Being Thankful: Maples, Mountain Ash, Native Grasses

 Today I am thankful for maples, mountain ash, and native grasses. While others 

around us were experiencing the first snowfall,we bathed in the lovely sunshine 

and spectacular colors of early November in our gardens. Enjoy.

Being Thankful: The Three Months of Autumn

 The three things I am thankful for today are September, October, and November.



September always represents new beginnings for me. New school year, new school supplies, new planner, new school shoes, and new energy to teach and learn for another year. With the changing light there are also new, different kinds of sunsets in September.


I have shared many reasons already on this blog about why I love October. October represents the beginning of a slower season in our gardening year. Less work, more appreciation of the beauty around us. I am thankful for outdoor fires, leaves turning, and quieter times sitting on the porch.


November is that month that naturally eases us into our winter hibernation period. Shorter days, less strenuous work in the gardens, more time for reading, writing, and resting. It also provides lots of time for counting the blessings of Thanksgiving and first snow.

Being Thankful

Each day up to Thanksgiving I will share three things I am thankful for each day. I could probably do this post every day until the new year and not cover all the things I am thankful for. I live a life full of blessings.

Today I am thankful for Friday. It has been a long week and I look forward to a quiet week-end and quality time spent with JEJ and the critters.


I am also thankful for my teaching partners. I work with some dedicated teachers that want what is best for our students each and every day. It is a joy to arrive at school and learn from them each day.

The third thing I am thankful for today is my students. I learn from them each and every day, even when they are dressed up crazy for Halloween.

October Is Also All About Robert Frost

During any season of the year Robert Frost's poetry speaks to me. I have a feeling he embraced autumn just like I do after reading parts of  his anthology this evening. Tonight autumn spoke to me.
 Here is a favorite:

"October” by Robert Frost

(from A Boy’s Will, 1913)

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

October Is All About Dad

 Today my dad would have celebrated his 83rd birthday. When I said Happy Birthday to him in class today I had students say, "He must have died young." He did . At the time he didn't seem so young, but now as I close the gap to that age, he did die young. He died in 1996.

Tonight I revisited many pieces of writing I have done about my dad . I just kept returning to his love for October. Dad was made for October. He loved the fall trees as they turned colors, the smell of the leaves burning as he raked them into the street and set them on fire. When we were younger, I think he loved taking us trick-or-treating.

He felt comfortable in flannel shirts. He liked Kellogg sunsets from the front porch in October.
He was in his element in October because the month included baseball playoffs, the World Series, NFL and college games on TV, and trips to see Inland Empire college and local football games. Whether it was Teeter's Field, the porch at Tony's, the Kibbie Dome, or Joe Albi... Dad liked a good football game.

He also loved the garden bounty of the fall. Before him and Mom planted gardens, he enjoyed harvesting his mother's garden, bringing home jars of her pickles and relishes, getting fresh apples off the trees in the orchard behind my house in Kennewick, and later giving away huge zucchinis.

If Dad was with us today I would love him to make an October visit to my house. He could see our apple orchard, our one plum tree, and the many jars of grape jam I just prepared. He would love all the colors in my yard this time of year and be amazed at what has grown since he was here the spring of 1996. He would shake his head in disbelief when I tell him we had two cherry trees grow from pits. He would also love to sit by the fire and sip a good brandy and talk about the good times.

I miss you Dad.

Inside Comfort by the Fire

 A true sign that the end of autumn is closer is when the animals begin to move inside. Sometimes some of them don't get along during the summer months, but we had arch enemies sitting together by the fire yesterday. Lily is the elusive one. I was pleased to capture a picture of her.

Shelby loves to pose by the fire.

Annie was excited we were all gathered in the Annie Room yesterday.

Junebug also came inside to say hello.

 Lily even got close enough to pose with JEJ.

Quality time in front of the fire for Annie and Shelby.