up and I thought that it was odd that I didn't see any others. That mystery was solved after I went through phase 1 the second time. On my way out, I passed some of the maze workers carrying the signs in. I loved being able to just turn this way and that without the cheat of signs. Now don't get me wrong, I do like the trivia and knowing that I am on the right path, but not having signs made it all feel a bit more daring.
I usually have a wonderful sense of direction in mazes but I got lost several times in both phase 1 and 2. In phase 1 I managed to walk all the way back out the entrance. So the second time I tried it, I went in through the exit and still managed to get lost. I did come out the entrance, so I really did finish it, but don't ask me how.
Phase 2 was by far my favorite and the longest and I got spectacularly turned around on that one as well. At one point I even shouted a GOOD GRIEF and then stopped and took a moment after having passed a certain corn stalk for the fifth or sixth time. There were plenty of people at the maze but they were either playing with the bounce house, riding on the hay wagon, feeding the goats, going through the kid maze, or riding the zip line. I had the whole maze to myself and it was wonderful. Just how I like it.
If I had the means and magical ability I would make a hedge maze in my backyard and spend hours walking it. It would be an ever changing maze. Never the same from day to day. At the center would be a cozy nook to read or nap in, or it would have a nice pond to lazily day dream by. That would be bliss.
But this maze was pretty good. There were parts where the corn was taller than me and it created a vegetation canopy to walk through. There were other parts that filtered in sunlight and gave me glimpses of the main building or the irrigation apparatus. One of my favorite bits is being able to look up and see a certain house on the bluff overlooking the maze. I always think, how fun would it be to live there and spy on the maze people. You could have a telescope and look down at the maze and watch as people twist and turn their way through it. That would be so neat. At least it would to me.
After my maze fun, mom and I took a ride on the hay wagon which was delightful. The best time to ride the wagon is at night when you can hear all the night sounds and the rustle of the corn, but the day time is fun too. We rode with some first time riders who acted like a slow moving tractor ride was as scary as a rollercoaster that does loop-the-loops. It was amusing and a bit weird. I mean really, who screams in terror at a 5 mile an hour wagon ride?
All in all, it was a wonderful addition to my day. I fully intend to come back later in the month and do it all again. I also plan on visiting the new maze to see how it compares. But my heart will always be with this little maze. Long may it grow.
I was a little worried this year. There has been a drought of sorts where I am and irrigation got cut off really early this year. The farming community knew that water would be scarce so a lot of folks opted not to grow corn this planting season. Last year there were drought like conditions and the corn in the maze wasn't very high. What would happen this year when the water was cut off even sooner? As October got closer and closer I didn't see the usual signage that told when the maze was coming. I looked on the website and it was blank. Then the bad news (of sorts) a new farm stand was opening up a mega maze and I thought for sure my little maze was done for.
But a week ago the status on the website changed. They said that they would be open on Saturday the 4th at 1pm. I was over the moon excited. My maze lived. I kept my eye out for the usual signs but still none were forthcoming. I even drove by the maze and didn't see a thing. So when Saturday morning dawned, I kept the faith and got ready. I have specific maze traveling gear. I bring a water bottle, sturdy shoes, wear layers, and have my phone fully charged. I take my maze going very seriously. Some years I bring headphones and listen to music, other years I bring snacks and have a middle of the maze picnic. I have yet to brave the maze in the dark, but if I ever grow a backbone, I will bring two trusty flashlights that can act as both critter deterrent and light sources.
Once sufficiently geared up, I grabbed my mother and together we drove off to the maze. I was so giddy I could have bounced right out of my vehicle. There weren't very many people at the maze when we pulled up. Only 2 other cars, but that suited me just fine. There was a new set up to the compound and I was happy to see that the corn wasn't as short as I feared it would be. But alas, there was to be no pumpkin patch this year.
Before I set off on my solo adventure through the corn (mom won't go, she prefers to sit outside the maze so that she can direct the National Guard in the event that she has to call them if I am lost) I met a farm kitten. It was a Siamese and it almost went through the maze with me. I coaxed it out from under the office steps and we spent 10 minutes snuggling and cuddling. It climbed up on my shoulders and acted like a scarf and then it followed me down to the goat pens. I was thisclose to taking it home with me, and then it dashed off. I suppose that was for the best.
Kitty shenanigans aside, I said farewell to my mother and entered the maze. Now, let me say this. Of all the times that I have gone to the maze in the past years, I think this was by far the best. The maze had just opened 3 hours prior to me showing up and it was in pristine condition. The ground through the maze was like walking on beach sand. The dirt was piled high and loose. You sunk down into it and really had to work to keep your footing. Before when I have done the maze there has been so many that have gone before me that the ground is tamped down and hard. Not so this time. There was only 1 other set of footprints in the maze which made it extra amazing. If I had to backtrack, there were my own footsteps to follow.
The maze was built over where the pumpkin patch was last year, so every once in a while, there would be random pumpkins and vines in the middle of the corn. It was super cool. The usual amount of critters were in the maze with me. On this outing I saw many, many black birds, many quail, a whole quail family, a pheasant, a rabbit and some spider webs right across the path. Because the maze was so new, there weren't any broken stalks on the ground or litter (which there shouldn't be in the first place). There were tire treads from the tiny earth mover that they use to even out the walkways and it was great to walk in the tracks.
But what I liked the very, very best was the fact that there were no signs up yet. In this maze, they like to put up sign posts and have you answer trivia to guess which direction you should go. They had #1 up and I thought that it was odd that I didn't see any others. That mystery was solved after I went through phase 1 the second time. On my way out, I passed some of the maze workers carrying the signs in. I loved being able to just turn this way and that without the cheat of signs. Now don't get me wrong, I do like the trivia and knowing that I am on the right path, but not having signs made it all feel a bit more daring.
I usually have a wonderful sense of direction in mazes but I got lost several times in both phase 1 and 2. In phase 1 I managed to walk all the way back out the entrance. So the second time I tried it, I went in through the exit and still managed to get lost. I did come out the entrance, so I really did finish it, but don't ask me how.
Phase 2 was by far my favorite and the longest and I got spectacularly turned around on that one as well. At one point I even shouted a GOOD GRIEF and then stopped and took a moment after having passed a certain corn stalk for the fifth or sixth time. There were plenty of people at the maze but they were either playing with the bounce house, riding on the hay wagon, feeding the goats, going through the kid maze, or riding the zip line. I had the whole maze to myself and it was wonderful. Just how I like it.
If I had the means and magical ability I would make a hedge maze in my backyard and spend hours walking it. It would be an ever changing maze. Never the same from day to day. At the center would be a cozy nook to read or nap in, or it would have a nice pond to lazily day dream by. That would be bliss.
But this maze was pretty good. There were parts where the corn was taller than me and it created a vegetation canopy to walk through. There were other parts that filtered in sunlight and gave me glimpses of the main building or the irrigation apparatus. One of my favorite bits is being able to look up and see a certain house on the bluff overlooking the maze. I always think, how fun would it be to live there and spy on the maze people. You could have a telescope and look down at the maze and watch as people twist and turn their way through it. That would be so neat. At least it would to me.
After my maze fun, mom and I took a ride on the hay wagon which was delightful. The best time to ride the wagon is at night when you can hear all the night sounds and the rustle of the corn, but the day time is fun too. We rode with some first time riders who acted like a slow moving tractor ride was as scary as a rollercoaster that does loop-the-loops. It was amusing and a bit weird. I mean really, who screams in terror at a 5 mile an hour wagon ride?
All in all, it was a wonderful addition to my day. I fully intend to come back later in the month and do it all again. I also plan on visiting the new maze to see how it compares. But my heart will always be with this little maze. Long may it grow.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Day 3: The Life of Leaf
You know that song that goes "listen to the rhythm of the falling rain," today, that song made me think of fall leaves. The crunch of them underfoot. The rustle of their dry bodies in a breeze. The way they hypnotize as they float and swirl in the air. By now I usually have picked out my favorite fall tree and buried myself in a leaf pile. But the trees are reluctant to give up their leafy bits this year. So far I have seen hardly any color other than green and there has been nothing to crunch. I am a bit disappointed.
But it got me thinking, do leaves spend as much time thinking about us as we do them? Yes, yes, I know, leaves don't throw tea parties and they aren't sentient, but just go with me here. This is what watching years of Disney films does to ones imaginations. What must it be like to be a leaf? Do they have a silent commentary on our fashion choices as the Spring and Summer progress? Do they wait with bated leafy breath to see us in our Easter finery or to see just how much skin we will bare in the summer? Do they laugh when the skin of summer suddenly disappears with the mufflers, jeans, coats and galoshes of fall? Which season is their favorite?
Imagine. You spend all winter curled up for a nice nap inside your tree. You hear the wind howl and feel the beat of the rain on the trunk, but you are nice and warm. You dream of emerging out into the world and seeing your shape for the first time, seeing the world for the first time. Then one day the warmth of spring begins to thaw your woody host and suddenly you feel jittery in a way that you haven't ever felt before. You wake up from your long winter nap and push your way out into the light. You unfurl and drink in that warm golden sunshine. You turn your face up to the heavens and work on establishing your green leafy tan. You feel rain for the first time and twist and turn your veins to watch the water run off. You rustle and laugh when a summer breeze tickles you. You watch with rapt attention as a parade of insects use you as either a superhighway or buffet. You sing lullabies into the wind.
All too soon your days start to get colder and you plan your last hurrah. What color will you be? Where will you fly off too to spend your final days? When the time comes you burst forth into a beautiful riot of color. You tell the story of your life in deep ochre's and vermillion. Bright goldenrod or scarlet. Each of your leafy compatriots is different and chooses its own color pallet. You ooh and ahh over the new sights and together you make your tree host look like it is on fire. The last celebration of your leafy life.
Then one day a breeze detaches you from your tree and you float. You are carried past the corner shops that you waved at all year and down the road. You always wondered where it went. You twist and twirl in the eddies and fly higher than you have ever known. If you are a very lucky leaf, you settle down in a yard where someone is collecting a leaf bouquet. You land on a soft carpet of lawn and are scooped up again and brought into a house. You meet other leaves from distant areas. You talk of your experiences and comment on each others colors. You are placed in a jar with a ribbon and get to experience life indoors for a while. You watch morning routines and after dinner relaxation. You are warm again and lazily dream about what it felt like to be outside.
Before you start to get overly brittle and crack, a woman selects you and puts you in-between some sheets of plastic and seals you into them. You are kept in a book and taken out every now and then as a reminder of that special fall. You are not as active as you used to be and sometimes you miss the feel of wind and the smell of autumn spices, but you are happy. You are an eternal October leaf and life couldn't get much better.
This is my next challenge to you. When the leaves finally change, go and find a beautiful tree to sit under. Talk to the leaves or at least listen to what they have to say. Lay under the tree and watch as the leaves fall all around you. Close your eyes and listen to them rustle above you and crunch below you. Play in a leaf pile. Make a leaf bouquet. Press some into a book as a reminder. Above all, take time to stop and enjoy the vibrant display that is going on just for you. You won't be disappointed.
But it got me thinking, do leaves spend as much time thinking about us as we do them? Yes, yes, I know, leaves don't throw tea parties and they aren't sentient, but just go with me here. This is what watching years of Disney films does to ones imaginations. What must it be like to be a leaf? Do they have a silent commentary on our fashion choices as the Spring and Summer progress? Do they wait with bated leafy breath to see us in our Easter finery or to see just how much skin we will bare in the summer? Do they laugh when the skin of summer suddenly disappears with the mufflers, jeans, coats and galoshes of fall? Which season is their favorite?
Imagine. You spend all winter curled up for a nice nap inside your tree. You hear the wind howl and feel the beat of the rain on the trunk, but you are nice and warm. You dream of emerging out into the world and seeing your shape for the first time, seeing the world for the first time. Then one day the warmth of spring begins to thaw your woody host and suddenly you feel jittery in a way that you haven't ever felt before. You wake up from your long winter nap and push your way out into the light. You unfurl and drink in that warm golden sunshine. You turn your face up to the heavens and work on establishing your green leafy tan. You feel rain for the first time and twist and turn your veins to watch the water run off. You rustle and laugh when a summer breeze tickles you. You watch with rapt attention as a parade of insects use you as either a superhighway or buffet. You sing lullabies into the wind.
All too soon your days start to get colder and you plan your last hurrah. What color will you be? Where will you fly off too to spend your final days? When the time comes you burst forth into a beautiful riot of color. You tell the story of your life in deep ochre's and vermillion. Bright goldenrod or scarlet. Each of your leafy compatriots is different and chooses its own color pallet. You ooh and ahh over the new sights and together you make your tree host look like it is on fire. The last celebration of your leafy life.
Then one day a breeze detaches you from your tree and you float. You are carried past the corner shops that you waved at all year and down the road. You always wondered where it went. You twist and twirl in the eddies and fly higher than you have ever known. If you are a very lucky leaf, you settle down in a yard where someone is collecting a leaf bouquet. You land on a soft carpet of lawn and are scooped up again and brought into a house. You meet other leaves from distant areas. You talk of your experiences and comment on each others colors. You are placed in a jar with a ribbon and get to experience life indoors for a while. You watch morning routines and after dinner relaxation. You are warm again and lazily dream about what it felt like to be outside.
Before you start to get overly brittle and crack, a woman selects you and puts you in-between some sheets of plastic and seals you into them. You are kept in a book and taken out every now and then as a reminder of that special fall. You are not as active as you used to be and sometimes you miss the feel of wind and the smell of autumn spices, but you are happy. You are an eternal October leaf and life couldn't get much better.
This is my next challenge to you. When the leaves finally change, go and find a beautiful tree to sit under. Talk to the leaves or at least listen to what they have to say. Lay under the tree and watch as the leaves fall all around you. Close your eyes and listen to them rustle above you and crunch below you. Play in a leaf pile. Make a leaf bouquet. Press some into a book as a reminder. Above all, take time to stop and enjoy the vibrant display that is going on just for you. You won't be disappointed.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Day 2: October in a Box
Now-a-days there is a motivational slogan/platitude/catch phrase for just about everything. "Just do it" "Look on the sunny side of life" "YOLO" "Dare to Dream" "Just keep swimming" "life is like a box of chocolates" " Hang in there" and "think outside the box" However, when it comes to October, I like to think inside the box. Deep, deep inside.
If you had any kind of decent childhood, or had children or grandkids who did, then you watched the show Duck Tales either after school or on Saturday mornings. Some of you may have even had the comics. Anyway, in the show, there was a character named Scrooge McDuck. He was very rich and had a room that was dedicated solely to housing his money. It was a very tall room with a balcony and a diving board. The room was devoid of decoration except for the money and there was nothing that Scrooge liked to do more than go swimming in all his gold. Even as a child I thought this idea was dumb. If you dove headfirst into a pile of metal you would kill yourself. But it was a cartoon so I went with it.
But what does some cartoon from the halcyon days of my childhood have to do with October Thoughts? Well, some people have a bucket list to visit Machu Picchu. Some want to sky dive, run with the bulls or take a picture with a celebrity. Me, I want to fill a pool with October monster cereal and swim in it. The realist in me knows that this would be extremely wasteful. I would have to donate the cereal to goats or a dog kennel or some other place that would take it. I'm not sure even I would want to eat cereal that I swam in. But the little kid in me, sees Scrooge swimming in his money and wonders why I can't do that with my breakfast cereal? I mean, cereal is a lot more pliant and less likely to kill me upon impact that gold coins. But since I can't swim in it, I will just have to settle for eating it out of a bowl like everyone else. Someday though......someday.
As a child I didn't care for so called "kid" cereals. You see, I was a 80 year old in a kid body. My breakfast of choice was Grape Nuts or Shredded Wheat (and not the frosted kind either). I liked Wheaties because they came with great prizes like wrist bands or mini basketball hoops. But give me a kid cereal and I just reached in, took the prize out and then left the remainder for someone else to eat. I was a weird kid, who grew up to be a weird adult.
Once I hit my 20's or so I started to like the kid cereals. But not just any kid cereals, the October cereals. I can't recall when I first came upon them, but it was magical. Count Chocula. Boo Berry, Franken Berry. Monsters in a box just waiting for me to devour them. (What a great reversal of the predator/prey complex. Scared of monsters, not this gal, I eat em for breakfast. Literally) Ever since that fateful day when I purchased my first box I was hooked. No more sensible breakfast cereal for me in October. Bring on the ingredients that I can't pronounce and the artificial colors and marshmallows. Milk just isn't the same if your cereal doesn't bleed its colors into it.
But just because I like it doesn't mean it is readily accessible. To be a true October cereal fan, you have to work for it. Every year the grocery store has a fun little game they play with me. It is called, where can we hid the cereal so that Rebecca can't find it. Never once has it been in the same place and often they move it around the store just to keep me on my toes. Sometimes I can sort of see the logic in where they place it, other times I think they just do it to mess with me.
This year I found it no problem at all a week before October. I dutifully bought my 3 boxes and put them in the pantry. I exerted great self control and didn't eat them ahead of time. Then I got the bright idea to use them in my Halloween décor. So now my 3 new cereal boxes and my two old boxes are proudly displayed. This did cause me a bit of a problem though. With my cereal being on display and out of reach, what was I going to eat for breakfast? So back to the store I went and wouldn't you know it, the boxes were gone.
Now, I am pretty sure I am the only one who really obsesses about October breakfast cereal. I don't think that in the week since I was last in the store they sold an entire pallet of the stuff, and I know I didn't buy it. So I checked the produce aisle (it has been lumped in with the potatoes before I kid you not) I checked the breakfast cereal aisle (where they NEVER are, cuz that would make too much sense). I checked the baking aisle, the ends of aisles, the front hallway and the place where they used to be just in case they had some sort of cloaking device on them that I of course hadn't noticed. No cereal. So I asked the first clerk I saw. He told me. Look at the front of the store. I told him, they aren't there. He looked confused and asked another clerk. She said, look at the front of the store. To which myself and the first clerk replied, they aren't there. The second clerk yelled across the store to the customer service rep, where are the monster cereals? And surprise, surprise, she yelled back. Check the front of the store. To which the 3 of us replied, they aren't there. Customer service yelled to a passing clerk and, well you get the picture. Finally someone asked the fellow at the meat counter who of course knew where the cereals were.................I'm building suspense....................they were in the................ frozen food aisle. Well of course, why didn't I think of that. Nothing says frozen peas and tater tots quite like a monster breakfast cereal. I guess they could be used as a topping for ice cream or waffles, but really, in a hidden corner of the frozen food aisle? Sigh. I guess that was better than the time they were hidden behind the Kleenex on a corner aisle and I only found them because I accidentally bumped into the display and dislodged enough that I saw the cereals. See, eating October breakfast foods is not for the easily discouraged. It's an endurance test that results in yumminess.
Anyway, the delicious trio was obtained and all was once again right with the world. In fact, I just enjoyed a scrumptious bowl of Boo Berry as I was typing this Thought. Isn't it funny how I had to grow up in order to enjoy a kids cereal, and it doesn't even have a prize. Though, the boxes now are kind of collectors items. This year, DC Comics has done special issues of each cereal. What a great blend, comics and my favorite cereals. A match made in October heaven.
At first I was cocky and thought that October had the market cornered on holiday breakfast cereals. But then I remembered Christmas. Christmas gets everything. I could only remember 2 holiday cereals for Christmas, but when I looked it up online there were 14, which kind of depressed me. But then I got to thinking. Christmas is overdoing it. No one cereal is good enough, they need 14. But October, October has 3 tried and true monster cereals. Sure, their used to be 5, and true, the boxes have been redesigned countless times over the years. Boo Berry looks kind of like a pale, somewhat stoned Frank Sinatra. The Fruit Brute used to look like a homeless hippi and now looks like a well coiffed jazz singer or 50's greaser. Count Chocula looked like either Ron Burgundy from Anchorman or a skeezy used car salesman from the 70's and now looks like you could sharpen knives on his cheekbones. The yummy mummy pretty much stays the same, though I don't know what ancient Egyptians would make a mummy multicolored and predominantly hot pink. But the one that is my favorite always somehow manages to look the most ridiculous. For the most part, Franken Berry looks like a pink monkey. This year his head looks like 2 pink loaves of bread with a smokestack attached. Or like Elton John. It is like a Rorschach test for breakfast cereal, I guess you see what you want to. In which case, maybe I need therapy.
But it isn't' what they look like that matters to me, it is the chase. The anticipation of the first cereal release date. The first sighting. The stalking of my breakfasty prey and the acquisition of it. It is all about the hunt and I love it. Who else do you know that hunts a breakfast cereal? Maybe I could mount the box carcasses on my wall when I am done with them. October trophies. Just one more decoration to add to my collection and that wouldn't hurt my feelings at all.
If you had any kind of decent childhood, or had children or grandkids who did, then you watched the show Duck Tales either after school or on Saturday mornings. Some of you may have even had the comics. Anyway, in the show, there was a character named Scrooge McDuck. He was very rich and had a room that was dedicated solely to housing his money. It was a very tall room with a balcony and a diving board. The room was devoid of decoration except for the money and there was nothing that Scrooge liked to do more than go swimming in all his gold. Even as a child I thought this idea was dumb. If you dove headfirst into a pile of metal you would kill yourself. But it was a cartoon so I went with it.
But what does some cartoon from the halcyon days of my childhood have to do with October Thoughts? Well, some people have a bucket list to visit Machu Picchu. Some want to sky dive, run with the bulls or take a picture with a celebrity. Me, I want to fill a pool with October monster cereal and swim in it. The realist in me knows that this would be extremely wasteful. I would have to donate the cereal to goats or a dog kennel or some other place that would take it. I'm not sure even I would want to eat cereal that I swam in. But the little kid in me, sees Scrooge swimming in his money and wonders why I can't do that with my breakfast cereal? I mean, cereal is a lot more pliant and less likely to kill me upon impact that gold coins. But since I can't swim in it, I will just have to settle for eating it out of a bowl like everyone else. Someday though......someday.
As a child I didn't care for so called "kid" cereals. You see, I was a 80 year old in a kid body. My breakfast of choice was Grape Nuts or Shredded Wheat (and not the frosted kind either). I liked Wheaties because they came with great prizes like wrist bands or mini basketball hoops. But give me a kid cereal and I just reached in, took the prize out and then left the remainder for someone else to eat. I was a weird kid, who grew up to be a weird adult.
Once I hit my 20's or so I started to like the kid cereals. But not just any kid cereals, the October cereals. I can't recall when I first came upon them, but it was magical. Count Chocula. Boo Berry, Franken Berry. Monsters in a box just waiting for me to devour them. (What a great reversal of the predator/prey complex. Scared of monsters, not this gal, I eat em for breakfast. Literally) Ever since that fateful day when I purchased my first box I was hooked. No more sensible breakfast cereal for me in October. Bring on the ingredients that I can't pronounce and the artificial colors and marshmallows. Milk just isn't the same if your cereal doesn't bleed its colors into it.
But just because I like it doesn't mean it is readily accessible. To be a true October cereal fan, you have to work for it. Every year the grocery store has a fun little game they play with me. It is called, where can we hid the cereal so that Rebecca can't find it. Never once has it been in the same place and often they move it around the store just to keep me on my toes. Sometimes I can sort of see the logic in where they place it, other times I think they just do it to mess with me.
This year I found it no problem at all a week before October. I dutifully bought my 3 boxes and put them in the pantry. I exerted great self control and didn't eat them ahead of time. Then I got the bright idea to use them in my Halloween décor. So now my 3 new cereal boxes and my two old boxes are proudly displayed. This did cause me a bit of a problem though. With my cereal being on display and out of reach, what was I going to eat for breakfast? So back to the store I went and wouldn't you know it, the boxes were gone.
Now, I am pretty sure I am the only one who really obsesses about October breakfast cereal. I don't think that in the week since I was last in the store they sold an entire pallet of the stuff, and I know I didn't buy it. So I checked the produce aisle (it has been lumped in with the potatoes before I kid you not) I checked the breakfast cereal aisle (where they NEVER are, cuz that would make too much sense). I checked the baking aisle, the ends of aisles, the front hallway and the place where they used to be just in case they had some sort of cloaking device on them that I of course hadn't noticed. No cereal. So I asked the first clerk I saw. He told me. Look at the front of the store. I told him, they aren't there. He looked confused and asked another clerk. She said, look at the front of the store. To which myself and the first clerk replied, they aren't there. The second clerk yelled across the store to the customer service rep, where are the monster cereals? And surprise, surprise, she yelled back. Check the front of the store. To which the 3 of us replied, they aren't there. Customer service yelled to a passing clerk and, well you get the picture. Finally someone asked the fellow at the meat counter who of course knew where the cereals were.................I'm building suspense....................they were in the................ frozen food aisle. Well of course, why didn't I think of that. Nothing says frozen peas and tater tots quite like a monster breakfast cereal. I guess they could be used as a topping for ice cream or waffles, but really, in a hidden corner of the frozen food aisle? Sigh. I guess that was better than the time they were hidden behind the Kleenex on a corner aisle and I only found them because I accidentally bumped into the display and dislodged enough that I saw the cereals. See, eating October breakfast foods is not for the easily discouraged. It's an endurance test that results in yumminess.
Anyway, the delicious trio was obtained and all was once again right with the world. In fact, I just enjoyed a scrumptious bowl of Boo Berry as I was typing this Thought. Isn't it funny how I had to grow up in order to enjoy a kids cereal, and it doesn't even have a prize. Though, the boxes now are kind of collectors items. This year, DC Comics has done special issues of each cereal. What a great blend, comics and my favorite cereals. A match made in October heaven.
At first I was cocky and thought that October had the market cornered on holiday breakfast cereals. But then I remembered Christmas. Christmas gets everything. I could only remember 2 holiday cereals for Christmas, but when I looked it up online there were 14, which kind of depressed me. But then I got to thinking. Christmas is overdoing it. No one cereal is good enough, they need 14. But October, October has 3 tried and true monster cereals. Sure, their used to be 5, and true, the boxes have been redesigned countless times over the years. Boo Berry looks kind of like a pale, somewhat stoned Frank Sinatra. The Fruit Brute used to look like a homeless hippi and now looks like a well coiffed jazz singer or 50's greaser. Count Chocula looked like either Ron Burgundy from Anchorman or a skeezy used car salesman from the 70's and now looks like you could sharpen knives on his cheekbones. The yummy mummy pretty much stays the same, though I don't know what ancient Egyptians would make a mummy multicolored and predominantly hot pink. But the one that is my favorite always somehow manages to look the most ridiculous. For the most part, Franken Berry looks like a pink monkey. This year his head looks like 2 pink loaves of bread with a smokestack attached. Or like Elton John. It is like a Rorschach test for breakfast cereal, I guess you see what you want to. In which case, maybe I need therapy.
But it isn't' what they look like that matters to me, it is the chase. The anticipation of the first cereal release date. The first sighting. The stalking of my breakfasty prey and the acquisition of it. It is all about the hunt and I love it. Who else do you know that hunts a breakfast cereal? Maybe I could mount the box carcasses on my wall when I am done with them. October trophies. Just one more decoration to add to my collection and that wouldn't hurt my feelings at all.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Day 1: October is Finally Here....Again
I have a confession to make.....ok two. The first one is that I cheated on October. In the 365 days since the last one, I have bought decorations out of season (which I never do), I have drank Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, I have worn my Halloween socks in March, May and July, and I watched some October movies during the summer and fall. Plus, if posting Pinterest snaps of fall leaves year round is a crime, then I may have just topped the FBI's most wanted list. I feel ashamed. But only a little. I just couldn't wait any longer.
My second confession is that I forgot that today was October. I have been busy all of September and parts of August doing October things and thinking about October and wishing for it to be here, that today kind of slipped my mind. Yesterday, October Eve, I just about killed myself getting the holiday décor up. I woke up today groggy and still thinking it was September. I wanted to badly for it to be October that when it actually happened, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Go figure. In reality, I had my first October day on September 30th. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Happy first day of the best month ever, everyone. I have been looking forward to these October Thoughts since they ended last October. I have been jotting down ideas. I have been scheming and planning and dreaming big. Too big as it turns out. I had planned to write a short story for every day of this wonderful month, but that proved to be a bit too ambitious. So, at least once a week I will be presenting a short story. Maybe more if there proves to be time. It is October after all, and anything can happen.
The first thought of the month is going to be about decorations. I never know which though will push its way to the front, but this year it seemed pretty clear. If you know me at all, you know that I love to decorate. I never thought it was weird or over the top until I started really paying attention to other peoples houses. Now I'm not saying I go full on Clark Griswold on holidays, but things do get pretty festive. You can clearly tell what holiday we are celebrating around here just by looking at our front door. I would like to say that I don't do tacky décor, but I suppose that observation is in the eye of the beholder.
Some people think what I do is silly. Some (mostly retail clerks) think I have small children and am doing it for them, but I just like to feel festive. I like the idea of decorations, the flash, sparkle and whimsy. I like the memories associated with them. Two years ago on Halloween our house caught fire (non decoration related I might add). We lost pretty much everything in the house which included most of our decorations. I would have to read my Thoughts from last year to see how that loss affected me, but I am feeling it pretty keenly this year. I don't remember how many October boxes we used to have, I think it was in the 20's or 30's, but now we have 8. I know that is 8 more than most people, but for me it feels like a piece of me is missing.
Decorations are not just things to me, they are memories and stories. I can tell you where I got each decoration or who gave it to me. I can tell you where I have placed it, what I have done with it and various other memories associated with it. This year as I started going though the boxes I kept looking for things that are no longer there. I looked for the half melted pumpkin scarecrow guy that had always given me the heebie jeebies as a kid. He was lopsided and sorta sticky but he was a Halloween staple. I looked for my monster mugs that I spent a summer working for at a comic book warehouse. I unearthed them in a box in the back room one day and took them in lieu of pay. I looked for the screaming door mat that drove everyone but me crazy. I searched for my grandmas haunted house that she painted for me. It had a chip in one of the sides, one bulb socket didn't work anymore, but it reminded me so keenly of my childhood. That house was the one decoration that I fiercely claimed every year. It didn't go with the other haunted houses, it sat in the windowsill of my room and rotated colors all night long. I fell asleep listening to the bulbs transition and click. It bathed my room in blue, red and orange and it was my most favorite decoration.
Since the fire I have new favorites. Good friends have gifted me with the most amazing things. Instead of having childhood memories, I have new ones to build on. Instead of saying, Oh, I remember when we bought that at such and such a store. I can say, oh my, this one came from this person and then think back on the kindness and friendship that went into such a craft or purchase. These are my new favorites. And truth be told, it is kind of fun getting to buy new things. Sure, they might lack some of the kitsch from years past. And yes, the internet and second hand shops are great places to find things from yesteryear, but you never really can buy back your childhood. I know, I tried. Things just smell funny and don't feel the same.
Last night, as I waited for the clock to roll over into a new October, I sat in the dark and looked over my handiwork. No year is ever the same. Sure, some things have a specific spot, but not many. New decorations come in, new ideas pop into my head and a new decorating scheme is made. Every year I think to myself, wow, it can't possibly get any better than this year, and every year it does get better.
I love decorating. I love the look on peoples faces when they see what I have done. I love that some people think I'm crazy and some people think its wonderful. I love making something new and creating something whimsical for my household. I love the memories each piece evokes. I even love the melancholy of the missed decorations. It reminds me to enjoy things in the moment. We never know when that moment will change.
But really, isn't that October in a nutshell? The new year is getting long in the tooth. It is winding down and giving way to something shiny and newer. But it isn't just rolling over and letting the new take over, no, it is going out in a blaze of color. It is making its exit with the smells of the harvest and the taste of spice. October is the fun month that dares you to take a midnight walk under the stars, to wake up early and watch the fog creep back to its dark caverns, to dance around the fire, to jump in leaf piles and stomp in puddles. October is the last hurrah before the weather turns cold and the expectations of the bigger holidays loom. October is the party that everyone is invited too but so few accept the invitation.
That is my challenge to you this October. Live in the now. Embrace the whimsy. Crunch a leaf. Buy some crazy Halloween socks. Put plastic vampire teeth in your mouth and go to your dental appointment. Sip a pumpkin spice something on a cold morning. Get lost in a corn maze and not care a bit. But above all, open your eyes to the wonder of the best month of them all. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
My second confession is that I forgot that today was October. I have been busy all of September and parts of August doing October things and thinking about October and wishing for it to be here, that today kind of slipped my mind. Yesterday, October Eve, I just about killed myself getting the holiday décor up. I woke up today groggy and still thinking it was September. I wanted to badly for it to be October that when it actually happened, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Go figure. In reality, I had my first October day on September 30th. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Happy first day of the best month ever, everyone. I have been looking forward to these October Thoughts since they ended last October. I have been jotting down ideas. I have been scheming and planning and dreaming big. Too big as it turns out. I had planned to write a short story for every day of this wonderful month, but that proved to be a bit too ambitious. So, at least once a week I will be presenting a short story. Maybe more if there proves to be time. It is October after all, and anything can happen.
The first thought of the month is going to be about decorations. I never know which though will push its way to the front, but this year it seemed pretty clear. If you know me at all, you know that I love to decorate. I never thought it was weird or over the top until I started really paying attention to other peoples houses. Now I'm not saying I go full on Clark Griswold on holidays, but things do get pretty festive. You can clearly tell what holiday we are celebrating around here just by looking at our front door. I would like to say that I don't do tacky décor, but I suppose that observation is in the eye of the beholder.
Some people think what I do is silly. Some (mostly retail clerks) think I have small children and am doing it for them, but I just like to feel festive. I like the idea of decorations, the flash, sparkle and whimsy. I like the memories associated with them. Two years ago on Halloween our house caught fire (non decoration related I might add). We lost pretty much everything in the house which included most of our decorations. I would have to read my Thoughts from last year to see how that loss affected me, but I am feeling it pretty keenly this year. I don't remember how many October boxes we used to have, I think it was in the 20's or 30's, but now we have 8. I know that is 8 more than most people, but for me it feels like a piece of me is missing.
Decorations are not just things to me, they are memories and stories. I can tell you where I got each decoration or who gave it to me. I can tell you where I have placed it, what I have done with it and various other memories associated with it. This year as I started going though the boxes I kept looking for things that are no longer there. I looked for the half melted pumpkin scarecrow guy that had always given me the heebie jeebies as a kid. He was lopsided and sorta sticky but he was a Halloween staple. I looked for my monster mugs that I spent a summer working for at a comic book warehouse. I unearthed them in a box in the back room one day and took them in lieu of pay. I looked for the screaming door mat that drove everyone but me crazy. I searched for my grandmas haunted house that she painted for me. It had a chip in one of the sides, one bulb socket didn't work anymore, but it reminded me so keenly of my childhood. That house was the one decoration that I fiercely claimed every year. It didn't go with the other haunted houses, it sat in the windowsill of my room and rotated colors all night long. I fell asleep listening to the bulbs transition and click. It bathed my room in blue, red and orange and it was my most favorite decoration.
Since the fire I have new favorites. Good friends have gifted me with the most amazing things. Instead of having childhood memories, I have new ones to build on. Instead of saying, Oh, I remember when we bought that at such and such a store. I can say, oh my, this one came from this person and then think back on the kindness and friendship that went into such a craft or purchase. These are my new favorites. And truth be told, it is kind of fun getting to buy new things. Sure, they might lack some of the kitsch from years past. And yes, the internet and second hand shops are great places to find things from yesteryear, but you never really can buy back your childhood. I know, I tried. Things just smell funny and don't feel the same.
Last night, as I waited for the clock to roll over into a new October, I sat in the dark and looked over my handiwork. No year is ever the same. Sure, some things have a specific spot, but not many. New decorations come in, new ideas pop into my head and a new decorating scheme is made. Every year I think to myself, wow, it can't possibly get any better than this year, and every year it does get better.
I love decorating. I love the look on peoples faces when they see what I have done. I love that some people think I'm crazy and some people think its wonderful. I love making something new and creating something whimsical for my household. I love the memories each piece evokes. I even love the melancholy of the missed decorations. It reminds me to enjoy things in the moment. We never know when that moment will change.
But really, isn't that October in a nutshell? The new year is getting long in the tooth. It is winding down and giving way to something shiny and newer. But it isn't just rolling over and letting the new take over, no, it is going out in a blaze of color. It is making its exit with the smells of the harvest and the taste of spice. October is the fun month that dares you to take a midnight walk under the stars, to wake up early and watch the fog creep back to its dark caverns, to dance around the fire, to jump in leaf piles and stomp in puddles. October is the last hurrah before the weather turns cold and the expectations of the bigger holidays loom. October is the party that everyone is invited too but so few accept the invitation.
That is my challenge to you this October. Live in the now. Embrace the whimsy. Crunch a leaf. Buy some crazy Halloween socks. Put plastic vampire teeth in your mouth and go to your dental appointment. Sip a pumpkin spice something on a cold morning. Get lost in a corn maze and not care a bit. But above all, open your eyes to the wonder of the best month of them all. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
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