October

Many, many years ago I read
"Simple Country Pleasures" which was a monthly article in Country Living Magazine. It was written by Jo Northrop. She had the talent to describe nature and the seasons so well! I appreciated every month and every season as seen through her eyes and her writings. After reading these articles for a couple of years, I found out that Jo Northrop was legally blind. The articles stopped appearing around 1994, and I finally got word that Jo had passed away.

I saved quite a few of these articles, and occasionally I pull them out to read again. I'd like to share October with you as "seen" through the eyes of Jo Northrop.

"Woodcock, woodbine, and woodsmoke signal October's arrival with sunny, crisp mornings. The month is filled with golden days that drift into evening shadows and an autumn chill that beckons us to hearth and fire...The colors of autumn amaze us year after year. It is like seeing a great play more than once. We know the characters, we know the beginning and end, but each time the play is fresh and new; we are simultaneously comfortable and yet awestruck ...
On a sparking afternoon, we tread on fallen leaves that resemble a paisley carpet flung beneath a treetop canopy. It is refreshing to feel so close to the autumn land and to consider what the trees and woodland mean to us...

When October comes, the weather is still fine, so we can sit outside and watch the moon rise while the stew simmers. October evenings are smoke-tinged and tweedy-the sound of a neighbor chopping wood carries clearly, peacefully through the nippy air.

When October comes, and when October goes, October lingers in the mind and warms against the cold."

Happy October everyone. I hope your weekend will be beautiful. We are headed to Washington to see a very special daughter!