Beloved October

 If I were a month, I am certain I would be October.

Full of contradictions...bittersweet and melancholy...magic and moods,

and carrying color in my pockets.

It happened overnight... Yesterday it was plain ol' September and this morning it was October - the most glorious month of all.

Those green stalks of corn turned brown and dry, and were whisked off the field today.

I will miss them and their secrets.

One would think that since it has been so long between posts I would have a great deal to share...but I don't or at least I don't have the words for it.

I am certain I have accomplished something(s) over the past month, but I would be hard-pressed to quantify them.  There are the "have-to-do's" before the winter that keeping clogging up my to-do list but I am being pulled by the more temptinig "wanna-do's" of fall endeavors.

I did manage to get some tomatoes canned finally.

My back still hasn't forgiven me and Julia puts me completely to shame.

I have not hooked at all; I have stitched a little...but have completely finished nothing.  

The only thing I have to show for the past many weeks in that regard is this little punch needle box:

{Pattern by Teresa's Prim Treasures}

I struggled to get a decent photo - we are losing light so quickly here, but the box is actually a small candle box of sorts with a sliding lid.

I blame the squirrels...I just set my mind to something and it seems squirrels start running rampant and I, of course, have to chase them.

One squirrel safari led me to playing with paper and scissors.  

I had intended on doing stacks of three boxes but have been unable to find the larger ones for the bottom of the stack.

Rats.

So for now, they are stacks of two.

{Black felted acorns}

I have also been working on perfecting the recipe for 2 (and only 2) chocolate chip cookies. (Don't be deceived by the photo, these are MUCH larger and thicker than they look and than a typical cookie.)  Since I don't need to eat an entire batch of cookies by myself, I have been experimenting...but I think I will need to resign myself to making at least 3...these are just a little bit too thick and chewy in the middle. 

I can't believe I just said that.

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And, books....there's always room and time for books in my closed-in little world.

As fall settles in and darkens the nights prematurely; and chilly, dreary days bleed into colder and rainier nights, I find it even easier to lose myself in the company of the best friends I've ever had: books.

This is another debut novel by (another) British author (am I getting in a rut, here?)...and I will be reading more of her (well, yes, yes, I am...and I am enjoying the rut at this point in time, thank you very much.) The book was described as a "gothic" novel...but I am not sure why?  Perhaps because of its desolate, isolated, setting...but it's not "gothic" in the way that I think of that term.

Atmospheric, yes. Very.  It's the story of an orphan who comes to live with her new adoptive parents...in a secluded house on the edge of a marsh, all of whom and which hold secrets the young child struggles to understand.

It was good...very good.  And like I said, I will be back for more.

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I wish you all a very merrie month of October...Spooking season has officially begun.

Keeping those who suffered the wrath and havoc of Ian in heart and prayers.